Columns, excluding “This Week” columns
Hassan Akl has played a huge role in Aurora’s rise to one of the nation’s best Division III hockey teams. He’s top 10 in the NCHA in goals and assists, and actually leads D-III in assists. And none of it should be a surprise considering the work the junior forward puts in, especially in the … Read more
Are we ready for some playoff hockey? There will be plenty of it this weekend as the MIAC, WIAC and NCHA tournaments take place. The MIAC is beginning postseason play while the WIAC and NCHA are continuing on with their tournaments. Time to dive in with some picks and see who is going to advance … Read more
With tonight’s quarterfinal home playoff game against Massachusetts-Dartmouth just hours away, the Salem State Vikings will be hosting a home conference tournament game for the first time since 2017 – ironically the last year they won the MASCAC title. The Vikings have found a winning formula that has led to an 18-6-0 record and a … Read more
Gustavus is the regular season champion in the MIAC for the first time since 2010 after beating Hamline 6-5 in overtime on Friday night. The Gusties lost 7-4 to the Pipers Saturday but it had bearing on a MIAC race that was tightly contested. Gustavus led 3-1 after one and 5-3 going into the third … Read more
Northland played the final game of its men’s hockey season Saturday night. And like 25 other times this year, the Lumberjacks lost. They fell 4-0 to UW-Eau Claire in the second and final game of an opening round WIAC tournament series. But this loss feels different. It has a colder and harsher reality to it … Read more
It’s the final weekend of hockey in the MIAC as far as the regular season is concerned. In the WIAC and NCHA, the first round of action gets underway in their respective tournaments. Here’s a look at some of the games and picks for the weekend ahead. Gustavus (13-8-2, 9-3-2) vs. Hamline (7-16, 5-9) The … Read more
While there are many things yet to be resolved in the conferences across the east in D-III, only NESCAC finds the final weekend where every team is still alive with playoff hopes and positions among the ten teams are pretty much all up for grabs with the exception of Hamilton’s first place perch. Just two … Read more
Tyler Braccini was once told by a coach that he’d never be that great of a college hockey player, not even at the Division III level. “I was told some harsh things,” Braccini said. “One coach, I won’t name names, told me I’d never even be an average D-III hockey player. That’s been on my … Read more
It’s been a season to remember for UW-Superior, and another highlight was added over the weekend as the Yellowjackets claimed the regular season WIAC championship. Facing UW-Stevens Point in the final game, the Yellowjackets clinched the title in a shootout win thanks to a goal by Carson Riddle, who scored for the 2-1 shootout win … Read more
The Endicott Gulls are ranked among the best teams in the country and are focused on the remainder of the regular season heading into the Conference of New England playoffs later this month. A Friday night showdown with league leading Curry is in clear focus for the team but tomorrow’s Senior Night will send the … Read more
A recent Instagram post saying it was time for the NCAA to put the Women’s Frozen Four in NHL arenas received more than 2,000 likes and was shared by a number of DI coaches. Citing a large crowd for the Women’s Beanpot and the fact that the men’s Frozen Four is played in NHL arenas, … Read more
It’s Valentine’s Day weekend and there will be no love lost between teams as they compete in conference play. A lot is riding on every game. The weekend includes nationally ranked battles between Adrian and Trine and UW-Superior and UW-Stevens Point. Augsburg (7-13-1, 3-8-1)vs. Saint John’s (8-12-1, 5-6-1) The Auggies are in last place in … Read more
Marian pulled off a big win over the weekend, edging seventh-ranked Trine 5-4 on Saturday. Tied at 2-2 after two, the Sabres outscored the Thunder 3-2 in the final period, getting a game-winning goal from Daunte Fortner, who found the back of the net with 10.3 seconds to play in regulation. The goal was Fortner’s … Read more
Only a few weeks remain in the regular season and things start to matter even more now as teams battle for playoff positioning and take aim at clinching a conference title. Without further delay, here are some predictions for the weekend. MIAC St. Scholastica (11-9-1, 6-6) )vs. St. Olaf (9-7-3, 4-5-1 The Saints look to … Read more
With a comfortable lead in the conference standings and just four games remaining on the regular season schedule, the St. Anselm Hawks are not taking the final games of the season lightly in preparation for a NE-10 championship run. While the team has flourished in conference play and found new player combinations to create balanced … Read more
Derek Humphreys had a lot of long days over the summer. He worked in a warehouse and then spent his free time shooting pucks. Humphreys has seen that hard work pay off, establishing himself as one of the top scoring threats in the NCHA while helping the Concordia Falcons put together a turnaround season. “The … Read more
St. Norbert rose to the occasion in a weekend series against Adrian, with the Green Knights coming through with a sweep in a showdown of nationally ranked opponents. Seventh-ranked St. Norbert dominated both games against the No. 9 Bulldogs, winning 6-2 and 5-0 on the road to sweep Adrian for only the second time in … Read more
When you are the two-time defending national champions and have just established a new NCAA unbeaten streak (currently at 41 games), you might think that everything is perfectly aligned and calibrated with the 17-0-0 Hobart Statesmen. Not so for Coach Mark Taylor and staff who have a very deep roster that competes hard and has … Read more
The final month of the season is here and conference games headline another weekend. None will be bigger than the games taking place in the NCHA, where Adrian hosts St. Norbert and Trine takes on Aurora. All four teams are nationally ranked. Here’s a look at predictions for those matchups and more. St. Norbert (14-5, … Read more
If you are going to win your first game of the season, might as well do it in style. That was the case for the Dubuque Spartans on Saturday in their showdown with nationally ranked Adrian. They shook off an early deficit, rallied to force overtime and then won the game 5-4 just 33 seconds … Read more