Darci Matson
The NCAA hockey season is a wrap for Alaskans and our no-brainer Player of the Year is sophomore sniper Darci Matson of Wasilla.
All Matson accomplished for Aurora University (Ill.) this season was leading Division III women in scoring, earning the Laura Hurd Award as the D-III Player of the Year, bagging First-Team All-American honors and generally tormenting goaltenders.
Matson, a Second-Team All-American as a freshman, exploded for 31-34—65 totals in 27 games. She was also plus-53, which is ridiculous. That stat, basically, means that when Matson was on the ice her team averaged two more even-strength goals per game that its opponent. So, a virtual 2-0 lead at the initial drop of the puck. Matson became the ninth Alaskan to be a two-time All-American.
Max Helgeson
Wasilla women were fierce. SUNY-Potsdam captain Kaylee Merrill of Wasilla also delivered a First-Team All-American season with her 27-12—37 totals in 25 games.
UAA’s Maximilion Helgeson led Alaska’s Division I men in goals and points with 11-11—22 totals in 28 games. Not bad for a guy who spent the previous season playing club hockey at Lindenwood.
Below are final season stats for all 67 Alaskans that played the NCAA season in Divisions I and III.
DIVISION I WOMEN
SKATERS
Mikayla Lantto, F, Long Island U. (Wasilla) – 10-8—18 in 35 GP
Angelina Ruiz, F, St. Michael’s (former AK) – 8-2—10 in 32 GP
Grace Canterbury, F, St. Michael’s (Eagle River) – 1-8—9 in 30 GP
Allie Monrean, F, St. Thomas (Anchorage) – 4-3—7 in 36 GP
Raeley Carney, F, Bemidji St. (Wasilla) – 3-2—5 in 34 GP
Anna Shelden, F, Brown (Kenai) – 1-3—4 in 29 GP
Nicole Ness, F, RIT (Anchorage) – 2-1—3 in 29 GP
Journey Miller, F, Long Island U. (Soldotna) – 1-2—3 in 20 GP
Holly Kubichek, F, Post (Fairbanks) – 0-3—3 in 32 GP
Allison Green, F, St. Cloud St. (Anchorage) – 0-3—3 in 33 GP
GOALIES
Hannah Hogenson, Bemidji St. (Anchorage) – 3-26-1, 4.05, .881
DIVISION I MEN
SKATERS
Maximilion Helgeson, F, UAA (Anchorage) – 11-11—22 in 28 GP
Caleb Moretz, F, RIT (Fairbanks) – 5-14—19 in 31 GP
Hunter Strand, F, Notre Dame (Anchorage) – 5-10—15 in 37 GP
Sullivan Mack, F, Cornell (Anchorage) – 6-4—10 in 26 GP
Zach Krajnik, F, Minn. St.-Mankato (Eagle River) – 4-6—10 in 34 GP
Josh Boyer, F, St. Lawrence (Wasilla) – 5-2—7 in 36 GP
Calvon Boots, D, RIT (Fairbanks) – 5-1—6 in 28 GP
Cam McDonald, D, Providence (Eagle River) – 1-5—6 in 37 GP
Brandon Lajoie, F, UAA (Eagle River) – 3-2—5 in 16 GP
Zach Plucinski, D, Notre Dame (Eagle River) – 1-4—5 in 31 GP
Porter Schachle, F, Vermont (Wasilla) – 3-1—4 in 30 GP
Max Osborne, D, UAA (Anchorage) – 0-4—4 in 19 GP
