Jim ConnellyIf you’re the Boston College Eagles, a team that boasts three 20-goal scorers including Hobey Baker candidate Brian Gionta in its arsenal of players, it might be very easy to lick your chops at the thought of an offensive explosion facing eighth seed Merrimack in the quarterfinal of the Hockey East playoffs. Think again. The … Read more
Let’s all say it together, once more: this season, for the first time, the MAAC playoff champion gets an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. Now, if that doesn’t motivate the eight contenders, nothing will. Jim Connelly previews Saturday’s quarterfinals.
It was a record-setting night at Matthews Arena on Saturday night, when UMass-Lowell defeated Northeastern, 6-2. For the Hockey East Association, though, it’s probably a record they’d like to forget. Referee Tim Benedetto, along with assistant officials Tom Fyrer and Chuck Wynters, lost control early in a contest that broke the longstanding Hockey East record … Read more
Mercyhurst wrapped up the MAAC regular-season title last weekend, dethroning two-time champ Quinnipiac. But even with that drama out of the way, there’s plenty more — including Jim Connelly‘s year-end awards.
They’re eight players with one number separating them from receiving the acclaim they probably deserve. That number: 1949. The Boston College senior class is close to making school history — but a few weeks from what could be their fourth straight appearance in the NCAA Frozen Four. That alone is plenty an accomplishment, as only … Read more
Boston College’s heralded Class of 2001 earned its first Hockey East regular-season title Thursday with a 6-3 win over Northeastern.
Maine needed every scoring chance to edge past determined Merrimack, as a 53-20 shot advantage translated into just a one-goal Black Bear victory.
Thanks to geography, home-ice advantage in the MAAC playoffs might mean a little more to two teams than to the rest of the league. One is already there — what about the second? Jim Connelly inspects Mercyhurst and Canisius’ tournament hopes.
Merrimack picked the wrong night to put Northeastern on the power play. The Huskies’ power play, that has operated at only 15.7 percent efficiency in Hockey East all season, scored on each of its first four chances en route to a 5-2 win over the Warriors at Matthews Arena on Saturday. Northeastern broke open a … Read more
For 50 minutes on Friday, it really looked like No. 2 Boston College would outshoot No. 8 New Hampshire by a three-to-one margin and go home empty. But that’s why hockey games are 60 minutes. Fueled by goals from Krys Kolanos, Mike Lephart and Marty Hughes’ game-winner in the final minute, the Eagles rallied from … Read more
One month ago, Sacred Heart was reeling, a victim of its own lack of discipline. Today the Pioneers are making a charge for home ice, and Jim Connelly explores the difference with head coach Shaun Hannah.
Boston College’s 5-3 win over Boston University marked the end of an era of Terrier dominance at the Beanpot.
You can always count on Merrimack coach Chirs Serino to sum up a game. “You have fun when you win. You don’t have fun when you lose.” That’s all Serino had about his and his Warriors’ moods after dropping their fourth in five games, this time to Valley rival UMass-Lowell, 5-2, at the Volpe Complex … Read more
There’s no telling what the rest of the season will bring in the MAAC, where even last-place Bentley still has a shot at the playoffs. Jim Connelly analyzes the hopefuls’ remaining schedules.
The second period has not been the friendliest of frames for the BU Terriers all year. Things were getting so bad that BU probably wished they had remote controls to fast-forward the game from the first to the third. In Monday night’s semifinal against Northeastern, the second period outlook seemed to change every time coach … Read more
Boston College’s newly-made all-time leading goal scorer, Brian Gionta, is enjoying fast starts lately. And Monday’s Beanpot semifinal victory over Harvard was no exception. For BC’s third straight game, Gionta opened the scoring. Anyone that hasn’t been hibernating for the last couple of weeks knows that Gionta opened with five goals on his first five … Read more
The UMass-Lowell River Hawks used superior special teams and collected two goals from their defenseman to earn a much needed 4-1 decision over UMass-Amherst on Saturday night. The win was the tiebreaker in the season series between the two Massachusetts schools, earning Lowell the Alumni Cup for the fourth straight year and more importantly giving … Read more
Boston College defenseman Bobby Allen pick a perfect time to join the century club. The senior defenseman notched his 100th career point, scoring a power-play goal with 13:15 remaining, as the No. 2-ranked Eagles edged UMass-Lowell, 4-3, Friday night at the Conte Forum. The goal came on the seventh of eight power plays on the … Read more
Stealthy UConn finds itself in the thick of the race; weekly awards; facilities in the spotlight; and Jim Connelly runs down the MAAC’s new tiebreaker criteria.
Brian Gionta scored a record five goals in an electrifying first period, and did it on only five shots, as BC rolled to a 7-2 win over Maine. In the process, Gionta tied David Emma for the all-time BC career goals record (112), and put himself right in the thick of the Hobey Baker race.