The Arkansas Razorbacks opened the 2023-24 season against Oklahoma State in front of a raucous crowd at The Jones Center in Springdale. After a slow start for the Hogs saw them in some penalty trouble, OSU converted on the power play with around 5 minutes remaining in the 1^st period. A few minutes later, goalie Sam Haynes stood tall making multiple desperation saves that would turn into a fast break shorthanded goal for freshman JD Duenwald. Duenwald’s 1^st collegiate goal came off an assist from Chris Yonce to even the score at 1 heading to the 1^st intermission.

Duenwald was not finished, as freshman Brenden Coon created a turnover that Duenwald would take advantage of for his 2^nd of the game with 13 minutes left in the 2^nd period. Arkansas would add another 6 minutes later, as junior Jason Gifford found the top left corner off of a faceoff win by Ethan Moder. OSU would find the back of the net in the last minute of the period, but Arkansas controlled a 3-2 lead heading into the last period.

Arkansas stretched the lead to 4-2 early in the 3^rd period after a grinding shift by Trevor Borlace and Cade Venuk sprung Kyle Patterson free in front for the insurance goal. Patterson’s goal came in his 100^th career game as a Razorback. Arkansas added another with 8 minutes left in the game, this time on the power play. Kyle Crews found Connor Chapman, who drove to the net as freshman Michael Gakhutishvili found the rebound for his 1^st career collegiate goal. Arkansas came away with the 5-2 win as Sam Haynes stopped 28 of 30 shots for his 1^st win of the season.

After a slow start on Friday, Arkansas wasted no time Saturday jumping out to an early 2-0 lead in the first with goals from Ethan Moder (assisted by Brian Romero) and Connor Chapman (assisted by Michael Gakhutishvilli and Kyle Crews). OSU would answer with 3 seconds left in the period to cut the lead to 1 to end the first frame.

The second period was a penalty filled affair as Arkansas would take 5 consecutive penalties. The penalty kill stood strong, but OSU was able to find the back of the net on one of their man advantage situations to knot the game at 2 a piece. The game would remain tied heading into the third.

Penalties remained the theme in the third period as Arkansas and Oklahoma State traded powerplays to start the period. OSU ultimately would capitalize on two of their chances to put the game at 4-2 in their favor. After a questionable missed high-sticking call led to OSU fifth goal of the afternoon, the Hogs went into desperation mode in search of the equalizer. Despite numerous chances, they were only able to find the back of the net once, when freshman Brenden Coon (unassisted) scored with 1:06 remaining in the game. This was Coon’s first collegiate goal.

After the split, Arkansas heads into a BYE week looking to fine tune their game ahead of their roadtrip to DI Oklahoma on 9/22 and 9/23. These games will be played at the Arctic Edge Ice Arena in Edmond, OK. Puck drop for both games are slated for 7:00 PM. Arkansas and OU traded 4-1 victories in their last series in OKC during the 2021-22 season.

This weekend will mark the season and home opener for the Ice Hogs as they host OSU for the two programs first matchups on the ice. Arkansas is coming off of a 28-5 record in the 2022-23 regular and postseason. Over the course of the year Arkansas would set a record for consecutive (8) and total (11) shutouts in a season.

Oklahoma State is coming off a 10-14 season. During the campaign the Cowboys would gain momentum late, finishing 6-4 in the spring that included blow out wins of Texas State and TCU, and a close home series with a tough Drury squad. The 2023-24 season marks the third season of competition for the young program at Oklahoma State.

This weekend it is likely we will see a lot of fresh faces in the Arkansas lineup as the team graduated eight seniors last season and added eleven freshmen for the 2023-24 season. Puck drop is slated for 7:30 PM on Friday September 8th and 3:15 PM on Saturday September 9th. Both games will be played at the Jones Center and tickets can be obtained at the door up to 45 minutes prior to puck drop.

The games will also be streamed live on the teams Youtube channel free of charge.

Come out this weekend and cheer on your Arkansas Hockey Club as they look to start the season with a sweep of newcomer Oklahoma State University!

