Tim Costello
Goals – they are either the hardest things to find or they come in bunches that sometimes defies the logic of the game. This weekend saw Trinity, Hobart and others struggle to find goals against some outstanding goaltending while teams like Endicott and the University of New England scored at an astonishing rate. You take … Read more
Points every weekend is the mantra for many coaches in the midst of key league battles. With just a few weeks remaining in the regular season, it is all about the points as virtually every league is competitive and having a top three within four points of each other. This past weekend I finished with … Read more
Following an inaugural season that finished at 4-16-4, coach Dave McCauley’s aspirations for the AmCats were much higher entering their second season playing as an independent. With eight games remaining on the schedule, Anna Maria is 9-5-3 on the season and looking for more winning hockey to close out a winning season. “I am really … Read more
Points matter! Every game in league play has crucial points on the line and playing a critical rival means you can take points away from them with the win – the proverbial four-pointer. Lots of tight league action this week saw several hard-fought ties and late third period drama across several conference games. Here is … Read more
The level of play across each of the conferences has been great so far and everything is shaping up for some chaotic conference battles in January and February. Like some teams, my game improved a lot this past weekend as I finished with a record of 7-1-1 (.833) among some interesting matchups in and out … Read more
Riding a five-game win streak and 10-2-2 on the season, the Utica Pioneers are starting to play some consistent hockey and that has the coaching staff very optimistic about a special second half of the season. Following road wins over Adrian, a two-game series, and a win at Oswego this past weekend, the Pioneers have … Read more
Teams believed to be among the best in the nation seem to be rising to the top and playing great hockey whether in big nonconference games or important league rivalries. Trinity, Norwich, Utica, Geneseo and Hobart all had big wins while teams on the rise like Babson, New England College and the University of New … Read more
The one thing that is not a surprise anymore is that there will be some big surprises on scoreboards each and every weekend. I started the New Year with a better slate of picks than I finished with in 2019, so there is optimism coming from my record of 6-3-0 (.667) among some interesting tournament … Read more
Following this weekend’s 9-2 and 7-0 wins over Plymouth State and Suffolk, Trinity head coach Matt Greason was very pleased with how his team played in their return from the holiday break. While there is still a lot of hockey left to play, he believes his team is both heathy and hungry for success in … Read more
Holiday tournaments are usually filled with upsets to start the New Year and this past weekend was no exception with tournament wins by Elmira, Cortland, Hobart, Wesleyan and St. Mary’s at the Oswego tournament. Other teams like Trinity, Utica and Geneseo showed that they were ready for all comers in their return from the holiday … Read more
It is the New Year and a fresh start for every team getting back on the ice either in tournament or non-conference action to get their game back into high-gear. I could use a refresh as well on the game picks as I finished the first-half with an uninspiring record of 4-3-2 (.556) in the … Read more
For most teams, the holiday break represented a body of work that included lots of workout time, captains’ practices, formal practices and about 10-12 games on the schedule. For Oswego, that body of work began in earnest prior to a European trip to play Swiss and Italian competition while touring and enjoying the cultural experiences … Read more
With all but ten games remaining on the docket this weekend, the first half of the season is all but in the books. So much has happened in the east over the last month and a half including big shifts in national rankings, dark horses asserting themselves in conference play and truly unbelievable individual performances … Read more
Upsets abounded again this weekend as Hobart lost a pair of games, Norwich lost to Castleton, Franklin Pierce downed St. Anselm and Stevenson took down Utica. And that’s a look at just a few of the games across the East this past weekend where many teams closed out the first half of their schedules – … Read more
It is the last weekend of the first half for some and that implies a pretty big sense of urgency in closing out the first half with some positive momentum. I could use some of that positivity as well as my picks last week finished at 9-7-0 (.563) which certainly does not help my winning … Read more
The Stevenson College Mustangs finished last season with a disappointing 10-15-0 overall record and finished 7-11-0 in UCHC play just one season removed from competing near the top of the league standings. So far this season the team is 7-1-0 overall and 4-1-0 in the league and benefiting from “hitting the reset button” after last … Read more
Tournament play and rivalry games where just about anything can happen and usually does. Case in point, Middlebury knocked off in-state rival and No. 1 ranked Norwich in the first round of the Primelink tournament. Salve Regina lost to Utica in tournament play and Williams upset Geneseo in non-conference action. Lots of hardware handed out … Read more
With so few non-conference games available on schedules, the Thanksgiving week offers a plethora of tournaments and power conference action to bolster the resumes of teams looking to compete on the national stage in the spring. Hoisting some hard-earned hardware in the first half will also bolster morale for teams in search of championship designations. … Read more
After scoring five goals in game one against Hamilton, Amherst found themselves offensively challenged in consecutive losses to Trinity and Wesleyan. Entering a stretch of games that includes Geneseo, Babson, Middlebury and Williams, the Mammoths are looking to improve on the number of quality chances and goals produced in some winning hockey. “I think some … Read more
The upsets continued this weekend led by Buffalo State knocking off Geneseo. Conference play continues to heat up and pivotal non-conference games are showcasing some of the country’s best as evidenced in Hobart downing Oswego. Heading into Thanksgiving tournament time, teams are starting to find their game and that will help in pursuit of hardware … Read more