Jim Connelly Showtime! Since the first announcement of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference’s existence, people around the college hockey circles have questioned, "Can this league compete?" By the end of last year’s inaugural season, folks bellowed that question even louder as four teams, Quinnipiac, Holy Cross, UConn and Canisius, were all under consideration for the NCAA tournament. … Read more
(full list) NHL teams sent a clear message to college hockey at Saturday’s entry draft: we’re watching. With two rounds and 66 picks complete in the draft, ten current college players and one who will enter college next season had already been selected. Tops among these picks was the first overall collegian, Michigan defenseman Jeff … Read more
In a season that saw Eastern schools step to the forefront, placing three teams in the NCAA Frozen Four, it is perhaps ironic that the top-rated collegiate pick for the upcoming National Hockey League entry draft would come from the West. Jeff Jillson, a 6-foot-2 defenseman from Michigan, is the top collegiate prospect in the … Read more
If you asked coaches what it takes to win a championship, many would tell you good goaltending, great special teams, and plenty of experience. For the University of Maine Black Bears, goaltending and special teams are part of their year-in and year-out plan. But this year’s club possesses only one player with NCAA tournament experience … Read more
One is older, more experienced; the other could be called the young pup. One plays the role of leader for his team; the other is brand-new to college hockey. But the brothers Comrie — Paul, the senior captain of the University of Denver, and Mike, the rookie sensation for the University of Michigan, have plenty … Read more
The top four seeds — Quinnipiac, Holy Cross, Connecticut and Canisius — have all advanced to the MAAC Final Four, to be played this weekend at the Hart Center on the campus of Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass. Each of the four seeds advanced in their own unique ways. There were blowout and nail-biters, hard-fought … Read more
Their schedule has been called “insular.” They get about as much respect as Rodney Dangerfield, if that much. And in the general college hockey community, they’re given as much of a chance as the tortoise was against the hare. But the Quinnipiac Braves are currently in a position to cause not only some rumblings in … Read more
What do you call a team that, in the midst of a good year, learns it has lost its number-one goalie for the rest of the season? A team whose senior backup can count his career games played on one hand? If that team is Holy Cross, you’d call it a contender. That’s the exact … Read more
Whoever said the MAAC isn’t exciting Division I hockey, they’re crazy. As we end February, no other league in the country still has three teams battling for the top spot. To add to that, the MAAC has three other teams tied for the final home-ice bid in the playoffs. If that’s not exciting, I don’t … Read more
Simply put, the MAAC season has come down to three weeks. Six games for each team to position themselves for the playoffs. And last weekend’s action is what set up the whole ball of wax. With first-place Quinnipiac taking the weekend off from conference play, the two teams sitting on the doorstep had the privilege … Read more
Okay, so my first shot at picking games didn’t turn out too good. I did pick the split between UConn and Quinnipiac (though not the fact that the visiting team would win both games). And how about those Ice Griffs? They walked right into Iona and took two games from the Gaels. Okay, enough about … Read more
Well, here I am — sitting in front of my computer, realizing that I’ve got the crystal ball now. And it’s time for me to gaze into it for the first time as the new MAAC correspondent here at USCHO. And what a week to do it! This week we have the two best teams … Read more
Ever notice how much Metro Atlantic hockey resembles the TV series The Simpsons? First, The Simpsons is set in the mythic town of Springfield…and there’s a town called Springfield in New England, where most of the MAAC schools are located. Coincidence? I think not. Next, how often does The Simpsons come on? Every week. And … Read more
Ever notice how much Metro Atlantic hockey resembles the TV series The Simpsons? First, The Simpsons is set in the mythic town of Springfield…and there’s a town called Springfield in New England, where most of the MAAC schools are located. Coincidence? I think not. Next, how often does The Simpsons come on? Every week. And … Read more
It’s been an upward climb this year for Metro Atlantic hockey. When the league was formed, its founders knew it would take time to establish respectability for the nation’s fifth Division I league, but coming into last week they had probably hoped for a little better than a 1-8-1 nonconference record against fellow Division I … Read more
The email came first in a trickle, then in waves. “What do you have against UConn?” demanded angry Huskies fans. “Why do you keep picking them to lose?” Several pointed out that I had picked UConn to be swept three weekends in a row. And for the record, the stretch in which I predicted UConn … Read more
After three weekends of Metro Atlantic play, it’s clear there are two major surprises in the conference. The first is Canisius, predicted to finish second in the MAAC preseason poll. Despite the hype, the Ice Griffins are on an 0-7-1 skid and find themselves in sixth place. The second is Iona. The freshman-laden Gaels, a … Read more
Well, the MAAC made headlines last weekend, but probably not the type the conference’s head honchos envisioned when this venture was founded. Saturday’s tilt between Quinnipiac and Fairfield was suspended after the second period when 14 players were sent to Bridgeport Hospital complaining of dizziness and nausea. The culprit? Carbon monoxide from the Zamboni at … Read more
No need to dance around it — this week’s themes in the MAAC are pretty straightforward. Canisius, a preseason pick to contend for the MAAC title, is on a four-game slide after dropping two games to Quinnipiac last weekend. It doesn’t get any easier this week as the Ice Griffs head out to Holy Cross. … Read more
So the Griffs can show where they stand with a good showing at Quinnipiac Friday and Saturday. Or can they? There have been grumblings that the Braves’ 19-3-1 record last year was a soft one. Then, in last week’s Quinnipiac Cup, they struggled to get by an allegedly weak Iona squad in the first round, … Read more