MANKATO — The Minnesota State men’s hockey team announced its 2025-26 schedule, complete with 34 contests.

The season will start with six nonconference games, beginning with a road series against Omaha Oct. 10-11. MSU will also play a nonconference road series at Wisconsin Oct. 16-17, with its first home series coming Oct. 24-25 against Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

The Mavericks will also play in the Coachella Cactus Cup Jan. 1-2 at Palm Springs, California. St. Cloud State, Massachusetts-Lowell and Boston University will also be in that event.

MSU will play 26 CCHA contests, beginning with a road game against St. Thomas Oct. 31.

The Free Press

Sports Reporter

Cedar Rapids, IA

Collin graduated from the S.I. Newhouse School of Communications at Syracuse University in December 2022.

After that, he took his first job at WEHT as a sports reporter and weekend anchor in Evansville, Indiana. While in Evansville, Collin covered high school, college, and independent professional teams.

During his time there, he covered countless state championships, conference titles, and the University of Evansville’s 2024 NCAA Tournament run for baseball. Collin found his passion for telling stories on all levels of sports in the Tri-State community.

Originally from Bel Air, Maryland, Collin of course has Old Bay as his primary choice of seasoning, and Memorial Day celebrations always include watching the NCAA Men’s Lacrosse National Championship.

Collin lives and breathes sports, having played lacrosse, basketball, soccer, ice hockey, and tennis growing up. He played soccer at Harford Community College.

Outside of sports, Collin enjoys skiing, going to the beach, and hiking. If you’ve got any story ideas, please reach out to Collin.Davies@KCRG.com.

Hamilton College’s Ramon Aroca Gonzalez ’26 (Madrid, Spain/Hastings School) was selected the 2025 New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Men’s Golfer of the Year on Tuesday, May 13 when the conference announced its end-of-season awards.

Will Whittaker ’25 (Jupiter, Fla./South Kent School [Conn.]) joined Gonzalez on the all-NESCAC team. Gonzalez was voted by the conference’s coaches to the first team and Whittaker made the second team.

Gonzalez collected his third all-conference first team honor and his second NESCAC golfer of the year award. He was the golfer and rookie of the year in 2023. Gonzalez, who was selected to compete in the NCAA Division III championship as an individual on Monday, led Hamilton with an 18-hole stroke average of 72.40 for 20 rounds. He earned four individual medalist honors and finished in the top 10 seven times out of 10 tournaments. Gonzalez tied for second place at the conference championship at Williams College’s Taconic Golf Club in late April with rounds of 71-71-80. The 80 in the final round was his worst all season. Gonzalez shot in the 60s three times.

Whittaker, who made the second team for the second straight year, posted a 76.14 stroke average for 14 rounds and finished in the top 20 in six out of seven tournaments. He tied for eighth place at the NESCAC championship with rounds of 70-76-80. Whittaker shot in the 70s in 11 out of 14 rounds.

Gonzalez will compete in the national championship event for the first time. The tournament begins on Tuesday, May 20 and runs through Friday, May 23. The first two rounds will be played simultaneously at Midvale Country Club in Penfield, N.Y., and at Cobblestone Creek Country Club in Victor, N.Y.

 

