With the 2024-25 season wrapped up and Nationals just around the corner, let’s take a look back at the standout players from each division over the past month.
Women's Division
1st Star: (C) Amber Lopez – University of South Florida – 2 goals, 5 assists, 7 points in 3 games
Our first star from the Women’s Division is Amber Lopez of the Lady Bulls, who put together an impressive seven-point performance during the CHS Women’s playoffs from Feb. 7-9.
Despite the Lady Bulls falling to the Frozen Tide in an 11-6 battle on Feb. 8, Lopez made her mark, tallying five points in that game alone with one goal and four assists.
2nd Star: (C) Claire Carson, University of Alabama – 4 goals, 2 assists, 6 points in 2 games
Our second star of the month is none other than Claire Carson, the CHS Women’s MVP and regular-season points leader, who added six points in just two playoff games.
Carson led the charge for the Frozen Tide during the CHS Women’s playoffs, notching three goals and two assists for a five-point performance in their 11-6 win over the Lady Bulls on Feb. 8. Her efforts during playoffs were key in helping Alabama capture the CHS Women’s Championship.
3rd Star: (C) Gabriella Donato, Auburn University - 4 goals, 2 assists, 6 points in 2 games
The third star of the month is Auburn’s Gabriella Donato, the Tigers’ points leader, who helped her team secure fifth place during the CHS Women’s playoffs with six points.
Donato collected four of her six points on Feb. 7 after scoring two goals and adding two assists in Auburn’s matchup against the Gamecocks, finishing her season with 43 total points.
Division 1
1st Star: (LW) Finn Forster, University of Alabama – 7 goals, 4 assists, 11 points in 6 games
The first star of the month on the men’s side is Alabama’s Finn Forster, who racked up 11 points in February while helping the Frozen Tide win three of their six games.
Forster had a standout performance on Feb. 14, recording one goal and five assists in Alabama’s 11-2 win over Alabama-Huntsville.
2nd Star: (C) John Riggins, University of South Carolina – 5 goals, 6 assists, 11 points in 6 games
The second star of the month is South Carolina’s John Riggins, the Division 1 MVP and the Gamecocks’ points leader, who tallied 11 points in six games during February.
Riggins capped off the month with a clutch performance in South Carolina’s 8-4 win over the Ice Tigers on Feb. 23. With the Gamecocks holding a narrow 4-3 lead late in the third period, Riggins sealed the victory with back-to-back goals, putting the game out of reach.
3rd Star: (RW) Michael Schmelzer, University of Tampa – 4 goals, 3 assists, 7 points in 4 games
Rounding out the stars for February is Tampa’s Michael Schmelzer, who led the Spartans to a perfect 4-0 month and the CHS Division 1 Championship. The playoffs MVP made his presence known, scoring a goal in every game.
Schmelzer’s standout moment came on Feb. 8 against the Ice Vols, netting the game-winning goal with eight minutes remaining in the second period to keep the Spartans on their title run.
Division 2
1st Star: (G) Ayden Kopec, Middle Tennessee State University – 4-0-0, 0.976 save percentage, 1.00 goals against average, 1 shutout in 4 games
In February, Ayden Kopec, the Blue Raiders’ goaltender and playoffs MVP, earned one shutout and four wins in as many games, playing a key role in securing his team the CHS Division 2 Championship. His outstanding performance earned him the title of First Star of the Month for Division 2.
Kopec was exceptional on February 23, blocking all 50/50 shots from the Ice Bulls to secure a 4-0 victory for the Blue Raiders.
2nd Star: (C) Elian Estulin, University of Miami – 6 goals, 6 assists, 12 points in 5 games
The Hurricanes’ Elian Estulin has returned as Division 2’s Second Star of the Month, totaling 12 points in five games.
Estulin delivered an impressive performance on February 7 during Miami’s matchup against Florida Southern, scoring four points—one goal and three assists—that helped his team secure an 8-8 tie.
3rd Star: (F) Michael Woll, Florida Southern College – 3 goals, 7 assists, 10 points in 2 games
Another standout player in the February 7 matchup between Florida Southern and Miami was the Mocs’ Michael Woll, who tallied eight of his 10 points in that game.
Woll dominated the rink throughout, scoring three goals and assisting on the other five goals recorded by the Mocs, helping to secure an 8-8 tie by the end of the night.
Division 3
1st Star: (G) Drew Durdov, University of South Carolina – 4-0-0, 0.958 save percentage, 1.25 goals against average, 1 shutout in 4 games
University of South Carolina’s Drew Durdov played a crucial role in helping his team maintain an undefeated season and advance toward the championship title of College Hockey South’s Division 3.
Durdov was outstanding during the three-day tournament from February 21-23, allowing only five goals on 92 shots faced. His remarkable performance earned him the title of Playoff MVP and the honor of being named the First Star of the Month for Division 3.
2nd Star: (F) Christian Cuccia, Florida Atlantic University – 7 goals, 8 assists, 15 points in 5 games
The Owls’ Christian Cuccia has been named the Second Star for February after continuing his offensive dominance. He added 15 more points to the College Hockey South Division 3 leaderboard, bringing his total to 70 points for the season, putting him in first place.
Cuccia had an outstanding performance on February 7 during the Owls' 15-1 victory over Embry-Riddle, racking up two goals and five assists for an impressive seven-point game.
3rd Star: (F) Sam Watson, Florida Atlantic University – 6 goals, 9 assists, 15 points in 6 games
The Owls had another standout this month in forward Sam Watson, who also collected 15 points.
Watson battled hard in every matchup, especially during the weekend series against the Ice Eagles. On February 7, he scored three goals and added three assists for a total of six points. The following day, on February 8, Watson contributed one goal and four assists for five points.
Congratulations to our February stars of the month!
ABOUT College Hockey South: Founded in 2008, College Hockey South is a 30-school, 50-team intercollegiate hockey conference spanning eight southeastern U.S. states that competes in AAU College Hockey. College Hockey South is a 501(c)3 not for profit organization.
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