After clinching the second seed in the Eastern States Collegiate Hockey League (ESCHL) playoffs, the No. 22 Stony Brook hockey team waits in the wings for its semifinal opponent.

This weekend, the second-seeded Seawolves (13-11-6, 6-3-1 ESCHL) will head to the Revolution Ice Centre in Pittston, Pa. for the 2025 ESCHL Conference Tournament — the league’s last before disbanding at the conclusion of the season. By earning a first-round bye, Stony Brook has already secured its spot in the semifinals, which takes place at 7 p.m. on Saturday. However, its opponent depends on the results of Friday’s quarterfinal matchups.

Since No. 23 Delaware earned the top seed in the ESCHL playoffs, the Seawolves will have to play the highest seed remaining from the teams playing in Friday’s quarterfinal games. At 7 p.m., the third-seeded Pittsburgh Panthers will face off against the sixth-seeded Rhode Island Rams. If Pittsburgh wins, it will advance to the semifinals to take on Stony Brook.

However, if the Rams pull off the upset, it opens the door for a different outcome. In that scenario, the winner of the 4 p.m. game between the fourth-seeded Drexel Dragons and fifth-seeded Syracuse Orange would compete against the Seawolves in a win-or-go-home contest to round out the final four.

Beginning with the top-seeded team of the three, the Panthers rank among the American Collegiate Hockey Association’s best. Pittsburgh is currently ranked No. 19 in the nation and holds a 14-11-5 record overall, while also going 5-2-3 in ESCHL play.

Despite the Panthers being three spots higher in the national rankings, the Seawolves have handled them well this season. Across its two series against Pittsburgh, Stony Brook went 3-1-0, 2-0-0 in official league games and outscored it 17-13.

Offensively, the Panthers have been the ESCHL’s lowest scoring team this season, averaging 3.30 goals per game. Nonetheless, Pittsburgh still possesses the offensive pieces to be a serious threat.

The Panthers’ most dangerous player up front has been center Maverick Crupi. Through 30 games this season, the rookie sensation has netted the second-most goals on his team (15), while producing the most assists (25) and points (40). Those marks are also good for joint-eighth, fifth and joint-fifth in the conference, respectively. In terms of the ESCHL’s other young guns, Crupi’s point total tops the chart.

Crupi’s partner in crime has been winger J.C. Bele, whose team-leading 16 goals are the seventh most in the ESCHL. Bele has also accumulated 17 helpers, giving him the second-most points (33) on the team and joint-eighth most in the league.

Wingers Colby Bilski and Edward Pazo, along with center Ian Keller can also make an impact on the scoresheet. Each player has picked up 11 assists, but Bilski’s 12 goals slightly edge out Pazo’s 11. Down the middle, Keller has notched eight goals and 10 assists.

Another pair of rookies in wingers Drake Tomak and Santino Multari have become key contributors for Pittsburgh as well. Tomak has been more of a playmaker, racking up nine assists compared to his six goals. On the other hand, Multari has been an effective depth scorer, banking nine goals while also registering five assists.

Rounding out the Panthers’ double-digit point scorers in regards to their forwards is center Josh Hrip, who has totaled 13 points split between seven goals and six assists.

On the back end, defenseman Jack Kisela has provided an offensive boost by racking up three goals and 14 points through 26 games.

Though Pittsburgh’s offensive talent runs deep, it has not seen much success on the power play. The Panthers have connected on 18.6% of their man-advantage opportunities, representing a conference worst.

Joining Kisela on the blue line will be defensemen Alex Paluso, Luke Henderson, Brady Rotolo, Andreas Forand and Sawyer Smith. Pittsburgh has been slightly lackluster defensively this season, as its 3.50 goals against per game rank fourth out of the ESCHL’s six squads.

Nonetheless, goaltender Grant Lindsay has been superb in the Panthers’ crease throughout the season. Among qualified goalies, Lindsay’s 3.14 goals against average is the fourth-best mark in the league and his sparkling .917 save percentage ranks second. The netminder has been a workhorse thus far, as he has appeared in 27 of the team’s 30 games and won 12 of them, which are tied for the second most in the ESCHL.

With a solid blue line and Lindsay serving as the team’s backbone, Pittsburgh’s penalty kill has been one of the ESCHL’s best. It has thwarted 80.5% of opposing power plays, making it the third-best unit in the league.

Moving on to Drexel, the Seawolves have had mixed results with the Dragons albeit with a smaller sample size, as they split their season series. Overall, Drexel has gone 18-10-1 this season and 5-5-0 in ESCHL games.

In the offensive zone, the Dragons have been dominant this season, as they are averaging an ESCHL-best 4.18 goals per game. That number is largely due to Drexel’s top line consisting of center Matthew Harris and wingers Ryan Sambuco and James Jacobs.

