Jim ConnellyThe ice at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center had been freshly painted for the NCAA East Regional tournament just days ago. Unfortunately, it didn’t dry until the 6,583 fans at Saturday’s tournament had the pleasure -– or displeasure –- of watching paint dry as Boston College and Ohio State played a boring, trap-filled game with the … Read more
Though the game was played in front of nearly a full house, it was two pairs that keyed top-seeded New Hampshire’s 5-2 victory over No. 4 St Cloud State in the first round of the NCAA Northeast Regional. The pairs came from forwards Colin Hemingway and Preston Callander — each scoring two goals on the … Read more
Winning the MAAC tournament championship for any team is special. For Mercyhurst, a 4-3 winner over Quinnipiac Sunday, the win was extra special. The Mercyhurst special teams became the story of the thrilling title game, as the Lakers held Quinnipiac scoreless in five power-play chances and sophomore defenseman T.J. Kemp scored on the power play … Read more
The Cinderella season came to an end for Bentley on Friday — abruptly. Sparked by a six-goal outburst by Mercyhurst in the second period, the Lakers knocked off the Falcons, 10-2, in game one of the MAAC Final Four to advance to the championship for the third straight year. Mercyhurst will take on the winner … Read more
When Quinnipiac head coach Rand Pecknold found out earlier in the week that goaltender Jamie Holden was ready to return to the lineup after a three-week absence, it signaled good news and bad news. Holden, a playoff-tested goalie, is one of the league’s top netminders, but having both he and Justin Eddy available for Friday’s … Read more
The MAAC championship takes place under unique circumstances.
Amid a backdrop of war and with machine gun-armed soldiers protecting the campus, the 2003 MAAC Final Four got underway on Thursday with the league’s award banquet. The story of the night was the youth movement, with Bentley rookie head coach Ryan Soderquist — the youngest headman in the game — capturing the MAAC Coach … Read more
The past two league champions are joined by a team on the rise and an upstart contender. Jim Connelly previews this weekend’s MAAC final four.
Merrimack goaltender Joe Exter, who was seriously injured a week and a half ago in a collision with Boston College’s Patrick Eaves, has been upgraded from serious to fair condition, according to representatives from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center on Tuesday. There was no word whether Exter is out of the coma he’s been in … Read more
Jim Connelly studies the coach behind Providence, the Hockey East regular season and postseason champs.
The New Hampshire Wildcats will get a chance to pull off college hockey’s equivalent of the daily double this weekend after UNH advanced to the inaugural Hockey East championship game on Saturday with a 2-0 victory over Maine. The women followed the suit of their male counterparts, who beat Boston University 1-0 Saturday to take … Read more
HEA final: Great game, bad ending.
Fifth-seed Boston University will look to become the lowest seed to ever win the Hockey East tournament thanks to a thrilling, 6-5 double overtime victory on Friday night over second-seed Boston College in game two of the semifinals of the 19th annual Hockey East tournament in Boston. The hero of the night for the Terriers … Read more
The MAAC might be the last Division I league to kick off the playoffs, but it doesn’t waste time once things get started. Jim Connelly previews this weekend’s single-game quarterfinals.
Just days before its MAAC quarterfinal with Mercyhurst, Iona announced Tuesday that it will drop its men’s hockey program effective at the end of this season. Iona joins Fairfield as the second MAAC school to drop men’s hockey this season. The announcement came after a meeting on March 6 of the college’s Legal Board of … Read more
Merrimack goaltender Joe Exter remained in serious condition Tuedsay at Boston’s Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Tuesday with multiple fractures sustained in a collision during last Friday’s Hockey East quarterfinal game at Boston College. According to hospital officials, there is no change in Exter’s condition, and nothing further is expected before Wednesday morning. The injury … Read more
Merrimack goaltender Joe Exter remains in serious condition with multiple skull fractures at Boston’s Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center today following a collision in last Friday’s opening game of the Hockey East quarterfinal series at Boston College. (Original story) According to hospital spokespersons, Exter’s condition is unchanged in the last 24 hours, and unless there … Read more
As a tragedy unfolds before your eyes, keeping focused on the game is hard for everyone.
With his star goalie Joe Exter still in the hospital in serious condition with a fractured skull — the result of a nasty head-first collision with Boston College freshman Patrick Eaves — Merrimack coach Chris Serino addressed the media Saturday afternoon. Serino spoke candidly and emotionally about Exter, the ugly melee that followed the incident, … Read more
With Merrimack goaltender Joe Exter still battling a major head injury sustained in Friday’s opener, few minds Saturday night were on the rematch between Merrimack and Boston College in game two of the Hockey East quarterfinals. That, though, didn’t translate onto the ice, as both teams treated the 2,513 in attendance to an entertaining game … Read more