College Sports
Between the Lines: This Again? : College Hockey News
May 9, 2025 PRINT What the Shift to NPI Means for the NCAA Regionals Debate by Adam Wodon/Managing Editor (@chn-adam-wodon) After putting it on hold last year, the NCAA Men’s Ice Hockey Committee is planning to replace the Pairwise/RPI system with “NPI” starting next season. I’ve probably spilled more virtual ink writing about the Pairwise […]

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What the Shift to NPI Means for the NCAA Regionals Debate
by Adam Wodon/Managing Editor (@chn-adam-wodon)

After putting it on hold last year, the NCAA Men’s Ice Hockey Committee is planning to replace the Pairwise/RPI system with “NPI” starting next season.
I’ve probably spilled more virtual ink writing about the Pairwise in the last 30 years than anyone since the Benadictine monks transcribed bibles.
But I won’t be sad to see it go.
Not because it wasn’t a good system anymore — it was still doing fine. It’s just that, it’s boring now. There were so many changes made over the years, that essentially what we know as the Pairwise, became just the RPI (Ratings Percentage Index). The remaining components of the Pairwise were like Milton Waddams in Office Space, hanging around in the basement with his stapler for years, not realizing he’d been fired long ago.
The days of Pairwise craziness were exciting, breaking down the nuances, trying to talk fans off the ledge. Oh the fun we had with “TUC cliffs,” “bonus points,” the Pairwise Grid, “the Bentley effect,” and the list goes on. Let’s not even talk about how many times in the early days I wrote articles explaining to people — coaches, even — that “Yes, the Pairwise absolutely IS how the NCAA Tournament field is selected. I swear.”
So farewell old friend. You done good.
As it stands right now, moving to NPI is not that drastic a change. It’s still a method of taking a team’s winning percentage, and adjusting for strength of schedule. It’s good to see that latter part, however, done in a more iterative way, akin to KRACH (which the CHN Power Ratings are based on). I was calling for a change to KRACH as far back as 2004.
Personally, I would still like to see a “recency bias” in the formulation. The Pairwise once had a “Last 16” criteria, but it was scrapped long ago. There’s room for tweaks. But NPI will be fine, like Pairwise was fine. Certainly better than the so-called smoke-filled room, that no one wants.
For the nerds like me, there will be plenty of time to get into the weeds of how the NPI formula works in the coming months. But we’ll leave the math to another day.
For now, I’ll just tie this in to my other pet topic (which is also getting old and boring) — the NCAA Regional debate.
* * *
As the debate continues, I respect the college hockey people who want to see home-ice Regionals, and I don’t disagree with many of their points. But at the end of the day, I continue to believe that no formula is precise enough to use it for giving such an advantage.
The current neutral-site format eliminates that concern.
Yes, there are certainly issues with the current Regional format that we all know about, and are discussed ad nauseum. My continued belief, as I’ve also written plenty about, is that we can improve the current format, without having to switch to a home-ice format.
Switching to NPI, and seeing the difference with Pairwise, is a perfect opportunity to demonstrate the point.
If you run the calculation, the NPI and Pairwise are fairly close, but with enough movement here and there to affect which teams would get home ice.
And using one over the other is a choice, about as subjective as anything else.
The decision of “which formula to use” only underlines the imprecision that will determine home ice. We are not talking about standings points. Those are cut and dried. You know what it is. Schedules are relatively balanced.
Not so with these algorithms. Yes, everyone knows the formula in advance of the season, but that doesn’t eliminate the point.
Even beyond the Pairwise vs. NPI difference, the Committee is still tinkering with what home-road weightings to use, what overtime weightings to use, and so on. Those decisions are also applicable to the Pairwise/RPI. There’s not a lot of math involved in those decisions. It’s based upon what feels right. What seems right. The six current members of the Committee are going to look at different tweaks to the algorithm — whether that be RPI or NPI — and pick the one that passes their own personal smell test.
And no disrespect is intended in that remark. I believe their decisions will be based upon sound, rational, good-faith thinking. But it will be fairly subjective thinking, nonetheless.
Mathematically speaking, you may be able to make an argument that NPI is “better” than Pairwise. But there’s no real math argument to the other factors.
* * *
Even if you concede that atmospheres would be better with home-ice NCAA games, there is still the issue of fairness.
You can’t get 100 percent perfection in atmosphere or fairness. You have to weigh which is more important to you, and what your definition of “atmosphere” and “fairness” are, which could be credited to either system in varying degrees, if you wanted it to.