Sambuco is the Dragons’ engine on offense and one of the ESCHL’s top point producers. He leads Drexel in both points (47) and assists (32), which rank fourth and second in the league, respectively. Additionally, his 15 goals are tied for eighth in the conference and second on his team.

Jacobs has been a lethal goalscorer, as his 25 goals lead the team and are the second most in the ESCHL. He has also added 15 assists, putting him in a tie with Crupi for the fifth-most points (40) in the conference.

Harris has been a nice complement to the duo. The captain has netted 15 goals of his own while adding 18 assists, giving him the third-most points (33) on the team and joint-ninth most in the league.

Another viable scoring option is center Anton Kozitskiy. Through 26 games, he has chipped in 14 scores and 23 points.

Forwards Barrett Genovese, Pietro Baccarin and Evan Mudrick pack a scoring punch as well. Genovese has scored 20 points, including 13 assists, while Baccarin has lit the lamp nine times and added 10 helpers. Mudrick has recorded 11 assists and 14 points.

On the blue line, Benjamin Birkhahn has been the league’s premier offensive defenseman. His 27 points on the season are the fourth most on his team and they rank first among the ESCHL’s other defenders. On top of totaling 18 assists, he has also found the back of the net nine times.

To go along with all of their offensive talent, the Dragons possess a lethal power play to boot, as their 36.4% conversion rate sits atop the ESCHL.

Defenseman Brady Doyle, William Micholas, Erik Eisler, Sean Carver and Michael Urbani will complete Drexel’s defensive core, which has struggled this season. The Dragons have allowed 4.11 goals per game — the second most in the ESCHL.

The Dragons’ penalty kill has not helped matters either, as the unit’s 74.4% success rate is the second worst in the ESCHL.

Luckily for Drexel, its goaltenders have the talent to cover up some mistakes. Though he has posted a 4.00 goals against average, goaltender Ryan Nocerino’s .909 save percentage ranks fourth in the league. The Suffolk County native’s 10 wins place fifth.

Goaltender Jared Treat has remained solid as the team’s backup. He has produced a .905 save percentage, 3.56 goals against average and seven wins in 11 games.

When examining Syracuse — the Dragons’ opponent on Friday — the Seawolves have had the most trouble with the Orange during this campaign despite their 14-14-4 overall record and 3-5-2 mark in league play. Against Syracuse, Stony Brook has gone 1-1-2 overall and 0-1-1 in league games despite outscoring the Orange 13-11 through the two series.

Like Drexel, Syracuse owns a run-and-gun offense, as its 4.06 goals per game are the third most in the ESCHL. However, the Orange’s power play has converted at a 21.4% clip, which is the second lowest in the conference.

Leading the way for Syracuse is winger Sam Hutchinson, who has tallied a team-leading 29 points. Hutchinson’s 12 goals and 17 assists both rank second on the team.

In addition to Hutchinson, forward Cam Gaffney has been a big piece for the Orange. Gaffney has produced 29 points split between 11 goals and a team-leading 18 assists, putting himself in a share of Syracuse’s point lead. Gaffney’s 18 helpers are also tied for the ninth most in the league.

Down the middle, center Jack Alecia has headed the Orange’s scoring efforts. In 22 games played, he has potted a team-leading 17 goals, which are tied for fifth in the ESCHL. Though his 26 points are the third most on the team, Alecia’s 1.18 points per game represent a team best.

Moreover, wingers Brock Alvers and Jack Wren have made their mark. Both have deposited 10 goals apiece, while Alvers has set up 15 compared to Wren’s 13 assists.

Other depth scorers include forwards Brendan Duffy, Anthony Larkin and Evan Vassilovski. Duffy has tallied eight goals and 15 points. Vassilovski has notched 16 points and his 10 goals are tied with Alvers and Wren for the third most on the team. Larkin has found twine nine times and recorded five helpers.

Forwards Max Gargurevich, Isaac Arnold and Kade Cook have all reached the double-digit point threshold as well.

On the back end, the Orange have quite a few blue liners that join the fun in the offensive zone. Defenseman Ryan Thomas has tallied both nine goals and nine assists, while fellow defenseman Connor Chesner has scored six goals and added 11 helpers.

Defenseman Carter Rugg has lit the lamp five times and totaled 11 points. Defenseman Jake Brown has hit 10 points on the season, including nine assists.

Sean Caddo and Jacob VonTersch will likely round out a Syracuse defense that will be playing in front of a struggling goaltending tandem. The Orange have surrendered an ESCHL-worst 4.12 goals per game.