Senior and Assistant Captain Cameron McAtee was named the 2022-23 Player of the Year by the ACHA. He is the first Arkansas Razorback to receive the award. Cameron averaged a staggering 2.77 points per game. He led the country in points (83) and goals (40), and finished second in the country in assists (40). In addition to the award, McAtee was named to both the ACHA All-American First Team and the MACHA South All-Division First Team

In five seasons with the Razorbacks the defensemen would play in 138 games, produce 244 points on 113 goals and 131 assists, record 161 penalty minutes. He would score 22 power play goals, 1 shorthanded goal, and tallied the game winner 17 times.

Career Accolades:
2018-19 WSHL Rookie of the Year
2019-20 ACHA First Team All-American
2020-21 ACHA First Team All-American
2020-21 ACHA National Tournament First Team
2021-22 Assistant Captain
2021-22 Team Defensive Player of the Year
2021-22 MACHA South All-Division First Team
2021-22 ACHA First Team All-American
2022-23 Assistant Captain
2022-23 MACHA South All-Division First Team
2022-23 ACHA First Team All-American
2022-23 ACHA National Player of the Year

The 2022-23 season came to a close last Saturday night in Marlborough, MA. In a win or go home game with the Wolverines of Michigan, the Hogs would fall just short of reaching the Frozen Four of the ACHA tournament for the third consecutive season (National runner-up 2021, semifinals 2022).

After a fast start from Arkansas, with several chances in front of the Michigan goal, the Wolverines would score first half way through the first frame. The Hogs would threaten multiple times but could not crack the Michigan net-minder before the end of the period. The second would again see the Hogs come out fast and began with a flurry of chances. After the media timeout, Michigan would seize momentum and rally off three goals before the horn signaled the end of the second. Arkansas would show a lot of fight in the third period, never letting off the gas in search of goals to answer the Michigan run. In the end, Arkansas would not be able to solve the Michigan goalie until the final minutes of the game, on a goal from senior Griffin Sugasawara. The game would end with a final of 5-1 in Michigans favor. Michigan would go on to defeat Lawrence Tech in the semifinals and defending champion Hope College in the championship game to claim their first National Championship in club history.

Prior to the tilt with Michigan, Arkansas would open the tournament with wins over Florida Gulf Coast (6-3) and Oakland University (5-3). Senior Zach Wilson would lead the team in points during the tournament with six points (3G, 3A). Junior goaltender Sam Haynes started all three games, posting a 2-1 record, a 3.67 GAA, and 69 shots faced. Thirteen Razorbacks would record a point during the tournament.

The Razorbacks finish the 2022-23 campaign with 28 wins and 5 losses. The Hogs will graduate 8 seniors Captain forward Zach Wilson, Assistant Captain forwards Griffin Sugasawara, Michael Ellis, and Jake Sharrer, Assistant Captain defensemen Cameron McAtee, defensemen Dylan Odelein, forward Trevor McLain, and forward Brad Estrada.

This season saw Arkansas post a program record for number of shutouts with 11, and a program record 8 shutouts in a row. The Hogs also maintained their hold on the Battle of the Ozarks Trophy after taking 3-1 from rival Missouri State. Arkansas would qualifed for the MACHA conference tournament for the second time in just their second season as a member of the conference, losing in the semi-final to eventual champion Mizzou.

Arkansas will return to action next September. Stay tuned to our website and social medias for update throughout the off season. Thank you for your support, and Woo Pig Sooie!

The Arkansas Hockey program has qualified for the 2022-23 National Tournament in Boston, securing the #6 national seed after finishing the regular season with a record of 24-4. This marks the fourth trip to the national tournament in a row for the hogs, and the eighth time in program history. Arkansas has advanced to the final four of the tournament in back to back seasons. Arkansas would fall to Hope College in the championship game in 2021 and in the semifinals in 2022.

In pool play, Arkansas faces off with three programs who are also no strangers to the National Tournament. Pool B will consist of #3 University of Michigan, #6 University of Arkansas, #11 Florida Gulf Coast University, and #14 Oakland University. Both Michigan and FGCU have also qualified for the last four national tournaments. Though they do not boast the same streak, Oakland is consistently a top 20 ACHA team and last qualified for the big dance in COVID-19 cancelled 2020 tournament, where they were set to meet Arkansas in pool play in the cancelled tournament.

Sixteen teams qualify for the ACHA National Tournament, where teams are split into four pools of four. Every team in each pool plays each other, with the winner of each pool advancing to the semifinals, at which point the tournament moves to single elimination format.

