In the landscape of college hockey, the name Arkansas isn’t one you readily see. This season, the Razorbacks are 17-2 and currently on a thirteen-game winning streak. Arkansas is currently ranked third in the country in Division three of the American Collegiate Hockey Association, or ACHA. We will look at this program during this streak, how the offense and defense have played, what players have stood out, and who is next. We will explain why this program is the hottest in the nation and has the potential for a national championship. Let’s look at this current streak and how impressive it’s been.
The Streak
This streak began after a 4-1 loss to Missouri on October 7th. On October 14h as mentioned above, the Razorback hockey program began its current thirteen-game winning streak. Eight wins were consecutive shutouts in games from October 22nd to December 3rd. In their most recent game, a 13-2 win over East Texas State, this streak of shutout wins was stopped. Arkansas has shown an offensive power outscoring their opponents 109-10 and sometimes dominating them. To further this point, on October 28th and 29th, the Hogs dominated Kansas by final scores of 10-0 and 15-0.
Offense
On the offensive side of the play, this team has been relentless on the attack. Players are scoring at a prolific pace this season, and it’s down the roster. A defenseman, Cameron McAtee, leads the charge for the Hogs, with twenty-eight goals, assists, and fifty-six points scored while appearing in all nineteen games. Team Captain, Zach Wilson, is next closest in goals scored with fourteen but leads the team in assists with twenty-nine on the season. Six of the twenty-six players on the roster who have played on offense have double-digit goals this season. Offensively this is a team that can score and score in loads. They can put a game away before their opponents can react when they get on a roll. When you look around the nation, there isn’t a more potent offense than this Razorback team. This offense is potent enough to dominate for a national championship.
Defense
The streak hasn’t been about offense, as the defense has only given up ten goals. In goal for the Razorbacks has been a trio of talented young men. Leading the way is Sam Haynes, who boasts eleven wins, zero losses, and six shutouts this season. He has an average of 1,099 goals per game and a save percentage of .947. Sam has been vital in the success of this program this season. When Haynes is not in goal, there is no slack off as Grady Reis and Noah Goodwin has three wins a piece. Greis also has two losses, one shutout, a 3.03 goals average and a .0878 save percentage. Goodwin has three wins, with two being shutouts and zero losses. He has .67 goals against him with a .928 save percentage. This is one of the strongest units of this program. These three have been special to watch work this season and will be key to this deep run to a championship. We are witnessing something extraordinary with this program; this season is the catalyst. This streak proves that this team is built with a “One Game at a Time” mentality, and it’s impressive how effective this is. The Arkansas Razorback Hockey Club is a national threat this season.
When Do They Skate Again?
Arkansas will return to continue this streak on January 20th through 22nd from Oxford, Ohio, in the Miami {Ohio} showcase, against Indiana University at Penn, Miami {Ohio}, and Grand Valley State. Their first game will drop the puck at 9:45 pm. Can Arkansas continue this run? Does this team have what it takes to win a championship? Based on what we discussed, we believe they do.
Arkansas returns home, on January 27th and 28th, for a series with number four in the nation Missouri State. The Bears are one of the two teams to defeat the Razorbacks this season, defeating them on September 16th, on the opening night of the season, by a score of 6-5. We will have coverage during each game on our Twitter page, @4StarSpotM, with score and stat updates. You can watch their games on the Arkansas Hockey Club YouTube page.