Obviously, I fall on the side of “fairness,” even with — yes, I know — the obvious unfairness of certain things in the current neutral-site system (which I adamently want to fix as well).
Whenever I have written about these points in the past, inevitably I get people angrily asking me some variation of: “Hey, genius, if the Pairwise/RPI/NPI is good enough to pick the field, why isn’t it good enough to pick home ice” — although they say it with less perfect grammar.
Well, I’ve addressed that question about a bazillion times (scroll down in that link), including in articles and numerous podcasts. But I’ll repeat things again in a nutshell:
Using an imperfect formula to choose the field is a better way than the alternative (smoke-filled rooms), 100 percent.
But using an imperfect formula to decide home ice for Regioanls is not better than the alternative — neutral sites. So, given the options, I go with neutral sites.
Anyway, I kinda wish we’d just stop talking about this already, but I doubt we will.
College Sports
PA Chamber of Business & Industry hosts roundtable at LCCC
NANTICOKE — Luzerne County Community College President John Yudichak on Wednesday praised the leadership of Luke Bernstein, President and CEO of the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry, and he reaffirmed LCCC’s commitment to supporting regional economic growth through higher education and workforce innovation. “The college stands ready to partner with the PA Chamber […]

NANTICOKE — Luzerne County Community College President John Yudichak on Wednesday praised the leadership of Luke Bernstein, President and CEO of the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry, and he reaffirmed LCCC’s commitment to supporting regional economic growth through higher education and workforce innovation.
“The college stands ready to partner with the PA Chamber in building a world-class workforce to drive and sustain economic growth throughout Pennsylvania,” Yudichak said. “Together, we are laying the foundation for a stronger, more resilient economy that uplifts every corner of the Commonwealth.”
Bernstein, a NEPA native, hosted a regional Government Affairs Roundtable at LCCC in partnership with local leaders and business stakeholders.
The event brought together key figures from the public and private sectors for a candid discussion on the legislative landscape, economic development opportunities, workforce challenges and business investment trends across Northeast Pennsylvania.
Northeast Pennsylvania legislators served on the panel: Sen. Lisa Baker, R-Lehman Township; Sen. Dave Argall, R-Pottsville; Sen. Linda Schlegel Culver, R-Northampton; Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski, D-Wilkes-Barre; Rep. Alec Ryncavage, R-Hanover Township; Rep. Dane Watro, R-Hazleton; Rep. Jamie Walsh, R-Ross Township; and Rep. Jim Haddock, D-Pittston Township.
The roundtable was held in LCCC’s Educational Conference Center.
In his opening remarks, Yudichak said recent higher education reforms, like the passage of the College Affordability and Transparency Act, have empowered LCCC to partner with Commonwealth University to address workforce shortages in the region through innovative partnerships.
“Like the TEACH in NEPA Project, that will deliver a four-year teaching degree at the college’s Hazleton Center for less than $35,000,” Yudichak said. “The college is currently expanding its partnership with Commonwealth University to address additional work force shortages in the health care industry and the criminal justice profession.”
Yudichak also touted the Dual Credit Innovation Grant that inspired the creation of the LCCC Career & Technology Academy. The Academy is a partnership with the Hazleton Career Center, the Wilkes-Barre Career CTC, and the West Side CTC that will provide Luzerne County’s 2,000 CTC high school students a clear pathway to a post-secondary credential in the college’s trade and advance technology programs while they are still in high school.
“LCCC recently received a $1 million dual credit innovation grant from the PDE and a $100,000 scholarship from local businessman, Bill Rinaldi, as a result students will pay no tuition to attend the LCCC Career & Technology Academy over the next two years,” Yudichak said.
He said LCCC is responding to historic economic development announcements that detail the billions of dollars being invested in hyperscale data center development across Pennsylvania. He said LCCC is leading collaborative efforts to build a statewide Technology and Trade Workforce Consortium through the PA Commission on Community Colleges.
“Partnerships, collaborations, and innovations are driving everything we do at LCCC,” Yudichak said. “It is in exciting time here at the college and an exciting time in PA — rest assured LCCC is grateful for the support of its sponsors, Luzerne County and the Commonwealth of PA, and we are determined to fulfill our mission as a student-centered community college dedicated to student success and positive community impact.”
Bernstein thanked LCCC for hosting the event and he praised the college’s forward-thinking approach.
“It’s inspiring to see a college so aligned with the needs of its community and so determined to be a part of the solution,” Bernstein said. “LCCC is not just educating students — it’s helping to reimagine how Pennsylvania competes in a 21st-century economy.”
