Columns, excluding “This Week” columns
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
Augsburg went all the way to the national semifinals a season ago. And now the Auggies have an opportunity to make another run in the NCAA tournament. Their quest begins Saturday night against UW-Stevens Point on the road in an opening-round game, with the winner advancing to play reigning champion Adrian. Here are three things … Read more
This first round matchup reflects the age-old question of whether it is better to be the hot team that found their game at the right time of the season versus the team that has been consistent all season but slipped in their chance for a conference title. Bowdoin has been on fire in February and … Read more
Last March, the NCAA tournament field saw both these teams receiving bids as winners of their respective conferences and the seeding positioning them against each other in the first round, hosted by UNE. Fast forward to March of 2023 and the MASCAC champion Panthers get to play host in a return matchup with the Nor’easters … Read more
With two games split during the regular season, these long-time rivals now find themselves playing for much bigger stakes on a national stage. Each team is coming from a different vantage point for Saturday’s game with the host Cardinals fresh off their SUNYAC championship win over Oswego while Norwich earned an at-large bid following their … Read more
The National College Women’s Bracket was announced on Sunday. The 11 team is set and play in the NCAA Tournament begins Thursday evening. Ohio State, who lost the WCHA Tournament Championship game to Minnesota, retained their top spot thanks to their body of work over the course of the season and earned the top overall … Read more
What an amazing weekend of D-II/III college hockey as championships were decided across each of the conferences in the region. While NESCAC created the most drama with a No. 7 Bowdoin vs. a No. 8 Williams overtime title game, Plattsburgh returned to the top of the SUNYAC with a heart-stopping 2-1 win at Oswego and … Read more
The Utica Pioneers have been here before. Highly ranked and winners of the regular season in the UCHC. They have even gone on to win the league tournament and highly seeded in the NCAAs but have not translated all those things into a national championship for the school – Yet! This year Utica finished the … Read more
Three games. Three titles. Three berths to the NCAA Division III hockey tournament on the line. It all comes down to an exciting Saturday night of hockey in the west region. The NCHA final features a pair of top 10 teams in the USCHO NCAA Division III men’s poll, with No. 3 Adrian and No. … Read more
It all has come down to this weekend and the opportunity the conference finalists have to win a league championship and advance to the NCAA tournament. For St. Anselm and St. Michael’s it is all about winning the only title they can play for as D-II teams, but the D-III teams all know the … Read more