Columns, excluding “This Week” columns
What a Friday slate of action that took place at Endicott College. Two very exciting games that had fans in the rink and everywhere going crazy with the exceptional play of four teams. No doubt the craziest game of the day and maybe in tournament history (certainly right up there with the historic St. Norbert … Read more
What the first semifinal game delivered in offensive volume, the second game delivered in a highly choreographed chess match between two very skilled teams that ended with a 3-1 win for Hobart in front of a raucous home Endicott fan base. Goals from Brenden Howell, Austin Mourar and an empty-net goal from Luke Aquaro were … Read more
In what truly may have been one of the craziest NCAA D-III tournament game, Adrian took an 8-7 overtime win over the University of New England on a power play goal by Alessio Luciani. The game saw five lead changes and dramatic swings that included an extra-attacker goal to send the game into extra time … Read more
Looking back on arguably the best season of D-III Women’s hockey we’ve seen to date for a multitude of reasons, we now need to recognize the players who’ve stood out. The awards that will be given are USCHO First-Team, Second-Team, Rookie of the Year (ROTY), Coach of the Year (COTY), & Player of the Year … Read more
With the Frozen Four upon us this weekend, the teams are certainly focused on the opportunity to win a national championship. The four teams bring different experiences to the table in their pursuit for the ultimate season prize and the bench bosses have a perspective that, in many ways, mirrors their team’s persona on the … Read more
More overtimes, more close games, and one more big upset were the hallmarks of the semifinal round. So, now there are just four teams remaining and it is Endicott as the No. 3 seed playing host next weekend in their very first NCAA Frozen Four appearance. That seems pretty special for the Gulls who will … Read more
A new champion has been crowned. Your 2023 D-III Women’s Hockey NCAA Champions are Gustavus Adolphus! The first ever national championship for the Gusties and also the first ever national championship for a western conference team! To add to the craziness, this was also the longest-ever NCAA D-III women’s hockey championship game ever played. Gustavus … Read more
The excitement continued into the quarterfinal round with two more overtime games and another major upset as the nation’s No. 1 team, Utica, was stunned in overtime by the University of New England for the second year in a row. Adrian also escaped with an overtime win over Wisconsin – Stevens Point while Hobart and … Read more
Saturday night hockey in the spotlight. Two national powers headed to overtime in a leave-it-all-on-the-ice battle to decide who goes on to play in the NCAA Division III Frozen Four and who heads for the exit door of the 2022-23 hockey season. And maybe, only fittingly, it was the nation’s leading scorer who delivered in … Read more
Matus Spodniak had a tough time in his first three years of college hockey. He played in a total of seven games during that stretch while at American International. Transferring to Adrian to last season provided him with a new outlook and an opportunity he did not hesitate to capitalize on. Not only is Spodniak … Read more
Last week saw some incredibly competitive and close hockey in each of the first-round games which included two overtime games and one very extended four overtime thriller. The top seeded teams awaited the outcome from last week’s action and are now preparing for quarterfinal action with the hope of garnering a spot in this year’s … Read more
What magic the first round and overall seeding of the NCAA tournament has created with yet another re-match in the quarterfinals that sees UNE again visiting the No. 1 seeded Utica team with a berth in the Frozen Four at stake. Last year the Nor’easters blew into town and came away with a stunning upset … Read more
UW-Stevens Point is one step closer to a return to the NCAA Division IIi Frozen Four for the first time since 2019. In the tourney for the first time since that magical season four years ago, the Pointers are back in action Saturday against reigning champion Adrian after surviving a four-overtime battle with Augsburg last … Read more
While Hobart has sat waiting for their opponent to emerge from last week’s first round games, they are now preparing for a battle with a resilient Curry squad that needed overtime for a 1-0 win over Bowdoin. Both teams are looking for that statement win that will propel them to the Frozen Four and both … Read more
DULUTH — With three of the four teams coming out of the WCHA (who I see play more often than other conferences by virtue of my living in Milwaukee and writing about women’s hockey not being lucrative enough to allow me to travel all over for games) I have been writing previews of these teams … Read more
Way back on October 29, 2022, the Cadets traveled to face-off against the Gulls in the opening game of the 2022-23 season and skated away with a 3-0 road victory. The Gulls have been anxiously awaiting the outcome of the first-round game between Plattsburgh v. Norwich for their quarterfinal opponent and now have the chance … Read more
Well, let me just say that if anyone thought they knew what was going to happen in the first round of the NCAA tournament, they were likely underestimating the drama that ensued on Saturday night across all four games. Three games went to overtime including a four-overtime marathon between Wisconsin – Stevens Point and Augsburg. … Read more
Wow. That’s one way to describe the reaction to UW-Stevens Point’s marathon NCAA Division III opening around hockey tournament game Saturday night against Augsburg. Unreal. Amazing. Thrilling. Insane. Those words fit as well. Especially when you consider some of the numbers that came out a four-overtime thriller for the ages between the Pointers and Auggies … Read more
Ryan Wagner has been playing goalie most of his life. The position just always appealed to him, and the UW-Stevens Point hockey senior standout hasn’t looked back. “I think as a kid, I enjoyed that you got to be on the ice all the time. And I thought the gear was really cool,” Wagner said. … Read more
It is time to go dancing at the national tournament and while the season saw its fair share of crazy results on a week in and week out basis, the 2022-23 NCAA tournament field is not surprising other than the NESCAC entrant from Bowdoin. Then again, that should not be too much of a surprise … Read more