Schedule:
3/16: 1:15 PM(cst) vs #11 FGCU
3/17: 1:15 PM(cst) vs #14 Oakland University
3/18: 7:15 PM(cst) vs #3 Michigan University
3/20: 1:15 PM(cst) National Semifinal*
3/21: 1:15 PM(cst) National Championship*
*If advance

All games will be streamed via Hockey TV, the official steaming partner of the ACHA. Tickets are available online and at the door via day or weekend passes. Live updates will be posted throughout the tournament via our social media pages.

The Hogs entered this past weekend looking to defend their 2022 MACHA Championship. Arkansas would draw host Maryville University in the first round, with teams reseeded based on results for the remainder of the weekend.

Arkansas would get off to a hot start, and never let off the gas, scoring two goals in each period to take the game comfortably 6-0. After a first round of upsets, Arkansas would enter the day has the highest remaining seed. They would draw division rival Mizzou, with the winner advancing to face Nebraska in the Championship game.

Arkansas would score less than 30 seconds into the game and controlled much of the pace of play through the first two periods. After entering the third period with a 2-1 lead, Mizzou regained momentum and tallied three unanswered goals to take a 4-2 lead. Arkansas didn’t throw in the towel, responding half way through the frame to make it a 4-3 game. Ultimately they were unable to beat the Missouri net-minder and the game would finish with Mizzou ahead at the final buzzer.

Mizzou would go on to beat Nebraska on Sunday to claim their first MACHA Championship, again coming from behind in the 3rd period to secure the victory.

After a bye week, your Razorbacks have two consecutive weeks of home exhibition games against Drury University (DII) and #9 Purdue while awaiting their news on qualification for the National Tournament.

This past weekend your Arkansas Hockey Club swept bitter rival Missouri State at home in front of record crowds at the Jones Center. The victories gave the Hogs a 3-1 record against the Bears this season. As winners of the season series, Arkansas claimed the Battle of the Ozarks trophy for the second consecutive season. The series was also the first meetings between the two teams with both ranked in the top 5. Missouri State entered the weekend ranked #2, while Arkansas entered at #4.

Friday saw the Hogs blank the Bears on the back of another stellar performance by junior netminder Sam Haynes, who recorded his ACHA leading 7th shutout of the season. Arkansas would survive a slow start early and heavy pressure from the visiting team. Senior Griffin Sugasawara opened the scoring 5:21 into the first period. On the goal, Sugasawara would claim the record for most goals scored in Arkansas Hockey history, passing Forrest Mudgett with 109 goals in his career. Seniors Zach Wilson and Trevor McLain would add to the lead and put the game away in the third following a back and forth second period.

Saturday would begin with the Hogs honoring nine seniors: Michael Ellis, Brad Estrada, Jake Sharrer, Cameron McAtee, Trevor McLain, Dylan Odelein, Jake Sharrer, Griffin Sugasawara, and Zach Wilson. The seniors would go on to have a heavy impact in the 5-3 Arkansas victory. Griffin Sugasawara and Trevor McLain would find the back of the net first, followed by a hat trick by Cameron McAtee, who continues to grow his ACHA leading point total. Zach Wilson would also record four assists on the night.

The weekend also saw the program break records off the ice. A program record crowd over 700 attended Friday nights military appreciation game. The next day, a record Saturday crowd north of 600 was in attendance to see off the Arkansas seniors and watch the team hoist their first trophy ahead of post season play.

Arkansas is off this upcoming weekend. They will return to the ice in St. Louis where they will look to defend their MACHA Championship crown. They will face host team Maryville University in their first matchup at 11:00 AM Friday February 10th.

_{Photos courtesy of Dr. Rhett Hutchins at Baumology.}

This past weekend the Arkansas Razorbacks started the spring semester on the road in Oxford, OH to participate in the Miami(OH) Showcase. The 3-game weekend saw the Razorbacks face off against Indiana University of Pennsylvania, #15 Miami University, and #9 Grand Valley State University.

