Paula C. WestonThe good news for Lake Superior State is that the Lakers return seven of eight defensemen and three of five double-digit goal scorers from a season ago. The bad news for Lake Superior State is that the Lakers return seven of eight — oh, do I really have to say it? “We have not been … Read more
The 2009-2010 CCHA: The Direction of Change “The moment of change,” said poet Adrienne Rich, “is the only poem.” If there’s even the smallest grain of truth in Rich’s statement, then CCHA fans are in for plenty of poetry in the coming months. Bowling Green has a new head coach. Nebraska-Omaha has a new head … Read more
In one season as head coach, Dallas Ferguson managed to take the Alaska Nanooks from ninth place to fourth, from 20 league points to 34, and from first-round playoff loser to Joe Louis Arena. It’s no wonder that he was awarded a five-year contract extension last week. And he doesn’t let a little success go … Read more
“For once, I’m returning a bit of a veteran team,” said Ohio State coach John Markell. If you’re not a Buckeye hockey fan, there is no way for you to appreciate the optimism of this statement. Markell tends toward the glass-half-empty side of life. In his defense, he has had to contend with some of … Read more
Fighting Irish coach Jeff Jackson can give his counterpart in Ann Arbor some competition in the understated department. “We’re returning a pretty good group of players,” he said in preseason, with a completely straight face. While Notre Dame graduated a senior class that was pivotal in the history of the program, the players who remain … Read more
In the past decade, the Western Michigan Broncos have finished higher than sixth place exactly once, in 2000-01, when they tied with Northern Michigan for fifth — and NMU won the tiebreaker that year for the higher playoff slot. So, it’s a bit strange to think of last year’s seventh-place finish as an accomplishment, but … Read more
In 2007-08, the Northern Michigan Wildcats began regular-season CCHA play with seven straight losses, six of them against three of the league’s top teams. By the end of that campaign, the ‘Cats had climbed to sixth place on the strength of a good second half, won a first-round home CCHA playoff series, and played their … Read more
You know what they say about a two-goal lead: it’s the hardest lead to keep. The 2008-09 Miami RedHawks proved true that old cliché on the most public of college hockey stages. Having netted two goals less than three minutes apart late in the third period of the 2009 NCAA championship game, the RedHawks played … Read more
Sure, the Ferris State Bulldogs ended their 2008-09 season with seven straight losses, including two to Nebraska-Omaha in the first round of the CCHA playoffs, a series in which FSU scored just a pair of goals. And sure, the Bulldogs had three total wins in the entire second half last year and averaged a hair … Read more
If the Michigan Wolverines weren’t so much fun to watch, college hockey fans who are not among the Maize and Blue faithful might tire of UM’s same old, same old: excellence, year after year after year. It’s been nearly 20 years since Michigan finished lower than third place in league standings; in that span the … Read more
One week after the CCHA rejected Alabama-Huntsville’s application for membership, one thing is still clear: There is much more to this situation than has been made public. Said CCHA Commissioner Tom Anastos, “There are a lot of moving parts.” The vote on Huntsville’s application was somewhat surprising, both in its timing and its format. The … Read more
So, what’s it going to be? The Alabama-Huntsville Chargers, or the Lake Superior State Lakers? Alabama-Huntsville, or Ferris State — or St. Cloud State, or Minnesota-Duluth, or everybody’s current darling, the Bemidji State Beavers? How would you like to have to make that choice? After the CCHA rejected UAH’s application for admission to the league, … Read more
On a team with this year’s Hobey Baker winner Matt Gilroy and another Hobey finalist, Colin Wilson, Boston University sophomore defenseman Colby Cohen seemed an unlikely candidate to score a game-winning goal for a national championship. In his first season last year, Cohen had three goals and 13 assists, putting him 10th among BU’s scorers. … Read more
When Bemidji State emerged from the Midwest Regional after downing Notre Dame and Cornell, the Beavers became instant media darlings and the unofficial new favorite team of everyone whose true love wasn’t playing in D.C. this weekend. The George Mason basketball pep band even adopted them for the Frozen Four when BSU didn’t have the … Read more
When Bemidji State emerged from the Midwest Regional after downing Notre Dame and Cornell, the Beavers became instant media darlings and the unofficial new favorite team of everyone whose true love wasn’t playing in D.C. this weekend. The George Mason basketball pep band even adopted them for the Frozen Four when BSU didn’t have the … Read more
After a scoreless first period in the national semifinals, the Miami RedHawks emerged from the second with a 3-1 lead on goals by Tommy Wingels, Alden Hirschfeld and Bill Loupee. Miami was the first team to score, at 3:54 on the second RedHawk power play of the game. Matt Read scored for Bemidji State, but … Read more
With a strong second period and steady goaltending from freshman Cody Reichard, the Miami University RedHawks beat the Bemidji State Beavers, 4-1, to become the third CCHA team in three years to advance to the NCAA championship game. “I thought it was a pretty good game,” said Miami coach Enrico Blasi. “Obviously, we got some … Read more
Miami vs. Bemidji State Thursday, 5 p.m. ET, Verizon Center, Washington, D.C. Miami RedHawks Record: 22-12-5, 17-7-4-2 CCHA (t-second) Seed: No. 13 overall, No. 4 West Road to Frozen Four: Beat Denver 4-2, beat Minnesota Duluth 2-1 2008 NCAA tournament: Lost in Northeast Regional final A month ago, the Miami RedHawks were reluctant spectators. Having … Read more
When Bemidji State upset Notre Dame and then Cornell in Grand Rapids, many among the Midwest Regional press corps groused about the way the Beavers’ wins would affect the television audiences for the Frozen Four. I have to admit that I expressed some of the same concerns after the Irish lost Saturday night. Given the … Read more
When Bemidji State upset Notre Dame and then Cornell in Grand Rapids, many among the Midwest Regional press corps groused about the way the Beavers’ wins would affect the television audiences for the Frozen Four. I have to admit that I expressed some of the same concerns after the Irish lost Saturday night. Given the … Read more