Archive of USCHO’s blog content
One weekend of games under our belt and already the levels of competitiveness and separation among the teams are very small. Figuring out line combinations and line-ups are still a work in progress for most teams along with the all-important levels of effort and focus. “We are still getting our heads around playing a full … Read more
Well, if this is the way the season is going to go, we are in for a lot of exciting hockey and some unpredictable finishes based on the opening weekend. No question the intensity is already high for all of the teams, so get ready for lots of action and some wild finishes! Upset Alert … Read more
Historic Win Oswego earned the 800th win in program history in convincing fashion on Saturday, rolling to a 10-1 win over Geneseo in a SUNYAC game. The Lakers improved to 4-0 overall and 3-0 in the conference as 10 players scored. Oswego has been playing hockey for 47 years at the NCAA level and owns … Read more
Here are the three things I think I learned this week. Three: Merrimack could be a force yet again this year. I’ll admit it. I thought this season would be a tough one for the Warriors. They’d excelled the past couple years despite the attrition, but they’d just lost too much this time around. Which is why I … Read more
If the first two weekends of CCHA play are any indication, this last season of the CCHA isn’t going to be over until it’s over. No sweeps, five teams with six points each, three shutouts. 1. A.J. Treais, dream crusher. The reason that Northern Michigan didn’t sweep Michigan at home came down to one play, … Read more
Three things from Atlantic Hockey play this weekend: 1. This was the first weekend of two-game inter pod series between teams that will not see each other again unless it’s in the postseason. The marquee matchup was between Holy Cross and Air Force, two teams that are expected to be near the top of the … Read more
Questions answered Last week, I questioned whether No. 8 Boston College, clearly one of the most talented squads in the country, was playing like a top-10 team. The Eagles responded with their best week of the season in a Wednesday-Saturday home-and-home series with archrival Boston University. BC blew out the No. 3 Terriers, 7-1, to … Read more
Wisconsin lost its most valuable skater, Mark Zengerle, to a broken left index finger suffered while killing a penalty in Saturday night’s 3-0 home loss to Colorado College. Zengerle will be out five to six weeks, according to Andy Johnson of Bucky’s Fifth Quarter, who spoke with Zengerle after the game. The Badgers’ sputtering offense … Read more
No givers in Red & Green Cornell and Dartmouth – the two Big Colors of Division 1 – are also the only remaining unbeatens among college hockey’s top ranks. Each squad is 3-0-1, with the Big Red taking three points and the Big Green four this weekend. Both teams may also consider themselves lucky after … Read more
Last week was splitsville for the CCHA. Will this week bring more of the same? Last week: 6-3-1 (.650) Season to date: 29-16-9 (.620) I would like to thank Alaska, Ferris State, Miami and Michigan for making me look good last week. I love the right-way splits. This week There are five league series this … Read more
This weekend, the D-III women’s hockey season kicks up another notch with many ECAC East, NCHA, and ECAC West schools opening up league play. There a couple of interesting matchups between expected conference contenders, as well as some mid-level games that should provide for some exciting hockey for the weekend. Oswego at Utica Oswego and Utica are … Read more
Every Friday, I’ll be picking some games for the ECAC West squads, and will track my results over the season. Here are my first week’s selections. Manhattanville at Hobart Manhattanville kicks off its 2012-13 campaign at Hobart (2-0-0), which has already posted two wins in its first two games. The visiting Valiants need to find … Read more
Well, last week finally saw a pretty good slate of picks for both Arlan and I. Unfortunately for me, because I picked Quinnipiac over Harvard and Minnesota State over Mercyhurst, I didn’t gain any ground on Arlan in the race for a six-pack. In fact, I lost another game. Last week I went 17-4-3 (.770), … Read more
The season gets underway Friday night, and there are already some key games early in the schedule to focus on. Everyone wants to get off to a good start and earn those all-important points in the standings that always seem to matter at the end of February when playoff seeding is finally determined. Here are … Read more
I must tell you up front that I am relatively new to the world of Division III hockey. So with this being my first time making picks on D-III hockey games, I will warn you that I could end up looking like a fool once the games are played. Still, I’ve never backed down from … Read more
This weekend, teams in the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association take a break from conference play for a full slate of nonconference match-ups. This will be my first stab at predicting NCHA games so I’m both excited and a bit nervous to see what my record will be on Sunday. Well, have to dive in at … Read more
This weekend marks the first of the 2012-13 season with a full slate of MCHA action. All eight teams will be matched up against conference opponents on Friday and Saturday. MSOE and Concordia are the only two teams that saw conference action last weekend, with the Engineers being victorious in both tilts. This is my … Read more
Finally a bounce-back week for me but I still couldn’t gain any ground on the Old Man. Jim last week: 7-1-2 Dave last week: 7-1-2 Jim’s record-to-date: 16-13-4 Dave’s record-to-date: 20-9-2 Here are this week’s picks: Friday, Nov. 2 Boston College at Maine Jim’s pick: Though I still am not convinced that Maine is a cellar-dwellar, I can’t pick the … Read more
Minnesota State (2-2-2, 0-2 WCHA) vs. No. 2 Minnesota (4-1, 1-1) Joe: Minnesota’s power play (15 percent) should find its footing against Minnesota State’s last-place penalty kill (71.4 percent) which would allow the Gophers, even though they are still trying to jell, to use their superior offensive talent to sweep this home and home series. … Read more
These are Nate’s picks for the weekend; check back for my own as soon as I can post them! -Brian Friday, Nov. 2 Alabama-Huntsville at St. Lawrence There’s a lot going on for the Saints in their home-opening weekend. St. Lawrence is ranked No. 16 in the latest USCHO poll, their first appearance in the … Read more