Friday saw the Hogs battle the IUP Crimson Hawks. Arkansas controlled much of the 1st period, but came away with nothing in a 0-0 period. Junior Trevor Borlace would crack through with a goal 5:14 into the 2nd period, but IUP responded just 24 seconds later. IUP punched another home 9 minutes later to take a 2-1 lead, but freshman Ethan Rogers would even the game with 53 seconds remaining in the period. IUP regained a one-goal lead soon after to take a 3-2 lead into the 3 rd period. But the Hogs would dominate the final frame with a goal from junior Kyle Crews and 2 goals from graduate student Cameron McAtee to give Arkansas the 5-3 win. Grady Reis notched his 4th win of the season, stopping 25 of 28 shots.

Saturday brought on a battle against the host Miami(OH). With the last two matchups between the two teams being decided in overtime, this game shaped up to be another thriller. Miami would open the scoring midway through the 1st period. But senior Dylan Odelein beat the buzzer by finishing off a backdoor pass with just 1 second remaining to tie the game. Arkansas played a strong 2nd period with goals from senior Kyle Patterson and assistant captain Cameron McAtee to jump out to a 3-1 lead. McAtee would score just 1:45 into the 3 rd period to extend the lead to 4-1. But penalty trouble would put the Hogs on their heals and Miami responded with 2 goals of their own to draw the score closer at 4-3. After killing off more penalties and some unbelievable saves from goaltender Sam Haynes down the stretch, the Razorbacks sealed the deal on a 4-3 win. Haynes turned away 20 of 23 shots for his 13th win of the season.

The Sunday slate featured a top-10 matchup between two teams that reached last year’s frozen four. Grand Valley State University and Arkansas faced off in an early morning bout, with GVSU opening the scoring with 2 goals in the 1st period. The Hogs would not go away, tying the score with a goal each from senior Trevor McLain and junior Kyle Crews. GVSU broke the tie early in the 3rd period, taking a 3-2 lead. After a valiant effort to tie the game, the Hogs surrendered a goal with just 1:29 remaining and an empty-net goal as time expired, giving GVSU the 5-2 win. Sam Haynes stopped 26 of 30 shots, recording just his 1st loss of the season.

Arkansas looks to bounce back against rival Missouri State Ice Bears with a two-game home set at The Jones Center on January 27th and 28th. Friday will be Military Appreciation Night as the Hogs will sport American flag-inspired sweaters. Saturday will be a day to honor the seniors as we celebrate Senior Night.

After a 17-2 start to the season, the Hogs begin the spring semester ranked number four in the country. Arkansas entered the break at number three but dropped a spot after being off last weekend. The computer rankings are determined by weighing a combination of win/loss, goal differential, and strength of schedule. Several opponents and division rivals also found themselves in the Top 25 as rival Missouri State checks in at #2, Missouri moves up to #11, Nebraska drops to #14, and UNT remains at #25.

This weekend the Hogs will travel to Oxford, Ohio to take part in Miami of Ohio’s annual showcase event. There the Hogs will square off against Indiana University at Pennsylvania on Friday, #15 Miami (OH) Saturday, and #9 Grand Valley State University to finish the weekend on Sunday Morning. The weekend gives Arkansas a great opportunity to continue where they left off in the fall semester while competing against some of the top competition in the country. Arkansas and Miami required overtime in their lone meeting this season, with the Razorbacks claiming a 4-3 victory. Arkansas and Miami met twice last season, with the Hogs winning 5-1 during the regular season, and a 3-2 OT victory in the National Tournament. Arkansas and GVSU have not squared off since the 2019-20 season where Arkansas swept both games on the road at GVSU. Both teams lost in the Frozen Four last season.

Next weekend The Razorbacks will host Missouri State on Friday, Jan 27th and Saturday, Jan 28th. Barring any significant changes in the rankings, it could mark the first Top 5 matchup between the two programs. The teams split their series in Springfield earlier this season. The winner of the season series will look to hoist the Battle of the Ozark’s Trophy. Arkansas currently holds the trophy after taking two in regulation from the Ice Bears last season. Arkansas and Missouri state are no strangers to big games, the two teams met in the Frozen Four of the National Tournament in 2021 and in the championship game of the MACHA tournament last season. Arkansas took both games, 6-2 and 5-2.

Miami (OH) Showcase Schedule (all times central):
Friday 1/20: 8:10 PM vs IUP
Saturday 1/21: 2:10 PM vs #15 Miami (OH)
Sunday 1/22: 6:45 AM vs #9 GVSU

Please check our social medias for streaming information released on game days.