Brian Lester
In some ways, the odds weren’t tilted in the favor of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and Wisconsin-Superior in the WIAC tournament. The Blugolds, despite being the defending NCAA Division III national champions, were the third seed in the tourney. The Yellow Jackets were fourth. But in the end, both found a way to defy the odds and … Read more
Concordia (Minn.) is headed back to the MIAC tournament, but as far as coach Chris Howe is concerned, his team has spent an entire season in postseason mode. The Cobbers have played in nine games decided by one goal, going 5-4 in those encounters, and four of those games have gone to overtime. Concordia has … Read more
Wisconsin-Stevens Point has spent this season as one of the nation’s top teams and is currently ranked third in the country as it prepares for the WIAC tournament. And while the Pointers did finish second in the standings after a 5-4 loss to Wisconsin-River Falls on Friday, coach Chris Brooks is confident his team will … Read more
Another weekend is in the books in Division III hockey and there was plenty of interesting moments around the nation. St. Thomas had its bid to finish unbeaten in MIAC play end with a 1-0 loss to St. John’s, while WIsconsin-River Falls nailed down the top seed in the WIAC by knocking off Wisconsin-Stevens Point … Read more
Another weekend is in the books in Division III hockey and there was plenty of interesting moments around the nation. St. Thomas had its bid to finish unbeaten in MIAC play end with a 1-0 loss to St. John’s, while WIsconsin-River Falls nailed down the top seed in the WIAC by knocking off Wisconsin-Stevens Point … Read more
Life in the WIAC is tough and yet, Wisconsin-River Falls has managed to navigate its way to the top of the standings and put destiny in its grasp. The No. 10 Falcons are 7-3 in the conference after a weekend sweep of Wisconsin-Stout and now, only games against Wisconsin-Stevens Point and Wisconsin-Eau Claire remain on … Read more
St. Thomas coach Jeff Boeser will be the first to tell you his team doesn’t have a star. Yet, even without star power, the Tommies keep getting it done on the ice. It’s why St. Thomas enters the final week of the regular season with the MIAC championship in its possession. “If you look at … Read more
Justin Hochsprung had an opportunity to step away from hockey over Christmas break and take advantage of an opportunity of a lifetime. Hochsprung, a senior forward and team captain at St. John’s, was part of a select group of students who went to China as part of the E-Scholars Program. One hundred students applied for … Read more
Jon Waggoner was given a chance to step into a more prominent role for Wisconsin-Eau Claire this season and he has taken advantage of it. After playing behind talented upperclassmen early in his career, Waggoner has had a much bigger impact for the Blugolds, having tallied 10 goals and eight assists in 20 games. “I’ve … Read more
Corey Leivermann just wanted to play hockey, but because of a lack of playing time at Division I Minnesota State, he searched for a new opportunity. Leivermann found one at Gustavus Adolphus, arriving midway through last season and playing in 13 games for the Gusties, who finished 17-8-3 and lost in the championship game of … Read more
Wisconsin Stevens-Point captain Tyler Krueger has always been a defensive guy on the ice. And when we say always, we mean always. “I’ve played defense ever since Pee Wee hockey,” Krueger said. “I never was much of a goal scorer.” Krueger has certainly thrived on defense and has helped play a pivotal role in the … Read more
We have reached the stretch run of hockey in the MIAC and the battle for the top spot is tight. Gustavus Adolphus enters the final week of the month on top of the conference standings. It has 26 points. St. Thomas is second with 22 points and St. Olaf sits in third with 17 points. … Read more
Pat Dalbec admits he hasn’t been the most consistent player this season for Wisconsin-Superior. The senior forward has had his share of up-and-down moments, but lately, he believes he is starting play with more consistency. “I’ve been inconsistent at times, but during the second half of the year, I’ve started to play much better,” Dalbec … Read more
Maybe hope doesn’t look too bright on the surface for the St. Mary’s hockey team. The Cardinals are just 6-8-1 overall and only 2-4-0 in the MIAC standings. But head coach Bill Moore knows his team is far from being out of contention for a playoff berth and besides, the record of the Cardinals is … Read more
Jeff Burke is in the midst of another stellar season for Wisconsin-River Falls. The senior defenseman and two-time All-WIAC honorable mention selection is tied for second on the team in points with 12. He has scored three goals and dished out nine assists for the No. 13 Falcons. “Things are going well,” Burke said. “I’ve … Read more
It was an interesting weekend in the Division III hockey world. Wisconsin-Eau Claire, the defending national champion, won its fifth consecutive game in shutout fashion. Elmira ended a nine-game losing streak to Oswego and also picked up its third win of the season over a nationally-ranked team in the process. Adrian and St. Scholastica hooked … Read more
It was an interesting weekend in the Division III hockey world. Wisconsin-Eau Claire, the defending national champion, won its fifth consecutive game in shutout fashion. Elmira ended a nine-game losing streak to Oswego and also picked up its third win of the season over a nationally-ranked team in the process. Adrian and St. Scholastica hooked … Read more
Tyler Green said he joked with Brandon Stephenson after last season’s national championship run by Wisconsin-Eau Claire about setting the standard for goalies at the school. “He told me the stage is all mine next year and I told him thank you for setting the bar so low for me,” Green said as he recalled … Read more
Bethel coach Charlie Burggraf compared his hockey team to one of those time-consuming 1,000-piece puzzles he enjoys doing in his free time. He talked about how, at the start, the puzzle can be very confusing. Ultimately, as the pieces begin to come together, the puzzle becomes easier to do because the picture is much more … Read more
St. Olaf was a playoff team a year ago. The Oles advanced to the MIAC tournament before falling to Gustavus Adolphus in the opening round. While at the moment, it doesn’t look like the Oles are poised to make another run at the conference tournament – St. Olaf is 3-8-2 overall and 1-3-2 in the … Read more