Ronald William Goodacre

OBITUARY

Ronald William Goodacre, a.k.a. “Bill/Poppy/Hockeypuck,” died peacefully on April 30, 2025. He was 88. His children, Tim and Jill, as well as his grandchildren Isabelle, Joe, Georgia, Kate, and Charlotte, daughter-in-law Denise, son-in-law Harry and loving partner of thirty years, Chris, were by his side. He died at precisely 4:44PM, a number that, according to angel number theory, signifies spiritual guidance, protection and a message of support from one’s guardian angels. Born in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada, on February 6, 1937, to Arthur William Goodacre and Mabel Pengelly Goodacre, Bill grew up in Red Deer with his parents and three siblings: Robert, Marnie, and Joan. He left Canada on a hockey scholarship to Colorado College, where he met artist Glenna Maxey, his future wife. After college, Bill and Glenna moved to Lubbock, Texas, where he worked for his father-in-law, Homer Maxey, doing various jobs, including driving cattle trucks and managing apartments. Soon after, they welcomed a son, Tim, and a daughter, Jill. In the summer of 1965, Bill opened his first real estate company, marking the beginning of an amazing real estate career. In 1973, Bill and his family visited Boulder for the first time. He was captivated by Boulder’s beauty and the allure of its hockey culture and decided to relocate and start his real estate business there. Over the years, Bill became one of the most beloved people in his community, fostering relationships through real estate, hockey, and occasionally attending parties in nothing more than a jock strap. Bill was a top real estate broker in Boulder for fifty years. He started his first Boulder real estate company in 1974, R.W. Goodacre and Company, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2024. To know Bill was to be in his presence, hear his laugh, and see his smile. He was known for his epic toga parties, snowmobile trips, and summer solstice parties. He would inform anyone in his company the make, model and year of any vintage car that happened to pass by. His stories were legendary. He was indestructible. He survived falling out of a car at fifty-five miles per hour when he was three, running after it yelling, “Wait for me!” He had his teeth knocked out during a hockey game, put them in a cup, and finished the game-multiple times. His entire body and face caught fire as a result of a gas station accident. The stories are endless. Everyone spoke of Bill’s boundless generosity. Countless people recall Bill’s selflessness on infinite occasions. When someone was in need, Bill was there. He knew no strangers. His kindness was legendary, and his love for family and friends was boundless. He loved kids — being with them, mentoring them, and teaching them. He coached the CU Hockey Club team. He taught his kids and grandkids how to skate before they could walk. And, as legend has it, Bill could skate before he could walk–a legend now considered fact by Bill’s family and friends. He continued to skate and maintained his top physical condition from childhood until he finally stopped playing hockey at the age of eighty-six. He loved all desserts, in particular, Baskin Robbins Jamoca Almond Fudge, Dairy Queen Strawberry Blizzards and The Cork Mud Pie. He loved black licorice, chocolate milkshakes, fish and chips with malt vinegar and Eggs Benedict. One of his greatest passions was collecting cars. As a teenager in Red Deer, he collected old cars in the backyard of his home and put them together to make great drivers. He won car rodeos. This led to an amazing, revolving car collection over the years. He loved driving them and tinkering with them. He repaired them when they didn’t need repairing. He loved washing them. He even washed one in the snow once to take his wife, Glenna, to a party. He had a photographic memory of dates, addresses, phone numbers, and, most importantly, friends’ and family members’ names, dating back to when he was a small child. He could recall every make, model and year of every car he ever owned – a number exceeding sixty. He is survived by his children, Tim and Jill, as well as his grandchildren Isabelle, Joe, Georgia, Kate, and Charlotte, partner Chris, and a legion of loving family and friends. He will be deeply missed, but all who knew him are comforted by the countless memories of a unique and incredible life well lived. A negative word has yet to be uttered about Bill Goodacre, and based on the overwhelming outpouring of love at the mention of his passing, there never will be. In lieu of flowers or donations, Tim, Jill, and the family would love for everyone to simply raise a glass in honor of Bill, to keep his memory alive, to think of him with the same joy and spirit that he brought to everyone who was blessed to be in his universe; and, every once in a while, if you happen to notice that it’s 4:44, know that Bill is with us, smiling and slapping the crap out of a hockey puck in heaven. Please visit GreenwoodMyersFuneral.com to leave a condolence.

Team Captains: Paul Juda, Zach Granados, Lais Najjar

Record: 22-3, 3-1 Big Ten Conference (Co-Champions)

Big Ten Championships: 1st of 5 (330.750)

NCAA Championships: 1st of 6 (332.224)

A banner season for the University of Michigan men’s gymnastics team, 2025 ended with the team’s fifth straight Big Ten Championship and seventh NCAA Championship. Fred Richard was named Big Ten Gymnast of the Championships for the third straight year, while head coach Yuan Xiao was named Big Ten Coach of the Year for the fourth straight year. Overall, seven Wolverines combined for 17 All-America honors and a pair of Big Ten and NCAA individual titles. The Wolverines played host to both the Big Ten Championships and the NCAA Championships at Crisler Center.

Team Highlights

• U-M earned its seventh overall NCAA Championship, and first since 2014, with a team score of 332.224 in the team finals. Richard took home the all-around title while Paul Juda took home the parallel bars title. The finish marked the eighth straight season the Maize and Blue has finished in the top five and fourth straight in the top three.

• At Big Tens, the Wolverines earned their fifth straight team title, a pair of individual titles and eight medals. Five straight titles is the longest streak for Michigan since winning six straight from 1961-66. Richard was crowned Big Ten All-Around Champion for the third straight year, the first time a Wolverine has won three straight since Rick McCurdy from 1969-71. Senior Evgeny Siminiuc took home silver on the parallel bars in addition to the high bar title.

• The Maize and Blue started strong, handily defeating both Greenville (299.450) and Simpson (287.400) with a score of 310.900 to open the season on Jan. 11. The team fell 321.700-316.600 to Illinois at the Windy City Invitational before bouncing back to top Springfield and Army.

• Michigan stumbled to open Big Ten competition, dropping the conference opener on Feb. 1 at Penn State, 319.000-313.900. The Wolverines led for the majority of the meet, with the Nittany Lions pulling ahead following vault. A big rotation on parallel bars allowed U-M to retake the lead, but falls on the high bar to close out the meet were costly and allowed PSU to secure the win.

