Jim ConnellyIf the UNH Wildcats were salesmen, they’d be the best closers around. Well, at least they are on the ice. Leading 2-1 on the road at Merrimack through forty minutes of play, the Wildcats took the play to the Warriors in the final twenty minutes, adding two goals early in the period to account for … Read more
The top teams in the MAAC duke it out; AIC’s Gary Wright keeps waiting; and Holy Cross and Canisius tally up the upsets. Jim Connelly reports.
All’s fair in love and war. Saturday, BC coach Jerry York was miffed that BU arranged for the early return of John Sabo and Freddy Meyer from the World Junior team, as they contributed to a 3-2 Terriers win. Sunday, revenge was sweet, as BC’s J.D. Forrest returned with the rest of the U.S. squad and helped the Eagles to a 5-2 victory.
Saturday night’s loss can be summed up in one word for Merrimack — mistakes. In a game in which Merrimack was riddled with poor play, missed passes and lost opportunities, the Warriors had to be shocked to be within a goal at 3-2 with 1:36 to play when Ryan Kiley’s one-timer found the back of … Read more
Suspensions Threaten Quinnipiac’s Chances Against Cornell Entering one of the bigger weekends of the year, it’s an obvious disappointment for Quinnipiac coach Rand Pecknold to be without Dan Ennis, who has been out with an injury since early in the season and is not expected to return, and Ryan Olsen, who broke his leg earlier … Read more
With half the season gone, it’s time for bouquets and brickbats. Professor Jim Connelly hands out midseason report cards.
Though the game didn’t count in the MAAC standings, Bentley was happy to get its first win of the year, in a neutral-ice game at Boston College’s Conte Forum.
It was a weekend of hockey that rivaled a Kasparov-Karpov chess match. Strategy and thinking replaced unbridled skating and fluid puck moving. But in the end, thanks to a late goal by Tony Johnson breaking a 1-1 tie, the Merrimack Warriors earned a two-game sweep of Niagara with a 2-1 victory on Saturday. Merrimack won … Read more
Merrimack College head coach Chris Serino can go to bed feeling good about one thing after a 2-0 win against Niagara University on Friday night: his young club is maturing. In a game where offensive was at a minimum, Serino’s Warriors securely protected a two-goal lead through the late stages of the third period, something … Read more
Quinnipiac stuns a ranked foe; Fairfield stuns half the league; and controversy stuns Buffalo. Jim Connelly reports.
Fairfield doesn’t have a lot of wins this season, but that doesn’t mean the Stags haven’t pulled a couple of shockers; AIC and Sacred Heart take stock of the season; the MAAC invades New York’s Capital District; and Mother Nature gives out some tough love. Jim Connelly reports.
If you think you’ve seen strange endings to a hockey game, hold that thought — unless you were at Tsongas Arena on Saturday night. After totally dominating the game for 58 minutes, the UMass-Lowell River Hawks found themselves trailing, 4-2, to the No. 13 Union Dutchmen. But thanks to a five-minute major penalty to Union’s … Read more
The UMass-Lowell Lowell River Hawks scored four goals in span of 3:07 halfway through the second period on Friday night to break a 2-2 tie, en route to a 7-2 victory over the Holy Cross Crusaders at the Tsongas Arena. Lowell senior captain Brad Rooney didn’t score a single goal, but led the River Hawk … Read more
Continuing an annual tradition, Jim Connelly takes us on a tour of the MAAC’s Thanksgiving table, and there’s plenty to celebrate this year.
Anyone who knows Boston College hockey knew that it was inevitable that senior captain Brian Gionta would one day leave Boston College with his name attached to at least one or two records. But not many knew that he’d achieve this all in one game. Thanks to a three-goal performance as part of a 7-2 … Read more
Providence got the upper hand as two upstart teams met at Matthews Arena. With the win, the Friars moved into first place.
For a blue-collar team like Merrimack, the formula to beat a talent-laden team like No. 2 Boston College is to outhit, outshoot, and, in general, outplay the opposition. When the opposite happens, you end up with what 3,026 fans witnessed at the Volpe Complex Friday night — a 6-1 Eagles rout. Warriors coach Chris Serino … Read more
Though it’s only November, the MAAC standings look suspiciously familiar. Also: Army makes its mark, and the league gains a new tournament presence — maybe for a while. Jim Connelly weighs in.
Surviving one of the craziest offensive periods in recent memory, the Merrimack Warriors snapped a two-game losing streak by beating the UMass-Lowell River Hawks, 5-4, before a loud and raucous crowd at Merrimack’s Volpe Complex. Junior Ryan Kiley, notching his third goal of the season with a hard snapshot over the blocker of Jimi St. … Read more
There’s only one topic this week in the MAAC, and that’s Sacred Heart’s history-making win over Cornell. Oh, okay, there’s a couple of others, too. Jim Connelly reports.