NCHC Hockey 2022-23 Season Preview: Denver the early favorite as Pioneers look to repeat as national champions

You’ve clicked on a link to this conference season preview, so chances are you already know how strong the NCHC is. So does Heather Weems, who spent the last decade as St. Cloud State’s athletic director before being named in May as the NCHC’s new commissioner. She succeeds Josh Fenton, who previously accepted another NCAA … Read more

Hockey Humanitarian Award Finalist Spotlight: Minnesota Duluth’s Hughes excelling on ice, off ice with Sophie’s Squad raising awareness for mental health

So many college student-athletes thrive off the highly-regimented routines that come with the territory. When they have a lot of free time, they suddenly risk being unproductive. Minnesota Duluth senior forward Gabbie Hughes doesn’t have that problem. One of UMD’s two finalists for the Patty Kazmaier Award, given to the country’s top women’s college hockey … Read more

Previewing the 2022 NCAA hockey tournament, Worcester Regional: Western Michigan, Minnesota, Massachusetts, Northeastern

WORCESTER REGIONAL When: Friday, March 25 & Sunday, March 27 Where: DCU Center, Worcester, Mass. Matchups: Western Michigan vs. Northeastern, March 25, noon, ESPNU; Minnesota vs. Massachusetts, March 25, 6 p.m., ESPNU; championship, March 27, 4 p.m./6:30 p.m., ESPN2 1. WESTERN MICHIGAN How they got here: At-large bid Overall season record: 25-11-1 Top players: F … Read more

Previewing the 2022 NCAA hockey tournament, Allentown Regional: Michigan, Quinnipiac, St. Cloud State, American International

ALLENTOWN REGIONAL When: Friday, March 25 & Sunday, March 27 Where: PPL Center, Allentown, Pa. Matchups: Michigan vs. American International, March 25, 3 p.m., ESPNU; Quinnipiac vs. St. Cloud State, March 25, 8 p.m., ESPNews; championship, March 27, 4 p.m./6:30 p.m., ESPN2 1. MICHIGAN How they got here: Won Big Ten tournament championship Overall season … Read more

Previewing the 2022 NCAA hockey tournament, Loveland Regional: Denver, Minnesota Duluth, Michigan Tech, UMass Lowell

LOVELAND REGIONAL When: Thursday, March 24 & Saturday, March 26 Where: Budweiser Events Center, Loveland, Colo. Matchups: Minnesota Duluth vs. Michigan Tech, March 24, 3 p.m., ESPNU; Denver vs. UMass Lowell, March 24, 9 p.m., ESPNU; championship, March 26, 4 p.m./6:30 p.m., ESPNU 1. DENVER How they got here: At-large bid Overall season record: 27-9-1 … Read more

Previewing the 2022 NCAA hockey tournament, Albany Regional: Minnesota State, North Dakota, Notre Dame, Harvard

ALBANY REGIONAL When: Thursday, March 24 & Saturday, March 26 Where: MVP Arena, Albany, N.Y. Matchups: Minnesota State vs. Harvard, March 24, noon, ESPNU; North Dakota vs. Notre Dame, March 24, 6 p.m., ESPNU, championship, March 26, 4 p.m./6:30 p.m., ESPNU 1. MINNESOTA STATE How they got here: Won CCHA tournament championship Overall season record: … Read more

This Week in NCHC Hockey: ‘Elite goaltender’ Driscoll has North Dakota ’embracing these games and embracing playing in these big moments’

At the start of this season, North Dakota goaltender Zach Driscoll told USCHO.com about how playing pickleball has reminded him of the importance of pressing the reset button following a setback. There haven’t been many of those lately for the graduate student netminder, or for his Fighting Hawks teammates. Driscoll has accounted for UND’s nine … Read more

This Week in NCHC Hockey: Even with No. 1 seed in conference tournament, Denver not taking Miami lightly this weekend in opening round of playoffs

For as much as coaches and players talk about how brutal NCHC campaigns are, it comes as a surprise that only now, in Year 9 of its existence, the conference has crowned split regular-season champions. That quirk was news to Denver coach David Carle, whose Pioneers earned on Saturday a share of the Penrose Cup … Read more

This Week in NCHC Hockey: Surging, confident Omaha squad readying for conference playoffs looking to make ‘special things happen’

It was an unseasonably warm Wednesday afternoon in Omaha — 75 degrees, on March 2 — when Mavericks coach Mike Gabinet spoke about a UNO team that seems to be heating up. Six points back in the NCHC standings from fourth-place Minnesota Duluth, UNO (20-14) is all but assured of a road trip for the … Read more

