This Week in Atlantic Hockey: Robert Morris prepping for return in ’23-24 with Colonials planning to be ‘even better’ than before

It’s been a strange couple of years for Robert Morris coach Derek Schooley. On May 26, 2021, with no warning, RMU’s president and board announced that effective immediately, it was canceling their men’s and women’s hockey programs. Coaches, players, alumni, and fans were in shock. But quickly, Schooley helped lead a massive effort to restore … Read more

This Week in Atlantic Hockey: After sweeping conference favorite AIC, Canisius moving forward ‘changing our lineup a fair amount, looking for some chemistry’

For a league where sweeps have historically been hard to come by and splits are the norm, so far this season it’s been feast or famine in conference series in Atlantic Hockey. There have been 15 conference series so far, with nine ending in sweeps. Another three series saw one team take five of six … Read more

This Week in Atlantic Hockey: Sacred Heart hoping ‘incredible feat’ of three goals in 21 seconds against Mercyhurst is springboard for more victories

I had the chance recently to talk to Pierre-Luc O’Brien, who starred for Sacred Heart from 2004 to 2008. O’Brien was a three-time Atlantic Hockey all-star as well as a Hobey Baker finalist. He holds the school’s record for career points (156). When asked about his favorite college hockey memory, O’Brien related the “Miracle at … Read more

This Week in Atlantic Hockey: No power outage for RIT as Tigers’ man advantage clicking during early part of ’22-23 schedule

Rochester Institute of Technology has opened the 2022-23 season 6-2-0, its best start in four years. While there are several reasons for the strong start, one number sticks out. The Tiger power play is clicking at 33.3 percent, tied for third nationally and double the 16.2 percent rate for RIT last season. And while Wayne … Read more

This Week in Atlantic Hockey: Even after picking up sweep over Lindenwood, AIC team still ‘a work in progress’

It was mostly splitsville in Atlantic Hockey last week, with both conference series (Rochester Institute of Technology at Air Force and Sacred Heart at Niagara) ending in splits. In each case, the home team won the first game, with the visitors coming back the next day to get their three points. Mercyhurst and Clarkson also … Read more

This Week in Atlantic Hockey: Niagara combining timely scoring, goaltending into early-season success to start ’22-23

Heading into this season and every season for the past decade, hope springs eternal for Atlantic Hockey to get more than its playoff champion into the NCAA tournament. That will require a team to have a strong enough record to not need the automatic qualifier awarded to the playoff champion. It also requires a strong, … Read more

Atlantic Hockey 2022-23 Season Preview: Complacency not an issue for any teams as conference finds itself focused on new season

It’s difficult to predict what will happen in a college hockey season, but coaches and journalists try, issuing preseason polls and predictions at this time of year. It’s a difficult and usually futile effort, especially when it comes to Atlantic Hockey. Air Force coach Frank Serratore should know. His Falcons were picked ninth in last … Read more

Previewing the 2022 NCAA hockey tournament, Allentown Regional: Michigan, Quinnipiac, St. Cloud State, American International

ALLENTOWN REGIONAL When: Friday, March 25 & Sunday, March 27 Where: PPL Center, Allentown, Pa. Matchups: Michigan vs. American International, March 25, 3 p.m., ESPNU; Quinnipiac vs. St. Cloud State, March 25, 8 p.m., ESPNews; championship, March 27, 4 p.m./6:30 p.m., ESPN2 1. MICHIGAN How they got here: Won Big Ten tournament championship Overall season … Read more

AIC blanks Air Force for third straight Atlantic Hockey tournament title as five different players score to back Calvaruso’s shutout in net

Neither Air Force coach Frank Serratore (7-0) or American International coach Eric Lang (2-0) had lost an Atlantic Hockey championship game. Something had to give. It was Lang’s Yellow Jackets that came out on top 7-0, thanks to goals by five different players and an 18-save shutout by goaltender Alec Calvaruso. “I’ve been here a … Read more

Air Force off to Atlantic Hockey championship game after one-goal victory over RIT in conference semifinals

Frank Serratore has seen a lot of glory in his 25 seasons behind the Air Force bench. Those accolades include seven conference titles in addition to a 14-2 record in the Atlantic Hockey final four coming into tonight’s semifinal with Rochester Institute of Technology. But after dispatching Army West Point in this year’s Atlantic Hockey … Read more

Behind three-goal performance from Bennett, AIC edges Mercyhurst in Atlantic Hockey semifinal

Good things have come in threes lately for Blake Bennett, and American International hopes that continues. Bennett’s hat trick, his second in as many games, led AIC to a 5-4 win over Mercyhurst. The Yellow Jackets (21-12-3) are a game away from their third consecutive Atlantic Hockey playoff title. “It was an entertaining college hockey … Read more

This Week in Atlantic Hockey: Three games, four teams, one dream with conference title at stake this weekend in Utica

And then there were four. The Atlantic Hockey tournament quarterfinal round had its fair share of drama and upsets, with two favorites and two underdogs advancing to Utica. Four of the nine games played last weekend went to overtime, including three of four on Friday. – Air Force kept its streak of postseason wins against … Read more

This Week in Atlantic Hockey: With conference playoffs down to eight teams, battle for NCAA tournament autobid heating up this weekend

The opening round of the Atlantic Hockey tournament consisted of a pair of sweeps, one by the favorites and one by an underdog. At Mercyhurst, the story was Lakers goaltender Kyle McClellan who stopped 74 of 76 Holy Cross shots he faced in a pair of 2-1 wins. At Niagara, Bentley got a pair of … Read more

This Week in Atlantic Hockey: Previewing the opening round of AHA conference tournament

When the dust settled on the 2021-22 Atlantic Hockey regular season, we were left with the following seedings for the upcoming AHA tournament: 1. American International 2. Canisius 3. Army West Point 4. Rochester Institute of Technology 5. Sacred Heart 6. Air Force 7. Mercyhurst 8. Niagara 9. Bentley 10. Holy Cross Army West Point … Read more