BOSTON, Mass. - October 1, 2024 - Atlantic Hockey America (AHA) opens its men's regular season this weekend. The 2024-25 season marks the first men's season for Atlantic Hockey America after the merger between the Atlantic Hockey Association and College Hockey America.

Four AHA Teams Receiving Votes in National Preseason Polls
RIT (55), Sacred Heart (29), Holy Cross (14), and AIC (4) all received votes in the USCHO Division I Men's Poll released Sept. 23. In addition, RIT (20) and Sacred Heart (3) received votes in the USA Hockey/The Rink Live Division I Men's Poll released Sept. 30.

Sacred Heart Tops Preseason AHA Coaches' Poll
The Sacred Heart Pioneers topped the Atlantic Hockey America Men's Preseason Coaches' Poll released Sept. 17 by the AHA. The Pioneers garnered 102 total points and five first-place votes in balloting among AHA head coaches (coaches could not vote for their own teams). Sacred Heart finished third in the Atlantic Hockey standings last season, posting a record of 14-10-2 in league play. After exhibition games on Oct. 5-6, C.J. Marottolo's squad will start the 2024-25 regular season with a two-game non-conference road series against Colgate on Oct. 11-12. The first AHA conference game for the Pioneers comes on Oct. 25 at home vs. Holy Cross.

McLinskey Named AHA Preseason Player of the Year
Holy Cross senior forward Liam McLinskey was named 2024-25 AHA Preseason Player of the Year. McLinskey was named Atlantic Hockey Player of the Year last season, as he scored 19 goals and dished out 28 assists on the season. He picked up at least a point in 31 games while registering 14 multi-point games. For his efforts, McLinskey was named a Top 10 Finalist for the Hobey Baker Award.

Preseason All-AHA Team
F - Liam McLinskey, Sr., Holy Cross
F - Matteo Giampa, So., Canisius
F - Matthew Wilde, So., RIT
D - Chris Hedden, Jr., Air Force
D - Mac Gadowsky, So., Army
G - Thomas Gale, Sr., Holy Cross

Season Openers
Below are the regular season openers for all 11 AHA men's teams:
Air Force: Friday, Oct. 4 vs Arizona State / 7:05 p.m. MT
AIC: Saturday, Oct. 5 at (12/11) Maine / 7:00 p.m. ET
Army: Sunday, Oct. 6 at Union / 4:00 p.m. ET
Bentley: Saturday, Oct. 5 vs (14/14) Massachusetts / 7:00 p.m. ET
Canisius: Saturday, Oct. 5 at (RV/RV) Clarkson / 7:00 p.m. ET
Holy Cross: Saturday, Oct. 5 at (3/3) Boston University / 7:00 p.m. ET
Mercyhurst: Friday, Oct. 4 vs Bowling Green / 7:00 p.m. ET
Niagara: Friday, Oct. 11 at Clarkson / 7:00 p.m. ET
RIT: Saturday, Oct. 5 at (RV) St. Lawrence / 7:00 p.m. ET
Robert Morris: Thursday, Oct. 17 at Miami (OH) / 7:00 p.m. ET
Sacred Heart: Friday, Oct. 11 at (RV) Colgate / 7:00 p.m. ET

By the Numbers:

• 456: Wins at Air Force for head coach Frank Serratore, who enters his 28th season at the helm of the Air Force program in 2024-25.
• 14: Goals by AIC's John Lundy last season, which led the Yellow Jackets. In addition, Lundy recorded eight assists and 22 points in 26 games last season.
• 6: Power play goals by Army's Joey Baez last season, which led the Black Knights. The Tampa, FL native also led Army in goals (15), points (31), shots (92), and game-winning goals (4).
• 2.22: Goals-against average for Bentley's Connor Hasley last season, which ranked 2nd in Atlantic Hockey. Hasley picked up 10 wins and three shutouts on the season while posting a save percentage of .905.
• 35: Points for Canisius' Matteo Giampa last season, earning him Atlantic Hockey Rookie of the Year honors. The Virgil, Ont. native was selected to the 2024-25 Preseason All-AHA Team.
• .917: Save percentage for Holy Cross' Thomas Gale last season. Gale was named to the 2024-25 Preseason All-AHA Team and to the 2024 Mike Richter Award Watch List.
• 37: Seasons behind the bench for Mercyhurst's Rick Gotkin when the Lakers drop the puck on the 2024-25 season on Oct. 4 vs Bowling Green.
• 30: Points for Niagara's Tyler Wallace in his freshman season in 2023-24, which leads all returners for the Purple Eagles. His 13 goals last season also led the team.
• 3.90: Goals scored per game by RIT last season, which led Atlantic Hockey and ranked 6th nationally.
• 605: Blocks by Robert Morris last season, which led Atlantic Hockey. The Colonials blocked 15.51 shots per game.
• 124: Games at Sacred Heart for graduate student John Jaworski. The Grinnell, Iowa native set a career high in goals (10), assists (16), and points (26) last season.

About Atlantic Hockey America
Atlantic Hockey America (AHA) embarks on its first season in 2024-25 after the merger between the Atlantic Hockey Association and College Hockey America. The conference fields 11 men’s teams (American International College, Bentley University, Canisius College, The College of Holy Cross, Mercyhurst University, Niagara University, Rochester Institute of Technology, Robert Morris University, Sacred Heart University, the United States Air Force Academy, and the United States Military Academy), and six women’s teams (Lindenwood University, Mercyhurst University, Penn State University, Rochester Institute of Technology, Robert Morris University, and Syracuse University). In 2025-26, Delaware University will join the women’s league. For more information, visit atlantichockeyamerica.com.