David H. HendricksonCourt is now in session, and look out, because it’s USCHO.com’s own Dave Hendrickson presiding over serious charges against three of Hockey East’s own. Also: Jack Parker’s 700th redux, Hendrickson hockey notes, and fallout from baseball’s steroid scandal.
Massachusetts-Lowell sits in the cellar, but the schedule-makers have had something to do with that; UMass tries to level its play during a rollercoaster season; and Hockey East’s coaches begin to bid farewell to BU’s Walter Brown Arena. Dave Hendrickson rounds up the holiday week in Hockey East.
Northeastern — yes, that Northeastern — vaults into first place in Hockey East; New Hampshire looks at the blue line; and Maine keeps its collective head above water — barely. Dave Hendrickson reports.
New Hampshire struck for three second-period goals in just three and a half minutes to defeat Merrimack, 4-1. Freshman goaltender Kevin Regan added 30 saves to earn the game’s No. 1 star. The win gives New Hampshire (6-2-1, 3-1-0 HEA) four in its last five contests. “You gain confidence with every game,” UNH coach Richard … Read more
They kept clawing their way back and it finally paid off. After rallying from one-goal deficits four times, the Maine Black Bears took their first lead of the game at 13:09 of the third period and closed out a 5-4 win over Massachusetts-Lowell. Coming on the heels of a 4-2 loss to Northeastern, Maine (7-6-0, … Read more
It was supposed to go into the top corner on the blocker side. Instead it went five-hole. None of which mattered since it went into the back of the net. Preston Callander’s goal at 12:27 of the third period capped a furious New Hampshire rally from a 2-0 deficit, giving the Wildcats a 3-2 win … Read more
Merrimack executes a quick turnaround, partly thanks to a new face in goal; it’s hockey, AHL-style, for Boston University and New Hampshire — something Lowell already knows all about; and Dave Hendrickson acknowledges a plea via e-mail.
Daniel Winnik’s first collegiate hat trick propelled New Hampshire to a 4-3 win over Boston University in front of 9,075 fans at the Verizon Wireless Arena. Winnik scored in each period with his third proving to be the game-winner. “He’s a real smart hockey player,” said UNH coach Dick Umile. “When he initiates [the action], … Read more
Boston College coach Jerry York added yet another milestone to his illustrious career Friday, winning his 700th game, 5-3 over North Dakota. York leads all active coaches, trailing only Ron Mason (924 wins) and Bob Peters (744) all-time. At the close of the game, York was saluted not only by the Conte Forum fans, but … Read more
Hockey East suffers some tough losses in nonconference goings-on, as Boston College, Massachusetts and Merrimack all feel the sting; and coaches weigh in on the continuing officiating crackdown. Dave Hendrickson reports.
Of Bandwagons: To Jump On Or Off With all of New England foursquare on the Red Sox bandwagon — and oh how sweet that is! — it’s appropriate to examine one particular bandwagon in Hockey East. Namely, one that I thought I was on. A bandwagon with few members, where I’d be one of the … Read more
Gentlemen, Start Your Special Teams I went to a hockey game and some five-on-five broke out. When the Ohio State — St. Cloud Ice Breaker game reached the three-minute mark, one press box wag observed that perhaps a record for this season had just been set. There had yet to be a penalty call. Some … Read more
Saturday night: protocol violation. Sunday night: too many men on the ice. Both nights: New Hampshire takes advantage on the power play and scores the game-winning goal. UNH rallied from a late second-period 2-1 deficit to score three goals in two and a half minutes to defeat St. Lawrence in the Ice Breaker Tournament championship … Read more
St. Cloud State rode Jason Montgomery’s 34 saves and a perfect 10-for-10 penalty-killing unit to defeat Ohio State in the Ice Breaker consolation game, 3-1. The Huskies weathered a first-period storm in which they were shorthanded six times before taking a second-period lead they would never surrender. SCSU finished the tournament 1-0-1, having been consigned … Read more
This might not be the time to try out new “Knock, knock” jokes on Ohio State coach John Markell. Not after his Buckeyes lost the opening round of the Ice Breaker Tournament to New Hampshire, 5-1, when a key turning point may have been a protocol violation penalty arising out of the wrong door being … Read more
St. Lawrence goaltender Mike McKenna stopped 24 of 25 shots in 65 minutes of play and then stymied all five St. Cloud attempts in a shootout. As a result, the Saints advanced to the Ice Breaker championship game on Sunday, where they will face New Hampshire. The contest goes into the record books as a … Read more
The days of UMass being one of the perennial favorites to finish in the Hockey East cellar are now a tiny speck in the rear view mirror. The program, resurrected in 1993 after a 14 year absence, has progressed well past its infancy. It now approaches its teenage years a long way from maturity but … Read more
A prediction by this writer of fifth place and an even loftier prediction of third place by the league’s coaches? Didn’t Boston University almost miss last year’s playoffs entirely, spared the ignominy only by an overtime goal at the Whittemore Center in the regular season’s final game? Didn’t the Terriers then lose goaltender Sean Fields, … Read more
Stop the presses! Boston College is picked to finish first! Then again, don’t bother stopping the presses. BC being predicted to finished first is so … yesterday. After all, this is now the fifth time in the past seven years that the Eagles have been so honored. Last season and in the national championship year … Read more
For Merrimack coach Chris Serino there are three certainties: death, taxes and a ninth-place position in the coaches’ preseason poll. For the last three years, and for five of the last six, the Warriors have had that dubious distinction. (In 2001-2002, the Warriors were picked to finish eighth.) “Am I disappointed at being picked ninth?” … Read more