Brian Lester
Dino Balsamo has loved the game of hockey for as long as he can remember. His older brother played it, and naturally, Balsamo wanted to be a part of the sport as well. “I’d follow him around when I was younger and annoy him sometimes,” Balsamo said. “I could probably skate before I could walk. … Read more
Conference play is heating up, particularly in the WIAC where there is no automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. Wisconsin-Superior travels to Wisconsin-Eau Claire in a battle of nationally ranked teams while Wisconsin-River Falls heads to Wisconsin-Stevens Point. Augsburg and St. Thomas are both looking to maintain their hold on the top two positions in … Read more
A statement was made and a rivalry was renewed this past weekend. Concordia (MN) stunned a top five team and Adrian and St. Norbert battled on the ice. Concordia (MN) stunned nationally ranked Wisconsin-Eau Claire on Saturday in the final game of their series. Adrian and St. Norbert came out of their series with a … Read more
The big matchup on tap for this weekend is one featuring Adrian and St. Norbert. The 14th-ranked Bulldogs travel to Wisconsin to take on St. Norbert in a crucial NCHA series. Augsburg battles Bethel as it looks to bounce back while Saint John’s and Hamline are battling to keep their conference tourney hopes alive. Wisconsin-River … Read more
Reigning national champions typically don’t fly under the radar. They are out front and in the spotlight every step of the way during the grind of a long season. Yet, here was Wisconsin-Stevens Point in early December, in the grip of a tough stretch that saw the Pointers win just once in six games. But … Read more
Wisconsin-Stevens Point knocked off nationally ranked Augsburg on Saturday as the reigning champs proved they can’t be counted out yet. Wisconsin-River Falls also handed Augsburg a loss. St. Thomas and Saint Mary’s both stole a win from each other in their critical MIAC series. Lake Forest continued its impressive run through the season with another … Read more
It’s the first full weekend of hockey of 2020 and some interesting matchups are on top. Augsburg and Wisconsin-Stevens Point square off in a huge crossover game that carries a lot of weight for both teams while St. Thomas and Saint Mary’s battle in a key MIAC series. St. Norbert and Aurora both have a … Read more
Al Rogers grew up out East. So when he and his Saint Mary’s teammates came away from the Oswego State Hockey Classic with the championship in its possession, it had a little extra meaning for the Cardinals goalie. To sweeten the deal, Rogers was named MVP of the tournament, allowing just two goals in … Read more
If Saint Mary’s was looking to open 2020 with a bang, it accomplished the mission. The Cardinals made a statement on a trip out East, winning both of their games over nationally ranked teams to claim the championship at the Oswego State Hockey Classic, including a 1-0 win over the 10th-ranked host team. They finished … Read more
The first set of games of 2020 are about to get underway. Wisconsin-Superior opens the weekend against Northland and has an opportunity to take sole possession of first place in the WIAC. Lake Forest and Trine square off in one of the bigger matchups of the weekend in the NCHA. Saint John’s faces a key … Read more
Here we go hockey fans. The second half of the season is about to begin. The west region of the Division III hockey world has an interesting look and is shaping up to be as competitive as ever. Check out a few of the storylines to keep an eye on over the final few months … Read more
Jake Bresser was at a family Christmas when he first had an interest in hockey sparked inside of him. One of his cousins, then a player at Marian, put a pair of skates on him. The rest is history. “We were bored one day and he threw a pair of skates on me. I loved … Read more
Hello December. It’s that time of the year when conference play heats up. A lot of great matchups on the horizon this weekend. St. Thomas and Augsburg are both looking to stay at the top of the MIAC standings. In the WIAC, Wisconsin-Stevens Point is in need of a couple of wins while Wisconsin-Superior looks … Read more
John Peterson started playing hockey at a young age. He had a couple of cousins that played the game and ihis friends got involved in the sport as well. “I gave it a try and liked it from the start,” Peterson said. It’s worked out well for Peterson, who is now a senior forward at … Read more
It was a tough weekend for the reigning national champs. Both Marian and Concordia Wisconsin pulled off upsets against the sixth-ranked team in the country. Wisconsin-Eau Claire and Wisconsin-Superior both looked good on the road, with the third-ranked Blugolds winning the Primelink Great Northern Shootout behind two dominant performances. Lake Forest earned a weekend sweep … Read more
Happy Thanksgiving everyone. We’ve reached the final weekend of the month and there is plenty of hockey on tap, including a showdown between Marian and sixth-ranked Wisconsin-Stevens Point tonight. Friday Concordia at Bethel The Royals face a Falcons team that has won three of its last five.Brandon Picard leads the Falcons with three goals and … Read more
Troy York couldn’t wait to get back on the ice. Out the entire offseason as well as the first three games of the regular season while recovering from an ACL injury, the Wisconsin-Superior standout finally got his chance last weekend. “I had surgery in May and worked hard over the summer to get back to … Read more
There were no shortage of big moments in the west region this past weekend. Two upsets went down in the MIAC, with Bethel and Gustavus both picking up wins over nationally ranked opponents. Speaking of stunning wins, reigning national champ Wisconsin-Stevens Point lost a road game to Wisconsin-Superior while Wisconsin-Eau Claire remained unbeaten in … Read more
It’s almost time for Thanksgiving. But we before we feast on turkey, we can feast on more hockey games. The noteworthy item this week is that WIAC play begins. There a handful of interesting matchups in the MIAC and NCHA as well. Friday Wisconsin-Eau Claire (4-0-1) at Wisconsin-Superior (2-0) The Blugolds have won their last … Read more
Brett Young has been a mainstay for Trine’s hockey team. Now in his third season with the program, the senior goalie has played in all but two games for the Thunder. “I am feeling good,” Young said. “The biggest thing as a goalie is you want to be consistent, and I feel I am playing … Read more