Paula C. WestonIt’s the Girl Reporter’s List of Sins and Graces, the worst and the best of the CCHA that don’t necessarily fit into the usual categories. Disclaimer: I have yet to visit Abel Arena, Lakeview Arena, and the Carlson Center. Sins Worst rink: The Joyce Arena. You’d think a school with the athletic tradition of Notre … Read more
It should be mentioned that this list is not an official endorsement by USCHO; nor was the all-rookie team of last week. It’s just the official Girl Reporter’s All-CCHA Team. If I were picking sides, these are the guys I’d want on my team. Goalies As I’ve been saying all season long, hands-down, without a … Read more
Goalies There are several rookie goaltenders who have made a difference for their respective teams. The most notable of these is Jeff Maund, Ohio State’s rookie who never–not for one second– played like one. Maund has considerable talent, considerable points–and considerable stats. He’s 14-6-0 in over 1,200 minutes of play; he’s 12-6-0 in league play. … Read more
Dear Miss Hockey Manners, When spearing, is it more appropriate to use the butt end of the stick, or can I apply the blade? Signed, Player Perfectionist Dear Gentle and Otherwise Reader, Ah! This is not the letter of a mere goon, but rather that of a true artiste! Your stick is your brush, your … Read more
To Hugo Boisvert, central Ohio is more foreign a concept than is “U.S.A.” “It’s different.” The sophomore center from St. Eustache, Quebec, makes a gesture as though he’s running his hand over the top of a table, and he makes a noise — “ppphtt.” He says, by way of summary, “Flat.” “I’ve been to the … Read more
No, it’s not what you’re thinking. With four weeks left in regular-season CCHA play, it’s understandable that your mind would jump to the home stretch of the season. But, come on, CCHA fan. What does mid-February mean to most folks? It may be hard to imagine, given how involved we all are with college hockey … Read more
All this to promote the Columbus Blue Necks, or Blue Flacks or Blue Bugs — or whatever they’re calling the NHL franchise that will ride the millennium into town. Scattered among the hockey faithful and the nouveau riche are several Ohio State hockey fans, wearing — what else? — Blue Somethings gear. "Is Michigan State … Read more
If you ask CCHA Commissioner Bill Beagan what he plans to do once he retires at the end of this season, you may get a straight answer. And you may not. “I’m going to lie down a lot,” he says. No one who knows the CCHA’s top man of 13 years believes for a second … Read more
Ha. This week, No. 1 Michigan State hosts two games against No. 5 Miami. With the two points gained from their 4-3 win over Lake Superior, the Spartans now have 28 points, just one behind No. 7 Michigan and two ahead of No. 5 Miami in the CCHA standings. The Spartans also have a game … Read more
The mouth-watering main course begins with the first two of three games between No. 4 Michigan and No. 7 Miami. With 29 points, No. 4 Michigan tenaciously holds on to first place, winning at home over Alaska-Fairbanks last weekend, 5-1. The RedHawks, at number four in the CCHA standings, split the weekend, losing to Northern … Read more
It’s January 1996, the first month of the second half of the college hockey season, and the CCHA has settled into its usual “two-tier” system. The usual suspects — Michigan, Michigan State, Lake Superior, Miami — crowd the top, while the rest of the league looks up from below, behind in everything from points to … Read more
But if you take a closer look, you find a league that’s tight and cozy, and no team’s position seems guaranteed. While Michigan has 27 points in first place, Michigan State has 25 points in second place, and Miami has 20 in third. Big deal, you say? Yup, when you consider that the difference between … Read more
And the most interesting place this weekend is once again the middle of the CCHA pack, where just six points, ambition and a little luck separate the ninth-place team from the fifth-place team. No. 6 Michigan is a team with little to prove. After losing the GLI to Michigan State, the Wolverines swept the weekend … Read more
Since Michigan State received a gift from Santa in the form of more offense for the Great Lakes Invitational, the Spartans should resolve to keep that offense. They’ll need offense if they want to make a run for the national title. All the Miami RedHawks need to resolve to do is to continue playing the … Read more
At many schools, players are either taking finals this week or preparing to take them next week. The two teams that travel farthest this week by bus, Northern Michigan and Ohio State, warm up the bus only after players have finished finals. Finals. Christmas. Family. Mom’s cooking. Who wouldn’t be distracted? One coach confided, "I … Read more
In October, when the leaves were turning southern Michigan into a rolling patchwork of color, Tyler Harlton missed the open sky of the western Canadian prairie. The Pense, Sask., native could appreciate the beauty of autumn in East Lansing, but he couldn’t help feeling penned in. “When you’re surrounded by trees on all sides, it … Read more
The American poet laureate Robert Penn Warren put it this way: "You’ll have to rethink the whole question." What question will you ask, fan of the CCHA, and do you know how to ask it? Does any CCHA question have an answer now? Well, perhaps. The Michigan State Spartans demonstrated why they are the top … Read more
Well, no–and no. Two of the top teams in the CCHA play in The College Hockey Showcase this weekend, and six other teams are engaged in conference play that will definitely have some bearing on the CCHA playoffs. No. 1 Michigan State sits on top of the CCHA as well as the college hockey world … Read more
Appearances can be deceptive. While Michigan State is at the top of the USCHO poll, Northern Michigan is actually on top of the CCHA. At 6-1-1 in league play, the Wildcats have two more points than Michigan State. They’ve also played one more game. Last week the ‘Cats beat Alaska-Fairbanks, 5-4 and 7-3. This week, … Read more
Rick Comley pauses to think before he answers a question. Why did Northern Michigan leave the CCHA for the WCHA in the first place? Comley laughs. “I’m sure for lots of good reasons, when you think back.” The cover of this year’s Wildcats’ media guide says, “Charging back into the CCHA.” Maybe it should read, … Read more