• The Wolverines returned to their winning ways with a decisive 322.100-315.450 victory over Illinois at home on Feb. 8 before finishing second of three at Oklahoma on Feb. 15.

• U-M took a month-long break from NCAA competition following the tri-meet in Norman, Okla., with Richard and Javier Alfonso representing Michigan at the Winter Cup. Richard finished second in the all-around, third on the parallel bars and high bar and fifth on floor exercise to lead the pair’s effort.

• Michigan returned to NCAA competition with Ohio State at home on March 15, defeating the Buckeyes 328.100-322.000 on Senior Day. The team is undefeated at home since March 9, 2019, at Cliff Keen Arena.

• The Wolverines clinched a share of the regular-season title at Nebraska to close out the regular season with an NCAA-leading team score of 335.950. The conference crown is Michigan’s fifth.

Individual Highlights

• Richard’s NCAA all-around title is his second in the event and fourth overall individual title. With Juda’s parallel bars title, 22 Wolverines have combined for 46 NCAA individual titles.

• Head coach Xiao was named Coach of the Year by the College Gymnastics Association, while Jordan Gaarenstroom and Juha Tanskanen were named Assistant Coaches of the Year.

• The Wolverines combined for 17 All-America honors, with Richard earning the citation in the all-around and all six events. He is the first gymnast in NCAA history to earn seven All-America citations in a single season.

• This year’s All-America haul brings Michigan’s all-time number to 292 and is the fifth straight year the Wolverines have combined for double-digit All-America honors (11 in 2024, 10 in 2023, 11 in 2022, 13 in 2021).

• Richard (all-around) and Siminiuc (high bar) took home individual titles at the Big Ten Championships, marking the sixth straight year U-M has claimed at least one individual conference title. Siminiuc also picked up silver on the parallel bars, with Juda (silver, all-around), David Wolma (silver, vault), Zach Granados (bronze, pommel horse), Solen Chiodi (bronze, vault) and Pierce Wolfgang (bronze, high bar) also earning hardware.

• The Wolverines earned 32 event titles in the regular season.

Honors & Awards

Paul
Juda

Fred
Richard

Evgeny
Siminiuc

Carson
Eshleman

Rithik
Puri

Charlie
Larson

David
Wolma

NCAA

All-America: Carson Eshleman (high bar), Paul Juda (all-around, floor exercise, parallel bars, high bar), Charlie Larson (floor exercise), Rithik Puri (still rings), Fred Richard (all-around, floor exercise, pommel horse, still rings, vault, parallel bars, high bar), Evgeny Siminiuc (parallel bars, high bar), David Wolma (vault)

College Gymnastics Association

Coach of the Year: Yuan Xiao

Assistant Coaches of the Year: Jordan Gaarenstroom, Juha Tanskanen

Gymnast of the Week: Fred Richard (March 27)

Rookie of the Week: Carson Eshleman (Jan. 15), Aaronson Mansberger (March 19, March 27)

Specialist of the Week: Charlie Larson (March 27)

Big Ten Conference

Medal of Honor: Paul Juda

Big Ten Gymnast of the Championships: Fred Richard

Big Ten Coach of the Year: Yuan Xiao

All-Big Ten First Team: Paul Juda, Fred Richard, Evgeny Siminiuc

All-Big Ten Second Team: Solen Chiodi, Zach Granados, Pierce Wolfgang, David Wolma

Big Ten Sportsmanship Award: Paul Juda

All-Big Ten Freshman Team: Solen Chiodi, Aaronson Mansberger

Gymnast of the Week: Fred Richard (Feb. 11, Feb. 18, Feb. 25, March 25)

Big Ten Freshman of the Week: Carson Eshleman (Jan. 28), Aaronson Mansberger (Jan. 21, March 18, March 25)

Big Ten Specialist of the Week: Charlie Larson (Feb. 18, March 25)

Academic All-Big Ten

Javier Alfonso, Gr., Master of Management

Landen Blixt, Jr., General Studies

Kevin Chow, So., Business Admin

Zach Granados, Jr., Information Analysis

Jake Islam, So., Sport Management

Alex Istock, So., Business Administration

Paul Juda, Gr., Master of Accounting

Logan McKeown, Sr., Computer Science

Lais Najjar, Sr., Computer Science

Robert Noll, Jr., Business Administration

Akshay Puri, So., Biomedical Engineering

Rithik Puri, Sr., Biomedical Engineering

Chris Read, Sr., Applied Exercise Science

Fred Richard, Jr., General Studies

Kyle Walchuk, So., Materials Science & Engineering

Pierce Wolfgang, So., LSA Undeclared

Will Young, So., Mechanical Engineering