The roundtable served as a forum for candid dialogue on legislation, regulation and policy proposals that impact businesses and workers across Luzerne County and the broader NEPA region. Topics included workforce shortages, dual-enrollment funding, regional infrastructure investment, child care, natural gas development, education, and how to accelerate public-private partnerships for sustainable economic growth.
“Partnerships, collaborations and innovations are driving everything we do at LCCC,” Yudichak said. “It is an exciting time here at the college — and across Pennsylvania. Together with the PA Chamber, we are determined to build a brighter future.”
Lindsay Griffin-Boylan, President/CEO of the Greater Wyoming Valley Chamber, said, “Today is about working together to find solutions to create a better future for NEPA.”
Bernstein added, “It’s time to put politics aside to grow jobs and grow Pennsylvania’s economy.”
Reach Bill O’Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.
College Sports
Patricia McEvoy Smith, 82, lawyer, grandmother, activist
Patricia McEvoy Smith, attorney, wife, mother, grandmother, active volunteer, 60-year member of St. Martin-in-the-Fields Episcopal Church, and longtime former Chestnut Hill resident, died peacefully of ovarian cancer on July 18 at Foulkeways Life Plan Community in Gwynedd, surrounded by her family. She was 82. Smith’s daughter, Dr. Christina Smith, said, “Mom was very loving and […]
Patricia McEvoy Smith, attorney, wife, mother, grandmother, active volunteer, 60-year member of St. Martin-in-the-Fields Episcopal Church, and longtime former Chestnut Hill resident, died peacefully of ovarian cancer on July 18 at Foulkeways Life Plan Community in Gwynedd, surrounded by her family. She was 82.
Smith’s daughter, Dr. Christina Smith, said, “Mom was very loving and had a great sense of humor. She had an incredible work ethic and led by example. She was also an excellent mom and grandmom. She said, ‘You can do it all, just not all at the same time.’”
Smith was born on July 15, 1943, in New York City, to John Joseph McEvoy and Ellen Hoffman McEvoy. She grew up in Manhasset, New York, where she enjoyed water skiing and playing clarinet in her school’s marching band. When she was 16, she traveled throughout Europe with her grandmother.
Smith attended Newton College of the Sacred Heart in Massachusetts, majoring in history, and wrote her senior thesis on the “Brown v. Board of Education” Supreme Court case. That process blossomed into an early fascination with the legal system.
According to daughter Leslie Jannetta, “Mom said that a neighbor in Wyndmoor set up our dad (Rush) on a blind date with her during a snowy evening to watch a Cornell vs. Harvard ice hockey game.” Smith married Rush — who grew up in Wyndmoor and attended Penn Charter High School — before settling in the Chestnut Hill area shortly after Kimberly, the first of their three daughters, was born.
“We lived on the 100 block of W. Mermaid Lane when I was growing up,” Leslie said. “My parents lived on Crefeld Street in the 1970s. We all went to GFS [Germantown Friends School], then Springside. Mom was ahead of her time. She was going to law school when I was in the eighth grade, and dad supported her completely.”
Smith earned a master’s degree in education and became a reading specialist at Enfield Middle School in Erdenheim and Temple Lab School. She worked on her doctorate in education until switching gears in her early 40s and entering Rutgers Law School, where she was soon named an editor of the Law Review. After graduating, she was an associate for Wolf, Block, Schorr and Solis-Cohen and ultimately worked for the Social Security Administration for 30 years, serving as Deputy Chief Counsel for the Mid-Atlantic region.
Even with her busy career and family, Smith always managed to find time for activities at the Church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields. She chaired the church’s annual fundraiser, the Christmas Bazaar, and co-chaired the altar guild. Her family remembers her driving a parishioner from Chestnut Hill to Vermont and back after the woman’s husband died.
Susan Doran, Smith’s close friend of 55 years, told the Local, “Pat was the most interested person I have ever known. She was truly interested in everything, but when it was time to be home for her girls, she would be home. That attests to her organizational skills. It’s why she was such a good lawyer.”
Smith learned to golf at 50 and to garden at 80 and often told her children, “It’s never too late to learn new things.”
Since the late 1960s, the Philadelphia Cricket Club was like a second home to Smith. She played on a PCC tennis team and, with Rush, supported the USTA grass court junior tournament. They also enjoyed hosting tennis players at their home in Chestnut Hill. “She was a fantastic self-taught cook,” Leslie said. “Any time a friend came over, she would cook. She was always looking for healthy, nutritious meals.”
Smith and Rush moved to Erdenheim in 1996 until 18 months ago, when they moved into Foulkeways.
