Jim ConnellyOne week ago, UMass-Lowell and Providence were in the same shoes. The River Hawks were winless in five straight, the Friars had but one victory in the last five. As both teams ended their season with a head-to-head battle Friday night, things between the two were anything but similar. Lowell defeated the Friars, 6-1, Friday … Read more
…And Down The Stretch They Come With only one week left in the regular season, for once, a lot of the MAAC playoff picture is clear. We know the eight qualifiers and the fact that Fairfield, AIC and Bentley could have early March tee times, weather permitting. Still left up for grabs is home ice. … Read more
Perhaps fittingly, Sacred Heart gave itself a Valentine’s Day gift last weekend. Also: what’s ahead as Mercyhurst wraps up the MAAC title “race”; and Jim Connelly deciphers playoff positioning.
Boston University showed no hint of a post-Beanpot letdown, scoring three late goals to put away UMass-Lowell 5-1 Friday night. BU is now one point behind New Hampshire for the Hockey East lead.
The NCAA has been fighting to expand the men’s tournament for several years, but this time around the odds look better than ever, partly thanks to Quinnipiac AD Jack McDonald’s inventiveness. Jim Connelly reports on the tournament, Mercyhurst’s bid for zero (losses), and more.
Anonymous except when he’s being lambasted by player, coach or fan, the referee’s job might seem like a thankless one. Don’t try telling that to Hockey East and ECAC official Scott Hansen, whose Olympic moment is underway in Salt Lake City. Jim Connelly reports.
Few people in Boston who think of the Beanpot would ever envision a young boy from Minnesota among the tournament legends of the 50-year-old event. Names like Greeley, Cleary, and O’Callahan are the ones etched into Beanpot history – all home-grown in New England, just like the Beanpot Tournament itself. Now, though, you can add … Read more
For five weeks, the Boston College Eagles have found a major hole in the middle of the lineup. Thanks to injuries to key players like Ben Eaves and John Adams, the Eagles had not dressed the normal 18 skaters since a 4-3 overtime victory over UMass-Amherst on Jan. 7. The result was a 1-7-0 stretch … Read more
For the second time in two years, the NCAA Division I Championships/Competition Cabinet has given preliminary approval for expansion of the men’s Ice Hockey Championship bracket from 12 to 16 teams.
The MAAC standings have never been this tight so late in the year. Though Mercyhurst is well out front, the next six positions are up for grabs among a host of contenders. Jim Connelly reports — then muses on the possibility of two league representatives in the NCAAs.
John Sabo scored two goals, including the game winner, and Boston University pulled away from a determined but depleted Boston College squad Monday night at the Beanpot. The Terriers, making their 41st title-game appearance, will meet Northeastern.
A relatively new league, has relatively new rivalries. But they are more and more heated every year. Jim Connelly tells us more.
Chris Legg’s goal at 7:40 of the third period broke a 1-1 deadlock, as Brown skated to a 2-1 upset of the River Hawks in front of a sparse crowd at Lowell’s Tsongas Arena.
Resurgent Iona — keyed by Ryan Carter’s return to offensive fireworks — gets its sternest test against MAAC-unbeaten Mercyhurst this weekend, Jim Connelly says. Also: Connecticut looks to carry nonconference momentum back into league play.
With the MAAC unlikely to cause a stir in this season’s PairWise Rankings, the league’s representative to the NCAA tournament will be its automatic qualifier. 1999 champion Holy Cross has its sights set there, as Jim Connelly reports.
The game lived up to every ounce of its billing. No. 10 Boston College gave No. 5 UMass-Lowell everything it could handle, but still couldn’t muster a victory as the River Hawks squeaked by BC, 3-2, in a hard-checking, tight defensive affair. The victory for Lowell and defeat for Boston College came amidst locker rooms … Read more
Canisius returns from a longer-than-expected break, thanks to Mother Nature; Rand Pecknold and Quinnipiac review the weekend at Michigan State; and AIC netminder Chad Davis makes Jim Connelly look good.
At the beginning of the season, AIC’s coaches thought they had recruited a solid goaltending duo. Half of that expectation has already been supported; now the other half may be tested. Also: the MAAC suffers through a tough tournament season, partly thanks to an old nemesis. Jim Connelly reports.
Whether it’s surprising Holy Cross or underachieving Bentley, Jim Connelly takes a look at the high-flyers and the bottom-feeders in the MAAC at the season’s halfway point.
Jim Connelly sorts through the week’s news in the MAAC, including the Quinnipiac name change — well, half a change; and letters to Santa are intercepted.