Jim Connelly“Old-time hockey” was the expression that Northeastern coach Bruce Crowder used to describe his Huskies’ 3-1 victory over Merrimack on Thursday night. Though the game was missing players who resembled anything near Eddie Shore or Bobby Hull, and there wasn’t much rough stuff, Crowder used the reference to talk about the importance of the game … Read more
It may be a cliche, but “it’s worth the wait” could be Northeastern’s favorite line. After waiting five minutes for referee John Gravellese to determine whether Scott Selig’s rebound of a Joe Mastronardi shot at 12:17 of the third period would be counted as a goal, Selig and the Northeastern Huskies, along with most of … Read more
Entering Friday’s night contest, the Boston College Eagles had not lost two games in a row since Feb. 14 and 19, 2000. After a 6-3 loss on Tuesday night at Merrimack, the Eagles stated with authority, that streak would not end on this night. Senior captain Brian Gionta notched two goals and added an assist … Read more
A giant has fallen … again. The giant was No. 2 Boston College and its slayer was Merrimack, the unlikeliest of heroes entering the night in last place in Hockey East. In the end, Merrimack convincingly sent the Eagles home with a 6-3 defeat. The knights in shining armor for the Warriors were, offensively, the … Read more
On an afternoon that was definitely the Rick Massey show, the rookie goaltender for Holy Cross nearly stole the show, literally. As possibly the year’s biggest underdogs, the Holy Cross Crusaders used a solid defensive effort and great goaltending to hang in a tight game against No. 10 Providence before finally succumbing, 2-1, in a … Read more
Bentley claims moral victory following a hard-fought loss to conference-leading Mercyhurst on Saturday.
If 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.