Paula C. WestonIn 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
My head is still spinning from the two days in Grand Rapids that changed the history of college hockey. A hearty congratulations to the Bemidji State Beavers, who earned every bit of their trip to the Frozen Four. What a great thing for that program, the incredible people associated with it and for college hockey. … Read more
My head is still spinning from the two days in Grand Rapids that changed the history of college hockey. A hearty congratulations to the Bemidji State Beavers, who earned every bit of their trip to the Frozen Four. What a great thing for that program, the incredible people associated with it and for college hockey. … Read more
For the Bemidji State Beavers, a little faith went a long way in Grand Rapids. “You believe because it’s your program, it’s your team,” said BSU head coach Tom Serratore. “You know what? You just believe.” The Beavers — the No. 16 seed overall in this year’s NCAA tournament — rode that belief to a … Read more
When Bemidji State opened its 5-1 win over Notre Dame with a goal just 1:42 in, the Beavers may have taken the Fighting Irish and many college hockey fans by surprise, but nobody who has seen the Beavers play in the second half would have thought it out of the ordinary. That’s because a strong … Read more
Don’t Mess with the CHA The Beavers came into this NCAA tournament as the CHA playoff champions in the league’s second-to-last season, and Bemidji head coach Tom Serratore wants the conference to get respect come tourney time next year. “I’m hoping that we get our automatic bid next year,” said Serratore. “I think it would … Read more
In NCAA tournament hockey, it’s not uncommon for unlikely heroes to emerge. Saturday, it was an injured Big Red player listed day-to-day and the 36th-best power play in the country that enabled Cornell to come from behind in a 3-2 victory over Northeastern. “It’s not really what we want, but it seems like the last … Read more