Paula C. Weston

For its 50th anniversary in 2004, Sports Illustrated named the fiercest sports rivalry in each of the 50 U.S. states. No one familiar with college hockey was surprised when Michael Farber wrote about the intensity of what happens on the ice when Michigan and Michigan State meet. Not football. Not basketball. Not croquet. Men’s Division-I … Read more

Welcome to the CCHA, a.k.a. Splitsville. Everyone split points this weekend in the CCHA, although not everyone did so evenly. In three series, teams split wins and losses. One series produced two tied games, and another a split and a tie. When the closest thing to a sweep in a given league weekend is the … Read more

For the second time in 12 days, Ferris State goaltender Pat Nagle shut out Michigan State, this time with 28 saves in a 1-0 overtime win.  Chad Billins’ game-winning goal was deflected in by a Spartans skater at 3:54 in OT. MSU goaltender Drew Palmisano had 30 saves in the game. “We won the draw … Read more

Before I get to anything else, I have to say how deeply saddened by the death of Dave Faiella, Northern Michigan’s sports information director. Dave died Dec. 1, reportedly from heart and kidney trouble that had struck recently. He was only 49. I’d been acquainted with Dave for over a decade, longer than his nine … Read more

Last week’s games brought us a week of notable firsts, and they make up the bulk of this week’s list of 15 things. Michigan State’s 5-2 win over Minnesota was the Spartans’ first in 10 games. In the last nine meetings, MSU had gone 0-4-5. The win was also the first on the road for … Read more

What did the Thanksgiving tournaments teach us about the CCHA? As feared, parity doesn’t mean equally good. The top three teams – three of the best in the country, arguably – took hits in semi-predictable ways. Two of the three played nonconference opponents, and that provided a good barometer of where the league stands in … Read more

Greetings and Happy Thanksgiving from the Peach State, y’all, home of the University of Georgia Ice Dogs and Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, both of the ACHA. Would I love D-I hockey in these here parts, where the club-level sport is so well supported. Closer to home, this is how I’m doing: Last week: 7-1-2 Overall: … Read more

You knew this was coming. You had to know, too, that I wouldn’t end that headline with a preposition. Carter Camper. I know I’ve been beating his drum all season, but the Miami senior has singlehandedly reminded us of how collegiate players used to play, how they used to score. Thirty points in 13 games … Read more

I had to laugh when I read USCHO’s front page after Friday night’s games. “Freaky Friday,” the headline proclaimed, because there were upsets all over the place in College Hockeyland. Except for in the CCHA. Friday was, in fact, the least freakiest night of the CCHA season, I thought, as the top teams beat the … Read more

With seven goals by seven different players, the Wolverines have broken their four-game winless Friday night streak, beating Lake Superior State, 7-2, the first night of this two-game home set. By way of explaining the cup of coffee he brought to the post-game press conference, Michigan’s head coach quipped, “I’ve got to stay up and … Read more