Brian LesterIt’s hard to believe it’s already NCAA tournament time, but for 11 Division III teams, the chase for the national championship begins this week. Three games are on the schedule for tonight, and I will be taking aim at making predictions for the first two rounds. I didn’t do too bad making picks in the … Read more
Progress for St. John’s men’s hockey team has been more of a grind than a smooth ride. Senior forward Michael Palmiscno, a two-time team captain, will tell you as much. In his first three seasons, the Johnnies won a total of 26 games and made one appearance in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference playoffs. That … Read more
Gustavus Adolphus and St. John’s will play for the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship on Saturday afternoon. A trip to the NCAA tournament will be on the line as well. Both teams are familiar with each other, having played twice during the regular season. At this point, the focus of the Gusties and Johnnies isn’t … Read more
In early November, Gustavus Adolphus looked like a team that seemed destined for a doomed season. Defending its Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference tournament championship looked like mission impossible. So did a return trip to the NCAA tournament. In fact, just getting into the conference tournament was going to be a grueling task. The Gusties were … Read more
Shaquille Merasty has proved a revelation as a freshman at Adrian, and his goal-scoring prowess is a key part of Adrian’s third unbeaten season in MCHA play. Brian Lester reports.
Well, the final week of the regular season has arrived for teams in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, and a lot is still on the line, including deciding which team is going to win the regular season championship. All we know for sure at the moment is that St. Olaf is headed to the postseason. … Read more
Well, the final week of the regular season has arrived for teams in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, and a lot is still on the line, including deciding which team is going to win the regular season championship. All we know for sure at the moment is that St. Olaf is headed to the postseason. … Read more
St. John’s has put itself in a position to win the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship. Yes, the Johnnies still need a few breaks to go their way, and sure they need to take care of business against Bethel this weekend in a crucial home-and-home series that will cap the regular season. But St. John’s, … Read more
It’s time for another week of picks as we head into crunch time of the regular season. I had a lot of success last week, going 6-2, which pushes my overall record to 55-47. A lot is still on the line in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, including the conference championship. Five teams have five … Read more
It’s time for another week of picks as we head into crunch time of the regular season. I had a lot of success last week, going 6-2, which pushes my overall record to 55-47. A lot is still on the line in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, including the conference championship. Five teams have five … Read more
It’s been an up-and-down month for the St. Thomas men’s hockey team. The Tommies have played nine games since the start of 2013 and are 4-4-1 during that stretch, including a 5-1 win over Bethel last Saturday that snapped a three-game losing streak. Yet despite all of the madness that comes with playing in the … Read more
Perhaps the experience I have gained making picks week to week this season has made me a little wiser. This past week, I finished 5-3, and even correctly predicted a tie and an exact final score. My record now stands at 49-45. I said that St. John’s and Hamline would skate to a tie in … Read more
Perhaps the experience I have gained making picks week to week this season has made me a little wiser. This past week, I finished 5-3, and even correctly predicted a tie and an exact final score. My record now stands at 49-45. I said that St. John’s and Hamline would skate to a tie in … Read more
St. Olaf wants to win a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship as much as any team in the league, and the Oles took a big step toward the title this past weekend. They accomplished something that doesn’t happen to often in the balanced conference, and that is sweep an opponent, especially a national power such … Read more
Another week of making predictions has arrived, and I own a 44-42 record heading into this week. Not impressive. I went just 3-5 a week ago, but I’m hoping for a big-time turnaround this week. The big match-up of the weekend is the one between St. Olaf and St. Thomas. The Oles and Tommies will … Read more
Another week of making predictions has arrived, and I own a 44-42 record heading into this week. Not impressive. I went just 3-5 a week ago, but I’m hoping for a big-time turnaround this week. The big match-up of the weekend is the one between St. Olaf and St. Thomas. The Oles and Tommies will … Read more
It’s tough to keep getting up when you repeatedly get knocked down, and few teams have been knocked down as often as Augsburg this season. The Auggies are in the grip of a seven-game winless streak, which has included a pair of ties and two losses by two goals or less. Augsburg sits at 3-11-3 … Read more
January is flying by, and it’s time for another week of trying to look smart when it comes to making picks in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. Four weekend series are on top in league play as teams continue to battle it out for the conference title and positioning for the postseason. Four teams all … Read more
January is flying by, and it’s time for another week of trying to look smart when it comes to making picks in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. Four weekend series are on top in league play as teams continue to battle it out for the conference title and positioning for the postseason. Four teams all … Read more
Wins have been difficult to come by for Hamline this season. The Pipers just haven’t been able to find a victory, at home or on the road, despite playing hard every time they take the ice. However, their fortunes changed slightly over the weekend. Finally, the Pipers nailed down a victory, and a memorable one … Read more