The couple traveled to Israel in 2019 on a trip led by former Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church and St. Martin’s rector Frank Griswold. She told friends that the trip was “faith affirming.” In March of this year, the couple was recognized by the church vestry with the Polly Randall Award for their years of exceptional service. As an active volunteer, Smith loved to bake for others, take meals to parishioners, and lend a helping hand through numerous ministries.
She loved nature and planted a large vegetable garden within the Foulkeways retirement community garden. She produced magic with both flowers and vegetables and gave most away to family and friends.
Smith is survived by her husband of nearly 60 years, Rush Blackfan Smith; three daughters Kimberly Smith Guerster (Jonathan M.), Leslie Hughes Smith Jannetta (Gregory) and Christina Topley Smith; as well as six grandchildren (Bela, Mason, and Brooke Guerster; Finley and Richard Paul; and Hannah Jannetta); and sisters Eloise and Denise McEvoy. Her brother, John J. McEvoy Jr., predeceased her.
A funeral service was held Friday, July 25, at the Church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields. In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent in Smith’s name to the Church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, 8000 St. Martin’s Lane, Phila., PA 19118.
Len Lear can be reached at LenLear@chestnuthilllocal.com.
College Sports
South Carolina’s Nyck Harbor donates $10K in NIL earnings to high school program
South Carolina wide receiver Nyck Harbor is using his NIL earnings to give back. The rising junior hosted Nyck Harbor Community Day over the weekend at his alma mater, Archbishop Carroll (Washington, DC). The former five-star recruit donated $10,000 of his own NIL earnings back to Archbishop Carroll’s athletic department as part of the event. […]

South Carolina wide receiver Nyck Harbor is using his NIL earnings to give back. The rising junior hosted Nyck Harbor Community Day over the weekend at his alma mater, Archbishop Carroll (Washington, DC).
The former five-star recruit donated $10,000 of his own NIL earnings back to Archbishop Carroll’s athletic department as part of the event. Harbor is the latest college football player to use his NIL dollars to give back.
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Harbor was a football and track star during his time in high school, and ran for the Gamecocks during his first year in college. He ran a 10.38-second 100-meter time and a 21.36-second 200-meter time as a sophomore in high school, and had Olympic hopes.
The wide receiver has now fully committed to playing college football, opting to skip indoor and outdoor track season this year. The move allowed him to practice strictly with the football team ahead of the 2025 season.
The 6-foot-5, 235-pound wide receiver posted a career-high 26 catches for 376 yards and three touchdowns as a sophomore during the 2024 season. More importantly, he appeared to make major strides as a receiver during the second half of the season.
He has already started to show up in some way-too-early 2026 NFL draft boards, going as early as the first round in Todd McShay’s mock draft. Harbor has signed a handful of NIL deals throughout his career, working with brands like Beats by Dre, TruSport, EA Sports and Champs Sports. He has an On3 NIL Valuation of $369,000.
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“He’s solely focusing on football right now and that was Nyck’s decision,” South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer recently said. “That was something that he talked to us about. We had some conversations around the bowl, after the bowl, within the last couple of weeks, as far as what he wanted to do.
“I think he realized that he did a lot of good things in track last year but missing spring practice — I don’t want to say set him back, but it was more of a challenge to be ready for the season. I think he just wanted to really focus on football, not that track is over, but right now, that’s where his focus is, just football.”
College Sports
Men’s Hockey to Host Second Annual Golf Outing at Warwick Country Club
Story Links EASTON, Mass. (July 30, 2025) – The Stonehill College men’s ice hockey program is excited to host its second annual Golf Outing on Tuesday, September 23 at Warwick Country Club in Warwick, Rhode Island. All proceeds from the event will benefit the Skyhawks men’s hockey program as it […]

EASTON, Mass. (July 30, 2025) – The Stonehill College men’s ice hockey program is excited to host its second annual Golf Outing on Tuesday, September 23 at Warwick Country Club in Warwick, Rhode Island. All proceeds from the event will benefit the Skyhawks men’s hockey program as it prepares for the upcoming 2025-26 season.
Participants will enjoy a memorable day on the course while engaging with Head Coach David Berard, current student-athletes, and members of the coaching staff. The outing also offers a unique opportunity to gain insight into the program’s development and hear more about the exciting plans for the 2025-26 season.
Schedule of Events:
- Check-In: 11:30 AM
- Shotgun Start: 1:00 PM
- Dinner Reception: 6:00 PM
We invite alumni, families, friends, and supporters to join us for a day of golf, camaraderie, and celebration of Skyhawks hockey.