Tanner Edwards, F, Minn. St.-Mankato (Eagle River) – 1-1—2 in 10 GP
Caleb Huffman, D, UAA (Anchorage) – 1-0—1 in 12 GP
GOALIES
Trent Burnham, Lindenwood (Eagle River) – 5-10-1, 4.25, .901
DIVISION III WOMEN
SKATERS
Darci Matson, F, Aurora (Wasilla) – 31-34—65 in 27 GP
Kaylee Merrill, F, SUNY-Potsdam (Wasilla) – 27-12—39 in 25 GP
Tate Senden, F, Colby (Palmer) – 9-14—23 in 26 GP
Bailey Brunnhoelzl, F, St. Norbert (Palmer) – 11-9—20 in 29 GP
Alena Glover, D, Augsburg (Anchorage) – 0-0—0 in 26 GP
Jaime Hurt, D, Hamline (Anchorage) – 0-0—0 in 1 GP
Makena Thompson, D, Trine (Anchorage) – 1-12—13 in 27 GP
Amber Steinhilpert, F, Alvernia (Anchorage) – 11-5—16 in 26 GP
Bella Kaczorowski, F, Wilkes (Anchorage) – 9-5—14 in 23 GP
Briana Paxson, F, Rivier (Eagle River) – 8-5—13 in 23 GP
Sydney Swanson, D, Nazareth (Anchorage) – 1-12—13 in 22 GP
Corsica Skibinski, F, Nazareth (Anchorage) – 4-8—12 in 26 GP
Kaylin Garner, F, Johnson&Wales (Eagle River) – 7-3—10 in 25 GP
Addie Swanson, F, Plymouth St. (Anchorage) – 5-3—8 in 23 GP
Gracie Payne, D, Stevenson (Palmer) – 2-5—7 in 25 GP
Ashlyn Bray, D, Stevenson (Ester) – 0-6—6 in 25 GP
Laila Tosi, D, Alvernia (Anchorage) – 0-5—5 in 26 GP
Sydney Leonard, F, UMass-Boston (Anchorage) – 3-1—4 in 16 GP
Haylee Owen, D, Johnson&Wales (Homer) – 1-3—4 in 25 GP
McKenna Piekarski, D, Wis.-Stevens Point (Anchorage) – 1-3—4 in 26 GP
Molly Millar, F, Wis.-Stevens Point (Anchorage) – 0-2—2 in 27 GP
Brianna Stanton, D, Rivier (Kenai) – 0-0—0 in 16 GP
Teila Saarinen, D, Chatham (Eagle River) – 0-0—0 in 7 GP
GOALIES
McKinley Hoff, Nazareth (Anchorage) – 16-5-1, 1.15, .937
Alayna Breivogel, Elmira (Kenny Lake) – 2-1-0, 2.10, .852
Rachel Symmes, Rivier (Chugiak) – 1-3-0, 3.50, .904
DIVISION III MEN
SKATERS
Cameron Knowlton, F, SUNY-Cortland (Kenai) – 9-11—20 in 26 GP
Ryan Bailey, F, SUNY-Fredonia (Anchorage) – 11-6—17 in 25 GP
Maksis Brimanis, F, Wisconsin-Stout (Anchorage) – 7-9—16 in 28 GP
Ethan Pitzman, F, SUNY-Fredonia (Homer) – 1-7—8 in 25 GP
Jaron Ketterman, F, Concordia (Wis.) (Palmer) – 3-5—8 in 25 GP
Ryan Reid, D, Milwaukee School of Engineering (Anchorage) – 0-5—5 in 25 GP
Ty Proffitt, F, Wisconsin-Superior (Fairbanks) – 1-2—3 in 23 GP
John Banovetz, D, Norwich (Eagle River) – 0-2—2 in 26 GP
Hunter Meyer, D, New England College (Anchorage) – 0-1—1 in 21 GP
Gunnar Stadem, D, Tufts (Wasilla) – 0-1—1 in 22 GP
Blake Halfpenny, D, Hamline (Eagle River) – 0-1—1 in 8 GP
Michael Houlihan, F, Nazareth (Anchorage) – 0-0—0 in 7 GP
Riley Ott, F, Milwaukee School of Engineering (Fairbanks) – 0-0—0 in 9 GP
GOALIES
Austin Ryman, Bethel (Fairbanks) – 7-8-0, 2.36, .920
Kevin Lake, Hamline (Anchorage) – 11-11-0, 2.89, .914