This Week in NCHC Hockey: Colorado College sweeps Miami on home ice, gaining momentum with identity in brand-new Robson Arena

With its inaugural season winding down, firsts for Colorado College’s Ed Robson Arena are starting to come less regularly. Two more came last weekend, though, when the Tigers earned their first two overtime wins, and CC’s first weekend sweep, at the new on-campus facility. The Tigers (9-18-3) had lost five straight heading into last weekend’s … Read more

This Week in NCHC Hockey: Stejskal makes inspirational return to Minnesota Duluth crease after cancer diagnosis, leads Bulldogs to win over Denver

Seventh-ranked Minnesota Duluth’s 3-2 win Saturday at Denver marked the first time that the No. 3 Pioneers had lost at home this season, but that wasn’t what the Bulldogs were thinking about when the final horn sounded. Sophomore goaltender Zach Stejskal had made 20 saves in relief during his first game since Oct. 15. When … Read more

This Week in NCHC Hockey: For Omaha assistant Jerrard, College Hockey for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion initiative proving ‘we’re an entity that can help people’

Today marks one year since the nationwide College Hockey for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion initiative was publicly announced, and the NCHC has proudly maintained its involvement. Omaha assistant coach Paul Jerrard has been a committee member since the initiative’s creation. Outgoing NCHC commissioner Josh Fenton has stayed on as a working group leadership member while … Read more

This Week in NCHC Hockey: Struggling Miami team not packing it in, RedHawks plan to keep fighting, find ways to win games

There’s no getting around the fact that, to date, this hasn’t been a vintage Miami hockey season. Miami (4-20-2, 1-14-1) sits eight points adrift at the bottom of the NCHC standings. The RedHawks are also winless in regulation in nine games (0-8-1) since Dec. 12, though they did take an overtime shootout Jan. 15 at … Read more

This Week in NCHC Hockey: With more rest than normal between games, Western Michigan finding consistency, emerging as national contender

Where is the line between enough rest for a hockey team, and too much? Western Michigan seems to have found it, albeit in less-than-ideal circumstances. The Broncos jumped up one spot to No. 3 in the latest DCU/USCHO Division I Men’s Poll, following a home sweep last weekend against then-No. 9 North Dakota. Two Ronnie … Read more

Monday 10: New No. 1 team in DCU/USCHO.com poll? Denver blanks Colorado College twice, AIC extends winning streak to 10 games

Each week, USCHO.com will pick the top 10 moments from the past weekend in our Monday 10 feature. 1. Top-ranked Quinnipiac downs Colgate, falls in OT to Cornell Quinnipiac’s new run at the top of the DCU/USCHO Division I Men’s Poll was thrown into jeopardy last weekend, when the Bobcats split the first two games … Read more

This Week in NCHC Hockey: Despite COVID-19 interruptions, Denver finding way near top of conference standings

After COVID-19 conditions last season saw Denver split its players into cohorts in three different locker rooms, David Carle now feels more like a regular hockey coach. His fourth season with the Pioneers hasn’t been normal, though. Another reminder of that arrived last Wednesday afternoon, when Denver learned it wouldn’t be hosting St. Cloud State … Read more

This Week in NCHC Hockey: St. Cloud State navigating pandemic, but ‘it just seems like no matter what you do, you can’t be perfect’

We’re not yet waking up to Sonny & Cher every morning, but college hockey teams might feel they’re living out “Groundhog Day” with the COVID-19 pandemic entering, to borrow an eligibility term, its junior year. St. Cloud State, ranked fifth in the latest DCU/USCHO Division I Men’s Poll, is fresh off an unexpected bye week. … Read more

This Week in NCHC Hockey: Omaha success starts between the pipes with Vegas prospect Saville leading the charge

Omaha announced bad news Tuesday, as COVID-19 protocols forced the Mavericks to postpone a home series scheduled for this weekend against Denver. When the Mavericks return to action, though — as of now, Jan. 14-15 at North Dakota — they’ll expect to have a strong-playing goaltender starting between the pipes. Omaha junior Isaiah Saville is … Read more

This Week in NCHC Hockey: Western Michigan point producer Frank getting it done ‘just playing Bronco hockey’ as fifth-year senior

Chances are, you have gone to the Internet for tips on all sorts of activities. Social media platforms, in particular, are chock-full with videos that provide inspiration. In that way, at least, hockey players are just like the rest of us. Western Michigan fifth-year forward Ethen Frank had a remarkable first half of the season … Read more