Chris LerchIt seems like I just took my Christmas tree down and yet there’s only a few weeks left in the regular season. The NCHA and MCHA regular seasons conclude next weekend, with the rest of the leagues following shortly after. We’ll crown a national champion 40 days from today. Here’s a breakdown of where we … Read more
New Kids on the Block My column last week went to press too early to get official reaction to the admission of Niagara and Robert Morris to Atlantic Hockey. The Colonials held a press conference on Wednesday, formally making their announcement. “This is a big day for our program,” said head coach Derek Schooley. “Atlantic … Read more
It’s Official Let’s give a warm welcome to Niagara and Robert Morris, the newest members of Atlantic Hockey. At the time this column went to press, neither the league nor the two schools had publicly commented , but AHA officials have confirmed to me that Niagara and Robert Morris will be joining the AHA beginning … Read more
Sources within Atlantic Hockey have confirmed to USCHO.com that Niagara and Robert Morris will join the league as full members beginning with the 2010-2011 season. The schools will be affiliate members of Atlantic Hockey next season, using league officiating crews. An official announcement from the league detailing the decision will be released within the next … Read more
Catching Up Back on Dec. 5, Air Force was 11-0 in Atlantic Hockey and 14-1 overall. The Falcons had just defeated RIT 2-0, extending their home unbeaten streak to 14 games dating back to January, 2008. The Tigers fell to 4-4-1 in the AHA and trailed the Falcons by 13 points in the standings. RIT … Read more
Voters are going to have an interesting choice to make today when they set about picking the Number One Division III team in the nation. Plattsburgh, which has been on top of the poll for the past six weeks, lost to Skimore in its only action last week. Number Two UW-Superior also lost its only … Read more
Voters are going to have an interesting choice to make today when they set about picking the Number One Division III team in the nation. Plattsburgh, which has been on top of the poll for the past six weeks, lost to Skimore in its only action last week. Number Two UW-Superior also lost its only … Read more
Streaking The 2008-2009 season has been a record-setting one for Air Force, which opened 13-0, tops in school history for both longest winning streak and best start to a season. The Falcons’ “travel partner” (the team they always play four times a season), RIT, has also set a school record for consecutive wins this season. … Read more
Catching Up In the four weeks since my last column, Atlantic Hockey teams have had their share of highs and lows. Let’s see what each team has been up to. Air Force After the Falcons’ 3-2 overtime loss to RIT back on December 6, Air Force coach Frank Serratore was asked if he was worried … Read more
It’s the New Years portion of the Holiday Tournament season, with several intriguing matchups in store: Salem State Ice Hockey Classic (Salem, Mass.) When: December 27 & 28 Who: Salem State (host), Salve Regina, Penn State, Bowdoin Outlook: Club powerhouse Penn State will take on the host Vikings in the first round. Bowdoin won this … Read more
It’s the New Years portion of the Holiday Tournament season, with several intriguing matchups in store: Salem State Ice Hockey Classic (Salem, Mass.) When: December 27 & 28 Who: Salem State (host), Salve Regina, Penn State, Bowdoin Outlook: Club powerhouse Penn State will take on the host Vikings in the first round. Bowdoin won this … Read more
The thing I remember most about former Oswego and Neumann goalie Bret Leonhardt was his size. At 6-7 he took up a lot of the net. Leonhardt, who played college hockey from 2003-2007 is now the webmaster for the Washington Capitals, and, due to a temporary goalie shortage, had to suit up as a backup … Read more
The thing I remember most about former Oswego and Neumann goalie Bret Leonhardt was his size. At 6-7 he took up a lot of the net. Leonhardt, who played college hockey from 2003-2007 is now the webmaster for the Washington Capitals, and, due to a temporary goalie shortage, had to suit up as a backup … Read more
The Long and Winding Road With a light schedule on the horizon and the RIT-Air Force series the dominant story of last week, this column is a slight departure from the norm. Friday, December 5, 5:00 a.m. ET Rochester, N.Y. Ouch. I’m not a morning person, but duty calls. I have a 7:00 a.m. flight … Read more
Respect Last week might just have been the third most-important in the ten-year history of Atlantic Hockey (and the MAAC before it.). The first would obviously be the first league games, played back in 1998. The formation of the MAAC saved some programs from either folding or being relegated to a quasi-Division III no-man’s land. … Read more
One of the many cool things about D-III hockey is the large number of holiday tournaments taking place (Division I has just two measly tourneys this weekend). Here’s a rundown of the action. Pack the Turkey sandwiches and catch some if you can: Primelink Great Northern Shootout When: November 28 & 29 Who: Middlebury (host), … Read more
One of the many cool things about D-III hockey is the large number of holiday tournaments taking place (Division I has just two measly tourneys this weekend). Here’s a rundown of the action. Pack the Turkey sandwiches and catch some if you can: Primelink Great Northern Shootout When: November 28 & 29 Who: Middlebury (host), … Read more
Thanks…and No Thanks There are plenty of things for the teams in Atlantic Hockey to be thankful for at this point in the season, as well as some things not to appreciate. So in the spirit of the holiday, let’s play a game of Thanks…and No Thanks. Air Force Thanks: Wow. The Falcons are off … Read more
Making Hay Can it get any better for Air Force? The Falcons are 10-0 for the first time in school history and ranked No. 12 in the latest USCHO.com/CBS College Sports poll, the highest ranking ever for an Atlantic Hockey program. Air Force has the top offense in the nation (4.70 goals per game), two … Read more
The former St. John’s coach and Miracle-on-Icer is head coach of Ambri-Piotta in the Nationalliga A. (Swiss Premier League). Check out the fans with the Che flag, etc. Plenty of shots of Harrington on the bench. And yes, it’s in Italian. They speak Italian in this part of Switzerland. httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQehVGGE1ig