Jim ConnellyLet the trash talking begin. Festivities officially got underway Wednesday afternoon for the 52nd annual Beanpot Hockey Tournament, college hockey’s longest-running and most well-known in-season tournament, with the Beanpot Luncheon held at Legends Restaurant inside the host establishment. Tournament play will begin next Monday night, February 2, with the semifinal round. This year’s edition will … Read more
For the Brown Bears, a couple of story lines have remained consistent. One has been the play of goaltender Yann Danis. The second has been their recent dominance of the Massachusetts-Lowell River Hawks. Saturday night, both of those continued to hold. Thanks to a stellar 27-save performance by Danis, including three point-blank saves in the … Read more
One season after a promising finish, Bentley is struggling to maintain that momentum. The Falcons take on AIC this weekend in a battle to get out of the cellar. Also, Jim Connelly takes a look at college hockey’s current game of musical conferences, including more potential changes for Atlantic Hockey.
One night after the Mass.-Lowell offense looked like it was on life support, despite scoring four times in an extremely lucky 4-3 overtime victory, it finally flat lined. Producing just 17 shots and minimal quality scoring chances, Lowell fell, 3-0, in the second game of a weekend home-and-home series to Merrimack in front of 2,590 … Read more
A month ago, if someone told you a stellar goaltender performance would be the difference in the classic Boston College-Boston University rivalry, one might have expected BU to come out on top. But with Terriers netminder Sean Fields continuing recent struggles and BC backstop Matti Kaltiainen playing what might be considered a career game, the … Read more
Len Ceglarski was there when BC captured its first NCAA title, and brought the Eagles back on his return to the Heights. Friday, his jersey was retired.
The race in Atlantic Hockey heats up as Army starts its traditional second-half charge, and Canisius surprises Quinnipiac in Buffalo. Jim Connelly rounds up the action.
No. 2 Boston College knew it had something to prove entering Friday’s game against Merrimack. The Eagles, 3-0 losers last Saturday night at Northeastern, looked to prove that the loss was nothing more than an aberration. And thanks to a complete dominance of Merrimack in which the Eagles outshot the Warriors 41-14, BC glided to … Read more
With Findlay dropping hockey as a varsity sport and Vermont jumping leagues, the shell game may just be getting started in college hockey. Jim Connelly takes a look at the possible short- and long-term impact on Atlantic Hockey.
Paced by a two-goal effort by Elias Godoy and a 25-save effort by goaltender Chris Davidson, the Massachusetts-Lowell River Hawks shut out sister-school rival No. 11 Massachusetts, 3-0, at Tsongas Arena in a Saturday matinee. The win evens up the season series between the two schools which determines annually the winner of the Alumni Cup … Read more
Five days ago, Providence hit the low point of its season, a 6-1 loss to St. Cloud State in the finals of its own tournament — the Dunkin’ Donuts Holiday Classic — that left the Friars asking plenty of questions. That answer was certainly found, though, Friday night when Quinnipiac came to town. One of … Read more
For No. 10 St. Cloud State, Sunday’s victory in the championship game of the Dunkin’ Donuts tournament was mission accomplished. After dropping its final three games before Christmas break, the Huskies, once ranked as high as sixth in the USCHO.com poll, found themselves 10th in the rankings and soul-searching a bit coming into this weekend. … Read more
See also: Semifinal Notebook For one night, at least, the Providence Friars avoided disaster. Playing host to the inaugural Dunkin’ Donuts Coffee Pot Tournament at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center in downtown Providence, the Friars twice overcame one-goal third-period deficits before rookie Bill McCreary finished a perfect two-on-one pass from captain Stephen Wood with 4:59 remaining … Read more
The snowstorms in the Northeast must have affected the mail: this week, USCHO’s Jim Connelly got hold of several Atlantic Hockey letters to Santa Claus. Lollipops or lumps of coal all around?
A month and a half from now, had No. 2 Boston College accomplished over the past weeks what it just did, it would have the Eagles faithful dancing on Commonwealth Avenue. Right now, though, it’s ho-hum business as usual. With a 3-2 victory Wednesday night over Harvard, the Eagles completed the Beanpot sweep, beating all … Read more
Mercyhurst’s out-of-conference success continues — could the Lakers be this season’s Niagara? — and a few overlooked teams are making noise within the league. And in the week’s biggest story, Quinnipiac breaks the ice against Hockey East, leading Jim Connelly to a little speculation.
Late in the second period it seemed possible that Northeastern could be on its way to its first win of the season — and over No. 2 Boston College, no less. As the Huskies went on a five-on-three power play holding a 2-0 lead, there was an eerie sense for the Eagles that a third … Read more
Merrimack continued its successful work on the power play, scoring three goals with the man advantage Friday night in a 4-1 victory over Quinnipiac in front of a small Thanksgiving break crowd at the J. Thom Lawler Arena. Brendon Clark, Steve Crusco and Nick Pomponio all tallied power play markers as the Warriors went three … Read more
Continuing a Thanksgiving tradition, Jim Connelly ponders the thankfulness of Atlantic Hockey’s coaches and administrator.
Continuing a Thanksgiving tradition, Jim Connelly ponders the thankfulness of Atlantic Hockey’s coaches and administrator.