Site AdministratorOver the past couple of seasons, the two things that make the Maine Black Bears outstanding have been their All-America goaltender Jimmy Howard and their defense. Judging from the Sunday afternoon opener with Vermont, nothing has changed. Howard made 22 saves and Maine tallied seven goals from seven different players, including four in the first … Read more
Hockey East favorite Boston College had three players named to the preseason All-USCHO teams, while CCHA contender Michigan State placed two players on the first team as announced Sunday by USCHO.com. Spartan forward Jim Slater and his teammate, defenseman A.J. Thelen, were joined on the first team by Boston College’s Patrick Eaves and Michigan Tech’s … Read more
In the first 12 minutes of its exhibition season opener against Manitoba, North Dakota looked like a team with little practice under new head coach Dave Hakstol. That’s because the first practice Hakstol ran didn’t occur until the morning of the game, and it was only a light skate. Until then, the Sioux had just … Read more
The Bemidji State Beavers have been made the preseason favorites to capture the College Hockey America crown. A vote of CHA coaches earlier this week gave the 2003-04 champs 24 of 25 points in the poll, including four of a possible five first-place votes (coaches cannot vote for their own team). Niagara, which defeated Bemidji … Read more
Head coach Bill Wilkinson and the Wayne State Warriors saw more than their fair share of success during the team’s first four seasons in the CHA, capturing three consecutive conference championships and earning a trip to the NCAA tournament in 2003. But the loss of a dozen seniors following the most successful season in the … Read more
Head coach Frank Serratore didn’t expect his Air Force Falcons to set any records for victories last year. After all, his 2003-04 squad saw the turnover of nearly half of its roster from the previous season, and that club recorded just 10 wins. “Last year we came back and we were kind of dreading the … Read more
Derek Schooley knows exactly what Tom Petty meant when he sang “the waiting is the hardest part.” The Robert Morris head coach has been counting the days until the first-year Division I program finally takes to the rink. “Our players are excited about being here. The community’s excited, the campus is excited about us being … Read more
These are trying times for College Hockey America. In the past 10 months, one club has folded, three others have explored leaving the conference, and one of the league’s top offensive threats has been suspended indefinitely. Gone from the CHA ranks this season are the Findlay Oilers, a program which fell victim to budgetary constraints … Read more
For the first time in Hockey East women’s history, someone other than Providence is ranked No. 1 in the league’s preseason poll, even though the Friars are coming off winning the league’s first two postseason crowns. Defending regular champion New Hampshire, the bridesmaid in each of the Friars’ championship wins, ranked No. 1 with four … Read more
In the North Country, St. Lawrence will look to rebound from an inconsistent season to try and regain a slice of its former identity. “The big thing for this team over the last couple of years,” explained Saints coach Joe Marsh, “has been trying to get back into it. It is not done overnight. Often … Read more
When George Roll returned to Potsdam last season after six years at Oswego, the former Clarkson assistant realized that life had changed a bit since the mid-1990s. “Last year,” explained the Knights’ head coach, “I learned that the league had changed a lot and Clarkson had changed a lot since I was here. We had … Read more
It was a tough inaugural season for Union coach Nate Leaman in 2003-04. He saw his team jump out to one of the best records in the country only to go on an extended losing streak that sucked the life out of its early momentum. And while the Dutchmen did win seven of their last … Read more
One coach who ended the regular season with a grin was Colgate’s Stan Moore, who took over on an interim basis for Don Vaughan and guided the Raiders to the top spot. But after a Coach of the Year performance — his second such accolade in just three seasons as a head coach — Moore … Read more
After years of pleading and more than just a few rants from fans and media alike — not to mention players, coaches and administrators — a new ECAC was born during the offseason. Say hello to the ECAC Hockey League (ECACHL). Finally, at long last, we have a conference that is focused on hockey. The … Read more
So, yes, this is UVM’s final season as a member of the only Division I conference it has ever known. Not that the Catamounts are giving it much thought. “We’re really not concerned,” said head coach Kevin Sneddon, “about this being our last year. We are trying to make big strides with our program regardless … Read more
Minnesota-Duluth is the coaches’ preseason pick to win the WCHA, while Wisconsin goaltender Bernd Brückler topped voting for preseason player of the year honors. The coaches poll, conducted by the Grand Forks (N.D.) Herald, put the Bulldogs atop the rankings for the first time. UMD, which returns 73.5 percent of its scoring from last year’s … Read more
In a season when Rensselaer was expected to make very little noise, it did just the opposite en route to posting 22 victories in 2003-04. Regular-season champ Colgate was the only other ECAC team to break the 20-win plateau. “It was really the year prior to last where we got most of our experience,” explained … Read more
Michigan, the number-one team in the nation in the preseason USCHO.com men’s Division I poll, has been picked to top its league as well. The Wolverines, an NCAA tournament entry last season bolstered by the return of NHL draftee Al Montoya in net, topped both the coaches and media polls announced by the CCHA Tuesday … Read more
The Michigan Wolverines have been picked as the preseason number-one team in the USCHO.com men’s Division I Poll. Michigan earned 17 of 40 first-place votes in securing the preseason nod. Michigan finished 2003-04 with a 27-14-2 record, claiming the CCHA regular-season championship and reaching the NCAA tournament for the 14th consecutive year. The Wolverines lost … Read more
Mercyhusrt has taken home nearly every accolade in the brief history of the College Hockey America women’s league, and the preseason polls and All-League teams released today were no different. The CHA coaches named the Lakers the preseason favorite for the third year in a row and selected four of their players to the preseason … Read more