Tim CostelloAmherst took advantage of opportunistic scoring in the first period, solid defense and sensational goaltending from the nation’s top netminder to beat Middlebury for the first time in nine years and clinch the top seed in the NESCAC playoffs beginning next week. “This is a great accomplishment for these kids,” said head coach Jack Arena. … Read more
Quick someone find me a mathematician–the possible playoff permutations are mind boggling as we head into the regular season’s final weekend. What we know about next week’s conference playoffs won’t fill a thimble compared to what is completely up in the air including: who is in, who is out, who can win the regular season … Read more
Things are really heating up as the final two weekends are upon us. Only four regular season games remain on the schedule–that’s eight points up for grabs and with things so tight in the standings, a bit of a stumble on the weekend or a strong couple games can make the difference in making the … Read more
It’s February! If you canvas most coaches, you probably would hear them respond that their “hockey groundhog†hopefully saw its shadow on the ice and that there are six more weeks of the season for their respective teams. With only three more weeks in the regular season, points are critical and teams starting to play … Read more
Just one month remains in the regular season. Yup, just four weeks of games left to decide playoff dreams and seeding for conference glory. Now is the time that all of the coaches are worried about the one thing they hope to control: the outcome of the game their team is playing (and, very likely, … Read more
Staying Loose Last week was all about the NESCAC conference, so this week we focus on the ECAC East. The league is extremely tight. In fact, just three points separate third from 10th place, so each of the five remaining weekends are important. Also, it seems like every match-up down the stretch has potential post-season … Read more
This week we’ll focus on the NESCAC from top to bottom and a couple of stops in the middle of the standings as things are heating up in conference play and one school begins a new era with the opening of their new campus rink. Next week we’ll repeat the favor with an ECAC East … Read more
Happy New Year! Most of the players and coaches return to the ice this weekend with resolutions they intend to keep in the second half of the season. For some — who have already played in a holiday tournament or non-league game — there has been an opportunity to work off the rust that the … Read more
For many teams the first three weeks must seem like a blur. After all, the majority of schools’ first part of the season is complete before semester break even ends. With the late start to the season for these leagues most teams have crammed in two weekends of conference play along with a Thanksgiving tournament … Read more
As condensed as the playing schedule has been this year with Thanksgiving coming in the very last weekend of the month, the regular season league play gave way to some of the traditional and new holiday tournaments featuring some of the regions best teams from all leagues playing against each other for bragging rights and … Read more
Finally! Just a few days before Thanksgiving and the last of the D-III leagues get underway this weekend after three grueling weeks of practice and looking at players wearing the same color shirts. Surviving without sustaining any injuries to players anxious to start the season is only one of the areas of concern for coaches … Read more
The interlocking schedule between NESCAC and ECAC East provides hockey fans in the Northeast some of the best match ups anywhere on virtually every weekend between now and the end of February. In this the last season in its current configuration before the commencement of the Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference (MASCAC) next year takes … Read more
Following last weekend’s high-powered 7-2 romp in the quarterfinals against Manhattanville, the Norwich Cadets have returned to the Frozen Four for the first time since they hosted the championship weekend in 2004. For this group of Cadets, it’s the first time they have advanced to the title round and with no experience in this round; … Read more
Following last weekend’s high-powered 7-2 romp in the quarterfinals against Manhattanville, the Norwich Cadets have returned to the Frozen Four for the first time since they hosted the championship weekend in 2004. For this group of Cadets, it’s the first time they have advanced to the title round and with no experience in this round; … Read more
Championship Weekend! It’s here and by most coaches’ accounts there should be a heavy presence of local and state law enforcement officials around hosting arenas and nearby towns looking out for those who have outstanding warrants for grand larceny. It’s been happening in college towns and ice arenas all over New England all winter. The … Read more
Careful what you ask for . . . yes it’s playoff time but that also means the season is winding down and now for most teams, it’s lose and you go home until next year. Everything is up for grabs and even the littlest on-ice detail now can mean the difference between moving on and … Read more
I was going to start out with something like: It’s the Final Countdown … but then the flashback to 80’s hair bands and Euro pop just kind of took the luster off of the whole moment. No, I am looking for something a little bigger than that cliché phrase and song title because, as usual, … Read more
OK welcome to the insanity that is the league standings at this time of the year in both the ECAC East and NESCAC. Don’t like your team’s position in the standings? Just hope they have a good weekend and almost anything can happen. With just four games left in the regular season, it’s really getting … Read more
3, 2, 1, … blast-off! The final weeks of the regular season are ticking down and there are still 12 valuable points up for grabs as teams make their final push for playoff eligibility and positioning in the league standings. If you want to be playing hockey in March, now is the time to start … Read more
Hard to believe that the calendar rolls into February this weekend and that we are heading down the stretch run in the season where both leagues are very competitive for all of the playoff spots. Fondly referencing a ‘Badger Bob’ Johnson quote, Bowdoin coach Terry Meagher noted that “we are right in that hockey tunnel … Read more