Paula C. WestonI knew last weekend’s play — and my picks — would kill me. It wasn’t as bad as I thought. Last week’s picks: 6-3-1 Season: 32-11-7 Straight wins, that’s .640 so far for the season. Factoring in ties, it’s .710 and not completely honest, as I haven’t called any. This weekend, there’s a full slate … Read more
Last season, Bowling Green and Western Michigan each notched four CCHA wins. The Falcons finished ahead of the last-place Broncos by two points. With a single win against Notre Dame last weekend, BGSU now has one-fourth of the league wins it earned in all of 2009-10. With a sweep of visiting Michigan State, WMU took … Read more
The games of this past weekend were very interesting, in many ways. Not surprisingly, the quotes that came in the aftermath were, too. I find the distinction between expectations of winning and overlooking one’s opponent to be very interesting — and a theme common to some recent series. “We were focused and intense, but last … Read more
The games of this past weekend were very interesting, in many ways. Not surprisingly, the quotes that came in the aftermath were, too. I find the distinction between expectations of winning and overlooking one’s opponent to be very interesting — and a theme common to some recent series. “We were focused and intense, but last … Read more
What’s the bigger story, that Miami left Big Rapids with one point to its credit — or that the Bulldogs took five from the No. 1 team in the country? Michigan State left Kalamazoo empty-handed, or the unranked (and formerly lowly) Broncos swept a ranked (and formerly undefeated) team? Notre Dame emerges at the top … Read more
What’s the bigger story, that Miami left Big Rapids with one point to its credit — or that the Bulldogs took five from the No. 1 team in the country? Michigan State left Kalamazoo empty-handed, or the unranked (and formerly lowly) Broncos swept a ranked (and formerly undefeated) team? Notre Dame emerges at the top … Read more
No preamble, just picks. I will say this, though: I can’t believe it’s November already. Last week’s picks: 7-1-4 Season: 26-8-6 Straight wins, that’s .583. Factoring in ties (and I’d love to), it’s .750. Any way I look at it, I see a better start to the season than I’ve had in years — and, … Read more
No preamble, just picks. I will say this, though: I can’t believe it’s November already. Last week’s picks: 7-1-4 Season: 26-8-6 Straight wins, that’s .583. Factoring in ties (and I’d love to), it’s .750. Any way I look at it, I see a better start to the season than I’ve had in years — and, … Read more
To quote the Talking Heads, same as it ever was. One glance at the CCHA standings and last week’s results show the league’s top tier populated by a familiar cast: Miami, Note Dame, Michigan. Alaska and Northern Michigan are in the mix, for now. Michigan State isn’t. Yet. The difference between this year and last … Read more
This week, I noticed two players who contributed noteworthy performances in losing efforts. That got me thinking about other such performances this season. Here’s what I found. Chase Balisy, Oct. 30 vs. Notre Dame. Balisy, a freshman forward, scored the only two goals in regulation in WMU’s 2-2 tie to cap a one-point weekend for … Read more
This week, I noticed two players who contributed noteworthy performances in losing efforts. That got me thinking about other such performances this season. Here’s what I found. Chase Balisy, Oct. 30 vs. Notre Dame. Balisy, a freshman forward, scored the only two goals in regulation in WMU’s 2-2 tie to cap a one-point weekend for … Read more
The Runaway RedHawks? There’s some chatter around the league that Miami is poised to run away with the regular-season championship again this year as the RedHawks did last season, and it sure looked that way Friday night when Miami beat Lake Superior State 6-2. That was the RedHawks’ third consecutive CCHA win to begin league … Read more
The Runaway RedHawks? There’s some chatter around the league that Miami is poised to run away with the regular-season championship again this year as the RedHawks did last season, and it sure looked that way Friday night when Miami beat Lake Superior State 6-2. That was the RedHawks’ third consecutive CCHA win to begin league … Read more
It’s a quick and dirty picks blog this week. I do have to gloat one more time, however, for having picked Notre Dame to beat Boston College. Last week’s picks: 11-3-1 Season: 19-7-2 I’m lousy with the math but adding ties in as draws, I believe that’s a .750 success rate. Being honest and just … Read more
It’s a quick and dirty picks blog this week. I do have to gloat one more time, however, for having picked Notre Dame to beat Boston College. Last week’s picks: 11-3-1 Season: 19-7-2 I’m lousy with the math but adding ties in as draws, I believe that’s a .750 success rate. Being honest and just … Read more
How much is too much when it comes to a good thing? When a team with a dozen freshmen coming off a season with a dozen wins knocks off the defending national champion, that’s a good thing. When that young team is the first team to hold the defending champ to a single goal in … Read more
It’s still early and numbers can mislead or outright lie, but here are 15 things that strike me as pretty scary about the CCHA this week, in no particular order. 1. Ladies and Gentlemen, one of the hottest teams in the country, the Western Michigan Broncos! After losing to Canisius to open the season Oct. … Read more
It’s still early and numbers can mislead or outright lie, but here are 15 things that strike me as pretty scary about the CCHA this week, in no particular order. 1. Ladies and Gentlemen, one of the hottest teams in the country, the Western Michigan Broncos! After losing to Canisius to open the season Oct. … Read more
Three CCHA series, and a clearer picture of the league emerges already. Perhaps the single thing to take away from it? Miami really is that good. Thriving The RedHawks didn’t just sweep the visiting Wildcats; Miami crushed Northern, 13-1. As you probably know by now, junior defenseman Will Weber was injured in Saturday’s 9-1 game … Read more
Three CCHA series, and a clearer picture of the league emerges already. Perhaps the single thing to take away from it? Miami really is that good. Thriving The RedHawks didn’t just sweep the visiting Wildcats; Miami crushed Northern, 13-1. As you probably know by now, junior defenseman Will Weber was injured in Saturday’s 9-1 game … Read more