Jim ConnellyBreaking Down the Final Two Weeks The finish line, my friends, is almost in sight. Hockey East has two weekends of play remaining with each team playing a pair of two-game sets between now and March 8. But even with the end in sight, what is visible is still pretty murky. There’s a two-horse race … Read more
After a 5-1 victory for Merrimack over Providence on Sunday afternoon, one has to wonder if the Warriors’ theme for their weekend series with the Friars was “misery loves company.” With Merrimack’s playoff chances slim — a Merrimack loss or a Maine win in the final two weekends of the season spells the end of … Read more
The old adage in sports is that it’s not always how you start a game that matters. It’s how you finish it. The New Hampshire Wildcats may beg to differ. For the second straight night, No. 12 UNH jumped out to a lead and held off a late charge by No. 17 Boston College after … Read more
The Quiet Conquerors “Quiet” is a word that is pleasant to the ears of Vermont head coach Kevin Sneddon. He himself is relatively soft-spoken. A Harvard graduate, Sneddon speaks authoritatively but with little pomp and circumstance. Behind the bench you’ll see a stoic yet focused coach. His team, in a way, has assumed their coach’s … Read more
Success is hardly how you could describe Mass.-Lowell’s history when facing Boston College. Entering Friday’s game against the Eagles, Lowell had just 30 victories in 89 meetings, and sported an ugly 8-29-0 record since the beginning of the 1997-98 season. In one evening, the River Hawks released much of their pent-up frustration. On the strength … Read more
Madeline Loftus, who played two seasons at both Buffalo State and St. Mary’s (Minn.), was killed on Thursday evening while aboard Continental Airlines flight 3407 en route to Buffalo from Newark (N.J.), which crashed just prior to landing in Clarence Center, N.Y., a residential neighborhood just outside of Buffalo. She was 24. Loftus was one … Read more
It was billed as one of the most-anticipated Beanpot title games in recent memory. In the end, the battle between No. 1 Boston University and No. 3 Northeastern was simply more of the same. Sparked by three shorthanded goals, including two on the same power play in the third period that turned a one-goal nailbiter … Read more
After a lack-luster 4-1 loss for Maine at No. 11 New Hampshire on Friday night, Maine coach Tim Whitehead was looking for something more from his club in Saturday’s rematch. He got that in the form of a 31-save shutout by rookie goaltender Scott Darling. A short-handed tally at Chris Hahn 42 second into the … Read more
Thirty-seven years behind the bench and Boston College head coach still has a few psychological tricks up his sleeve–literally. After an ugly 6-1 loss in Monday’s Beanpot semifinal to Northeastern, Jerry York handed out rubber bands to all of his players to wear on their wrist all week. “We had elastics for all the kids … Read more
Beanpotters Hold Serve For the past decade or so, the Beanpot has been lacking its fair share of upsets. Aside from Boston University winning a handful of games as underdogs (but it’s the Beanpot, that’s expected) and Harvard’s upset of Northeastern in last year’s opening round (but NU’s futility is often expected, as well), “Boston’s … Read more
The Northeastern Huskies have officially made their statement. And they did it on the biggest stage. The No. 3 Huskies, playing opportunistic hockey, exploded for five unanswered goals to break a 1-1 tie en route to a 6-1 victory over No. 12 Boston College in the second semifinal of the 57th annual Beanpot. It was … Read more
It’s been two decades since Northeastern’s last Beanpot title, but with this year’s edition of the tournament set to begin, head coach Greg Cronin’s Huskies are looking at a different landscape. Jim Connelly reports.
Rumors that Atlantic Hockey will admit Robert Morris and Niagara for the 2010-11 season seem to be on the verge of becoming official, according to Chris Lerch’s story on USCHO.com. That move, combined with the WCHA’s recent vote to lift its moratorium on expansion, are good news for the programs that now comprise College Hockey … Read more
Rumors that Atlantic Hockey will admit Robert Morris and Niagara for the 2010-11 season seem to be on the verge of becoming official, according to Chris Lerch’s story on USCHO.com. That move, combined with the WCHA’s recent vote to lift its moratorium on expansion, are good news for the programs that now comprise College Hockey … Read more
When No. 14 Boston College entered this weekend’s two-game home series with Maine, one of the things that had plagued the team in a recent 0-4-2 stretch was its inability to put opponents away. This weekend, the Eagles made a clear statement: They’re once again a team ready to go for the jugular. For the … Read more
Saturday’s match-up between Maine and No. 14 Boston College was a meeting of two teams headed in the wrong direction. The Black Bears entered 0-5-1 in their last six; BC was nearly as futile at 0-4-2 in its last six. The common denominator for each team over that span has been a lack of offensive … Read more
Call it winter doldrums, but this writers mind is struggling to find great topics about which to blog this week. So instead, I’ll pass along some random musings… – I wonder if I’m the only person whose jaw dropped when someone told me that Air Force is currently in second place in Atlantic Hockey. I’ll … Read more
Call it winter doldrums, but this writers mind is struggling to find great topics about which to blog this week. So instead, I’ll pass along some random musings… – I wonder if I’m the only person whose jaw dropped when someone told me that Air Force is currently in second place in Atlantic Hockey. I’ll … Read more
Down by a goal in the final minute of the game is a familiar place these days for the University of Massachusetts-Lowell River Hawks. On Friday, the team faced the same situation against No. 12 Boston College. The only difference on this night was the outcome. The team has lost six straight games by either … Read more
As USCHO.com’s Todd Milewski first reported, the WCHA voted unanimously on Thursday to lift the league’s moratorium on expansion. This could be the first step in saving four NCAA Division I programs, namely the four members of the CHA. The best news from the vote belongs to Bemidji State. A perfect geographic fit, the Beavers … Read more