Archive of USCHO’s blog content
Anyone will tell you that taking penalties will put you on the business end of a loaded gun … especially against BU this season. Harvard just took their third minor … and killed it, despite all odds; the Terriers are working the PP at a nifty little 24 percent clip this season. That’s a double-barreled … Read more
The Terriers couldn’t pot a number of quality opportunities on the power play, and what happens? The underdog Crimson — who clearly have nothing to lose — got the puck to the forward Biega (Michael, whereas older brother Alex cruises the blueline) and he wristed a 30-footer from the right-wing slot low past Kieran Millan. … Read more
Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to Beanpot 2009. In the inimitable words of local PA legend Jim Prior, the teams are ready … so let’s play hockey! The TDBankNorthDunkinDonutsSullivanTireThunderDomeArena already houses a respectable quarter-capacity, no doubt bred in part by Boston University’s new No. 1 ranking in the poll. BU’s Dog Pound is … Read more
After Friday’s games, the top eight teams in the WCHA standings were separated by eight points. After Saturday, it was seven points between first place and eighth place. At that rate, this is going to get ridiculous. But the WCHA, as close as it is, isn’t without company in the tight-standings department. In ECAC Hockey, … Read more
Alabama-Huntsville is applying for a spot in the CCHA, the Huntsville Times reported today. At the same time, UAH is expressing some interest in the WCHA, with athletic director Jim Harris telling the newspaper that it will send a “letter of intent” to the WCHA in regard to making an application. The WCHA briefly opened … Read more
Rumors that Atlantic Hockey will admit Robert Morris and Niagara for the 2010-11 season seem to be on the verge of becoming official, according to Chris Lerch’s story on USCHO.com. That move, combined with the WCHA’s recent vote to lift its moratorium on expansion, are good news for the programs that now comprise College Hockey … Read more
Two teams. Two news releases. Two leagues. Two notes of support. Two different messages. That about sums up what we got today in the wake of incidents last Saturday night in the CCHA and the WCHA. First, the more severe one. Michigan State has suspended Corey Tropp and Andrew Conboy for the rest of the … Read more
Call it winter doldrums, but this writers mind is struggling to find great topics about which to blog this week. So instead, I’ll pass along some random musings… – I wonder if I’m the only person whose jaw dropped when someone told me that Air Force is currently in second place in Atlantic Hockey. I’ll … Read more
Watching my e-mail over the last few days, I’ve noticed a few teams pointing out that they’re choosing to practice outside. Yale did so on Tuesday, taking to a pond on the school’s golf course for a skate that associate head coach C.J. Marottolo said “makes you realize why you love the game and how … Read more
Voters are going to have an interesting choice to make today when they set about picking the Number One Division III team in the nation. Plattsburgh, which has been on top of the poll for the past six weeks, lost to Skimore in its only action last week. Number Two UW-Superior also lost its only … Read more
As USCHO.com’s Todd Milewski first reported, the WCHA voted unanimously on Thursday to lift the league’s moratorium on expansion. This could be the first step in saving four NCAA Division I programs, namely the four members of the CHA. The best news from the vote belongs to Bemidji State. A perfect geographic fit, the Beavers … Read more
I wasn’t surprised to see that the WCHA voted Thursday to suspend its moratorium on expansion. I was surprised — and commissioner Bruce McLeod said he was, too — that the vote was unanimous. You may ask: What’s the harm in lifting the moratorium? It doesn’t put the league on the hook to approve anyone. … Read more
Just a heads-up that the NCAA convention is next week in Washington, D.C., and during it, the WCHA will hold meetings that could change the college hockey landscape. The league meetings on Thursday include a discussion of the moratorium on expansion that has been in place since Minnesota State joined in 1999. Six of the … Read more
So I ask my fellow Americans: Am I the only one that is getting extremely bored with the World Junior Championship. I do thank the good folks at USA Hockey for negotiating a deal with NHL Network to broadcast all of Team USA’s games as well as the medal round this year. Unfortunately, the quality … Read more
Another season of breathtaking holiday tournaments is in the books. There were a few upsets (hello, Miami?), a couple of near upsets (Holy Cross over Denver sticks out!) and all around excellent hockey. Some observations… – Having watched them play for the first time, I have to say Cornell is pretty legit. They did a … Read more
What you find when you talk to people around hockey is that, no matter how many leagues bring the shootout into being, it doesn’t look like the concept will even gain full acceptance. After his team lost a shootout 1-0 for the championship of the Badger Hockey Showdown last Sunday, I asked Lake Superior State … Read more
Every year, maybe just for my own amusement, I compile the rankings of college hockey’s holiday tournaments in order of combined winning percentage. It started as a quest a few years back to track how many tournaments there were on a yearly basis — it seemed like the number was getting out of hand — … Read more
It’s the New Years portion of the Holiday Tournament season, with several intriguing matchups in store: Salem State Ice Hockey Classic (Salem, Mass.) When: December 27 & 28 Who: Salem State (host), Salve Regina, Penn State, Bowdoin Outlook: Club powerhouse Penn State will take on the host Vikings in the first round. Bowdoin won this … Read more
As an early Christmas present to ourselves, one of my hockey-loving girlfriends from Mott, Liz, and I made the trip from Flint to Detroit on Monday, Dec. 15, to see the Red Wings take on the Avalanche. It was the first NHL game I would attend as a fan – no press box, no laptop, … Read more
The thing I remember most about former Oswego and Neumann goalie Bret Leonhardt was his size. At 6-7 he took up a lot of the net. Leonhardt, who played college hockey from 2003-2007 is now the webmaster for the Washington Capitals, and, due to a temporary goalie shortage, had to suit up as a backup … Read more