Nate OwenIt’s been a while. That’s the best way of summing up last year for Mass.-Dartmouth, as the Corsairs posted their first losing record since 1976-77, finishing with an overall record of 11-15-1. Despite that, they were still able to win a playoff game, knocking off fourth-seed Westfield State in opening round playoff action before narrowly … Read more
After a 20-year hiatus, Westfield State will look to continue its success entering its third year since returning as a varsity program. The Owls have posted a 24-19-7 record the last two seasons and are poised to continue their success this season. “First and foremost, Jerry Keefe did a great job the first year back,” … Read more
It’s not often a new coach takes over with a team locked and loaded and ready to go, but that’s the situation first year head coach Craig Russell finds himself in at Plymouth State. After serving as an assistant coach under Brett Tryder for seven years, following a four year playing career at Plymouth State, … Read more
Last year’s MASCAC runner-ups return will a veteran core that’s looking to get back to the championship game. “This team returns a great group of athletes,” coach Dean Fuller said. “Last year’s loss in the championship has motivated us to work harder in the off-season so we can get back into that game.” In net, … Read more
It’s an axiom that’s repeated all throughout sports: Good teams don’t rebuild, they reload. Sure, Salem State lost four key seniors, but they gained three transfers, two of whom have already proven themselves in MASCAC play. “They’re just quality players,” said Salem coach Bill O’Neill, who is entering his 30th season in charge of the … Read more
In and of itself, it’s not surprising that Curry took home the 2009-10 ECAC Northeast Championship and the automatic bid to the NCAA. The Colonels have been a force in the conference, and last season was no exception, as they took Wentworth Institute of Technology down the wire for the regular season championship before a … Read more
Despite going 1-24-1 and not winning a conference game last season, first year head coach Andy Boschetto was pleasantly surprised with what he found upon taking over at Salve Regina. “We’re not in a bad spot,” he said. “I like what I see. I thought their psyche would be down, but they’re ready to go … Read more
It’s a process, but second year head coach Greg Heffernan is working toward bringing the Golden Bears to marks they haven’t reached in years. Western New England hasn’t broken the 10-win mark since 1999-2000, or posting a winning record since 1993-94, but with an infusion of new players, there’s hope for the coming years. “I’m … Read more
If they can continue what they started, the Wildcats should be in good shape this season. Johnson and Wales got off to a 2-8 start, but got hot when it counted, knocking off number three seed Suffolk and top-seeded Wentworth to reach the championship game. A five-goal second period was all that kept the Wildcats … Read more
The Hawks have enjoyed a steady ascension since joining the ECAC Northeast. Now in its fifth season of Division III play, Becker has made the playoffs three straight years and will look to build on a program-best 13 wins last season, including eight in conference play. “We want to play with intensity, fire, grit, and … Read more
There’s no disabled list in college hockey, but if there was, it’s a good bet Nichols would have logged the most days on it last season. The Bisons were decimated by injuries in the 2009-10 campaign, as eight players missed a combined 58 games. There was an understandable dropoff from the program’s historic run two … Read more
The Leopards lost the schools all-time winningest goalie, Justin Marriot, to graduation. Also gone is Jeff Olitch (21-21), but Wentworth returns a cache of talent led by Skylur Jameson (18-25), the ECAC Northeast Player of the Year. Shaun Jameson returns on the blue line after a freshman season that saw him earn First Team All-ECAC … Read more
The Rams enter the season with a young roster, but that hasn’t dampened the hopes of coach Chris Glionna, the conference’s coach of the year in 2009-10. “We are hoping to take the next step,” Glionna said of his team, which used a five-game winning streak at the end of last season to grab home … Read more
The Colonels may be coming off the program’s first NCAA appearance since the 2004-05 season, but that’s not changing their approach coming into this season. “We’re not really thinking about it,” Curry coach Rob Davies said of entering the season as defending champions. “We’ve got a pretty good nucleus. Defending the title isn’t going to … Read more
Bobby Butler and New Hampshire solved the riddle of Cornell goaltender Ben Scrivens. Nate Owen reports.
And then there were two. The eight teams in the ECAC Northeast have been whittled down to Curry and Johnson & Wales, who will meet for the conference championship and an automatic berth in the NCAA tournament Saturday at 4:35 p.m. EST. But the two remaining teams are missing a number one. Top seeded Wentworth … Read more
For the first time since the 2002-03 season, Wentworth is the ECAC Northeast regular season champion. The Leopards entered Sunday’s season finale against Curry one point behind the Colonels for top spot in the conference and used a third period rally to emerge with a 4-2 win and the regular season title, beating out Curry … Read more
It’s here. The final week of regular season play in the ECAC Northeast has arrived. And much has rightfully been written about the tight race in the MASCAC, as the top spot and three other home ice spots are up for grabs as the season winds down. Below is a look at each of the … Read more
Massachusetts is no stranger to massive construction projects, as any Boston commuter in the 1990s or earlier portion of the last decade can tell you. But while the behemoth remodeling of the city’s major road artery is complete, there’s another rebuilding project taking place at Western New England College, where first year head coach Greg … Read more
Sometimes the best laid plans can go awry. While I had touched on Curry’s unbeaten conference record last week, the plan this week was to point how little love Curry was getting in the latest polls, despite holding a one point lead over Wentworth for top spot in the ECAC Northeast. But after voting was … Read more