Goaltender A.J. Finta will likely get the nod to start throughout Syracuse’s playoff run. Finta’s 12 wins are tied for the second most in the league. However, although the netminder’s 3.80 goals against average is lower than the team’s overall mark, he has posted a subpar .892 save percentage.

As the team’s backup, goaltender Chris Spano has not fared better in the blue paint. He possesses an .874 save percentage, 3.87 goals against average and has won just three games this season.

The Orange’s struggles to keep the puck out of their net also stem from their penalty kill. Syracuse has killed off a league-worst 71.5% of its shorthanded disadvantages.

Finally, delving into Stony Brook’s roster, it has the tools to compete against and beat any of its potential opponents. Despite scoring the second-fewest goals per game (3.50) in the ESCHL this season, the Seawolves have given up the third fewest (3.43).

Perhaps the biggest advantage that Stony Brook has heading into the postseason is a deep pool of goalies to choose from. Goaltender Scott Barnikow is expected to man the Seawolves’ net throughout the playoffs. This season, the senior sports the third-best save percentage (.916) in the league despite surrendering 3.40 goals per game and securing just seven victories.

Behind him, rookie goaltenders Steven Reganato and Garrett Simpson have been up to the task when called upon. In just eight games, Reganato has posted a 3.34 goals against average and his .918 save percentage leads the team. Despite holding a .894 save percentage, Simpson has recorded a team-low 3.26 goals against average.

With defensemen such as team captain Andrew Mancini, Owen Larson and Kiernan Gately on the mend, Stony Brook will continue to rely heavily on its limited healthy defenders. Defensemen Colin Wenrich, Ted Valenti, Joe Trazzera, Dylan Kowalsky, Jackson Haskins and Brendan Fess — who returned from a concussion for the final game of the regular season — will likely take up six of the seven spots on the Seawolves’ blue line.

The final spot will belong to defenseman Kyle Nestepny, who played the wing to start the season before reverting back to his original position due to the collection of injuries. The smooth skater has been a big piece on both ends of the ice, burying nine goals and notching nine assists through 28 games in his comeback season.

Wenrich has also been an integral part of the team’s success. Like Nestepny, Wenrich’s best trait is arguably his skating ability, which he has used to join the rush offensively when healthy. Excluding forwards-turned-defensemen, Wenrich’s 15 points are the most among the team’s defenseman and his four goals co-lead the team with Gately in respect to blue liners.

Haskins has also gotten in on the offense with increased power-play minutes. The rookie has netted two goals and added six assists. Kowalsky has been key when breaking the puck out of his own end, as he has contributed seven helpers.

Throughout its forward core, Stony Brook has a wide variety of impact players. The most prominent players of the group are winger Justin Nakagawa and center William Kormanik, who co-lead the team and share the seventh spot in the ESCHL with 34 points.

Kormanik is a pure goalscorer. The power forward’s 15 goals lead Stony Brook and are also tied for eighth in the conference. However, evident from his 19 assists, which are the second most on the team and joint-seventh in the ESCHL, Kormanik also has the ability to facilitate.

When at his best, Nakagawa fills up the assist column. His 23 assists lead the team and rank sixth in the league, but he also has a knack for scoring goals, as he has netted 11. This season, the duo each set career highs in all three major offensive categories.

Slotting next to Nakagawa will be center James Kozicki. The alternate captain has put together a nice senior campaign by accumulating nine goals and 13 assists for 22 points.

Wingers Paul DeSaro and Alex Scimeca will sandwich Kormanik, with whom they have found a lot of success with. In their rookie seasons, DeSaro and Scimeca have both posted 19 points. DeSaro has bagged 10 goals while Scimeca finished with 12 after a white-hot run to end the regular season.

Though Nick Newman has been the team’s third-line center, he is also a main cast member up front. In his final collegiate season, Newman has accounted for five goals and 16 points.

Generally a goalscorer, winger Kristian Malec had to settle for just one this season — an empty-netter to close out last Saturday’s victory. However, he has recorded nine assists and has the ability to score goals in bunches. Furthermore, winger Nate LeGrette has chipped in with six goals and three assists.

Winger Thomas Liebold can also make his presence felt, whether it be on the scoreboard or by throwing his weight around. Despite being a healthy scratch for most of the early portion of the season, the physical senior played alongside Kozicki and Nakagawa on senior night and netted a pair of goals, finishing the regular season with three goals and six points across 16 games.

In the special teams department, the Seawolves have capitalized on 22.0% of their power plays and killed off 79.6% of opposing man advantages, which both rank fourth out of the ESCHL’s six teams.

If Stony Brook can prevail over one of these three teams on Saturday, it will find itself in the championship game on Sunday at noon. The Seawolves would play the winner of Delaware and the lowest-remaining seed’s game with a chance to win the ESCHL’s final playoff title and add on to their league-record five championships.