Tim Costello
After opening the season with a 1-2-0 record, the Anna Maria College AmCats have won four games in their last five, including a 4-1 win over previously unbeaten and nationally ranked Plymouth State from D-III and Saturday’s 4-2 win over D-I Stonehill. Two more wins over Lebanon Valley had AMC at 5-2-0 prior to Tuesday’s … Read more
Happy Thanksgiving! The Thanksgiving Holiday weekend means just about an abundance of everything food, parades, football and of course, college pucks! In the annual tradition of overindulging, please note the abundance of picks below covering all the non-conference and holiday tournament action I could cram into in a 20-pick slate. Last week my picks slipped … Read more
Another weekend of thrilling hockey is in the books and the upsets continued along with a pair of 0-0 OT ties and nine overtime games in total where bonus hockey defined several wins for teams. Tuesday has become “Lose-day” for ranked teams as Albertus Magnus stole an overtime win over previously unbeaten Salve Regina by … Read more
Always the last conference to kick off its season, the NESCAC is certainly among the conferences that appear to have the greatest competitive mix of teams from top to bottom and this year should see that small gap across the ten teams be even smaller than years past based on simply the talent on each … Read more
Well, it is now officially the 2023-24 hockey season when we have all conferences on the ice playing real games. Yes, our brethren from NESCAC join the festivities this week and it will be ultra-competitive right out of the gate with league play on tap for the ten teams. Lots of other terrific matchups among … Read more
Among the eleven new coach announcements for D-III men’s hockey teams in the East this year, there were three that are related to new programs starting play this year or next. Those included Jeremiah Ketts at MCLA, Kevin Cole at Misericordia and Bobby Rodrigue at Keene State. John MacInnis steps into the large shoes left … Read more
From Tuesday night right through Saturday afternoon, this week’s D-III men’s hockey action saw unbeatens toppled, multiple ranked teams fall and overtime thrillers sprinkled in for more dramatic effect for the scoreboard watchers everywhere. As one winning coach texted, “Same kids, same team, same coach – different outcomes and everything appears different.” Enjoy the … Read more
While it is way too early to panic, there are some teams that are looking at this weekend with a critical eye on playing their brand of hockey; and doing so well enough to pick up a win or two to get some positive momentum going as the first half crosses the mid-point for most … Read more
The Salve Regina hockey team is playing in their final season as member of the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) before moving to the New England Hockey Conference (NEHC) next season. The focus is clearly on competing to win a championship in their final year in a conference that produced three NCAA tournament bids last season. … Read more
This weekend saw the combination of non-conference excitement and opening conference play with some critical contenders facing-off to open their league schedules. Several ranked teams showed their game coming into form while others looking to be ranked (Salve Regina and Elmira) continued their winning ways in the second weekend of play. Lots to cover including … Read more
It’s only week two of the season and there are already intriguing matchups lining up across early conference play. Nothing should get teams more motivated than winning and getting points over key conference opponents. It is still very early in the season, and no one is going to win a conference championship in early November … Read more
Last season saw the Plattsburgh Cardinals return to the top of the SUNYAC standings with their championship run and trip to the NCAA tournament. While they lost a heartbreaking first round game to Norwich in overtime, this year’s team is positioned for even greater success based on the returning talent and commitment to the team … Read more
In a weekend where four of the top five in the national poll lose a game, I would say we are off to another tremendous start for D-III hockey in the 2023-24 campaign. Hobart, Adrian, Endicott, and the University of New England all lost on the opening weekend and to other ranked teams so it … Read more
For the four Independent teams in the east, the 2023-24 season will be the final one with that distinction as all four teams move to official conferences for the 2024-25 season among the many new league and conference alignments. Albertus Magnus will join the NEHC; Anna Maria and Rivier will be members of the MASCAC … Read more
It’s almost over. The end of scrimmages and meaningless exhibition games that don’t count on any record or in any standings. This Friday starts the 2023-24 season – a season before the change in the D-III landscape changes dramatically with new conferences and most importantly, just a single at-large bid available for the national tournament. … Read more
Plymouth State was one of only two teams that finished their conference schedule undefeated last year (Utica was the other) on the way to the MASCAC championship. The Panthers have dominated the conference in recent years and will be trying to extend their six-year title streak as Plymouth State and Massachusetts-Dartmouth will be departing in … Read more
Not one but two CCC teams reached the Frozen Four hosted by Endicott last spring. The Gulls certainly have a strong desire to repeat as conference champions and take another shot at a national title while the University of New England continues to get closer and closer to the big prize at the end of … Read more
The St. Anselm Hawks ended their title drought last season with a dominating season in the NE-10. In a league where anything can happen and usually does, the Hawks best be prepared for a series of contenders in the six-team D-II league that often sees such familiarity create some crazy results on the ice. While … Read more
SUNYAC has seen the big three dominate league titles over the past decades with Plattsburgh, Oswego and Geneseo winning their fair share of conference glory. With Brockport and Geneseo scheduled to play in the UCHC next season and Canton joining the SUNYAC conference in earnest, the 2023-24 season is the last chance for every team … Read more
When Hobart celebrated their first-ever national championship last spring head coach Mark Taylor noted they would love to be back this season with a chance to repeat especially for some key players that were unable to play last year due to injury. Those players are healthy and the challenge of the NEHC is right in … Read more