GOLF AND DINNER | |
Individual Golfer | $325 |
Stonehill Young Alumni Golfer (Classes of 2021-2025) | $250 |
Stonehill Student-Athlete Golfer (Classes of 2026-2029) | $250 |
Dinner Only (golf includes dinner) | $65 |
SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES | |
Title Sponsor | $7,500 |
Golf Sponsor | $5,500 |
Dinner Sponsor | $3,000 |
Player Gift Sponsor | $2,500 |
Beverage Cart Sponsor | $1,000 |
Putting Contest Sponsor | $500 |
Tee Sponsor | $200 |
For any questions, please contact head coach David Berard (dberard@stonehill.edu), or Director of the Annual Fund, Lisa Richards (lrichards@stonehill.edu).
For the latest on Stonehill Athletics, follow the Skyhawks via social media on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
College Sports
Yehya, Ballard FC competing for USL League Two national title on Saturday
Story Links Live Stream BURLINGTON, Vt. — Utah Valley men’s soccer alum Omar Yehya and Ballard FC will be competing for the USL League Two national championship against Vermont Green FC on Saturday in Burlington. The match is slated for a 5 p.m. MDT kickoff, and will be streamed live on SportsEnginePlay.com. Vermont Green will […]


BURLINGTON, Vt. — Utah Valley men’s soccer alum Omar Yehya and Ballard FC will be competing for the USL League Two national championship against Vermont Green FC on Saturday in Burlington.
The match is slated for a 5 p.m. MDT kickoff, and will be streamed live on SportsEnginePlay.com. Vermont Green will be the hosts, with the game being played at Virtue Field, home of the 2024 NCAA champion Vermont Catamounts.
Yehya, a two-time All-WAC honoree and the WAC’s leading goalscorer in 2024, concluded a highly successful two-year stint as a Wolverine last fall with a 12-goal campaign and a program record-tying 27 points. Yehya was named first team All-Region and became the program’s fifth Academic All-American with his first team selection.
Yehya joined Ballard midway through the 2025 season and made an instant impact in his first appearance for the club. Yehya scored a goal on his debut against Lane United on June 27, then helped secure BFC’s spot in the postseason with an assist against Portland Bangers on July 9. Among Yehya’s teammates are a trio of former WAC rivals in Austin Brummett (San Diego State), Charlie Lanphier (Seattle U), and Stockton Short (Utah Tech).
Ballard FC, which is in its fifth season in the semi-pro USL League Two, is seeking the second national title in the club’s history. Ballard posted a 9-3-2 regular season record to take the Northwest Division crown, and has won four games in a row to secure the Western Conference title and earn a spot in Saturday’s title game.
College Sports
Columbia Falls to host Montana Grizzlies, Air Force Falcons for exhibition soccer match
COLUMBIA FALLS — For the second year in a row, Flip Darling Memorial Field will be the sight of the Glacier Park College Soccer Showcase, which will bring two Division I women’s soccer programs in the University of Montana and Air Force Academy out for a match. WATCH THE VIDEO: Columbia Falls to host Montana […]


COLUMBIA FALLS — For the second year in a row, Flip Darling Memorial Field will be the sight of the Glacier Park College Soccer Showcase, which will bring two Division I women’s soccer programs in the University of Montana and Air Force Academy out for a match.
WATCH THE VIDEO:
The showcase was organized by Columbia Falls boys soccer coach O’Brien Byrd, who worked with UM head coach Chris Citowicki to give the fans in the Flathead Valley a one-of-a-kind experience.
“We don’t have this experience in our backyards like other bigger communities have,” Byrd said. “This is very small-town Montana, small-town America, and a population of 6,000 people hosting an event like this, we’re pinching ourselves. It means so much — most importantly, so much to our youth.”
Byrd also said it was Citowicki who coordinated with Air Force to bring them out for the exhibition.
“He has a good connection with the coach, ran it by the coach down there, and here they come,” Byrd said. “They’re gonna arrive on a military plane on Friday, and they’re gonna come to Columbia Falls, Montana.”
This year, the youth soccer players can do more than just watch these teams, as both squads will be hosting their own youth clinics.
“We’re super excited to get the college program coaches to be the head coaches for the clinics and the college players themselves to also assist with the clinics,” Byrd said. “That’ll enhance the game experience because the people attending those clinics will know the names of those players, and having a chance to actually work with those players is a really special gameday experience now with that clinic in their background.
The Air Force clinic will begin at 9:30 a.m. and Montana’s will start at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 2.
The match will kick off at 7 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 3.
Click here for more information about the match and clinics.
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