Columns, excluding “This Week” columns
Well Santa, it has been a while since I wrote one of these on behalf of all good young men playing their hearts out on the ice in D-III East men’s hockey action. I am sure that you, Mrs. Claus and all of the elves have thoroughly enjoyed the bi-weekly testing, vaccinations, boosters and North … Read more
By any measure, the Massachusetts men’s hockey team has turned in a successful defense (so far) of its NCAA championship season from last year. The Minutemen are 9-4-2 overall, ranked No. 12 in the most recent DCU/USCHO.com Division I poll, are second in Hockey East with a 7-2-2 record and — perhaps most importantly — … Read more
The first half the ECAC Hockey season concludes on Friday when Dartmouth travels to take on Hockey East’s Merrimack. While the results on the ice haven’t been there for many of the league’s teams – eight schools enter the break with an overall record of .500 of worse – the fact all 12 conference members … Read more
There are no surprises atop the MIAC as the first half comes to a close. Saint John’s and Augsburg have established themselves as the top two teams in the league at the moment. The Johnnies have won their last six while the Auggies have won two in a row and nine of their first 10 … Read more
It hasn’t quite been a return to normal in college hockey this season, because “normal” has been difficult to define. But Atlantic Hockey has managed to play every league game scheduled, in front of fans, so that’s something to be grateful for. Let’s take a look at where things stand at roughly the halfway point … Read more
Chances are, you have gone to the Internet for tips on all sorts of activities. Social media platforms, in particular, are chock-full with videos that provide inspiration. In that way, at least, hockey players are just like the rest of us. Western Michigan fifth-year forward Ethen Frank had a remarkable first half of the season … Read more
It may not get the coverage of similar matchups in Minnesota, Michigan or Massachusetts, but Ohio State coach Steve Rohlik is excited to renew the in-state rivalry between Ohio State and Bowling Green this weekend. In one of the few contests across the country this weekend, the Buckeyes and Falcons will play a home-and-home series … Read more
Overtime game on the road? Not a problem at all for the Adrian Bulldogs. The second-ranked team in the nation survived a big test against No. 9 Wilkes Saturday, extending their win streak to 10 with a 3-2 victory. Zach Goberis scored the game winner a little over three minutes into overtime. Adrian head coach … Read more
It wasn’t a good final weekend for either the ranked or unbeaten as Hobart fell to a resurgent Trinity squad while Geneseo suffered their first loss to non-conference rival Elmira. MASCAC leaders Plymouth State found themselves with a pair of losses to Wesleyan and New England College and Williams suffered their first loss in NESCAC … Read more
For the past few weeks, the top-ranked team in the country has lost at least once. There’s no telling if this is because there’s extra pressure on the team at the top, or if teams playing No. 1 are especially excited at the chance to earn a marquee win, but one thing is certain: Those … Read more
It’s been a busy and eventful first half of the season in women’s college hockey. With all the other happenings, there’s barely been time to take in the big picture. But as we head into the final weekend before the winter break, it might be time to ask: What’s going on in Hockey East? The … Read more
Yes, it’s a battle of longtime cross-town rivals. But a lot more than just a share of intra-city bragging rights will be on the line Friday when Boston College (7-5-2, 5-3-1 Hockey East) takes the short trip down Comm. Ave to Boston University (6-9-2, 5-5-2) for the first of three meetings between the two schools … Read more
While every Ivy League team entered this season with a lot of uncertainty, Yale likely had the most questions of any of the six teams who were resuming play after a year-long layoff. The Bulldogs entered the season with 24 players on their roster, yet only nine of those players had played in a college … Read more
NCHC commissioner Josh Fenton is always busy at this time of year, with the college hockey season nearing its halfway point. Now, though, he has even more on his plate as he transitions from leading a conference with one sport to another with 19. Fenton was announced Friday as the next commissioner of the Summit … Read more
The 2021-22 season has brought a variety of COVID-influenced changes to virtually every program playing hockey at the D-III level. Depending on the events or program activities from the largely canceled season, there are new elements that include “super-seniors,” an abundance of new and young players, transfers and more. For Babson’s Paul Boutoussov, the new … Read more
Air Force coach Frank Serratore knows his team is a work in progress. He pointed out at the beginning of his season that the Falcons were one of, if not the youngest team in Division I, with 17 underclassmen on the roster and just one senior. And that’s in a year where most teams are … Read more
Michigan State had improved slightly each season since Danton Cole was hired as head coach in 2017. Until last year, that is. Like many other teams, the 2020-21 season was not kind to the Spartans. There just aren’t many ways to polish a 7-18-2 overall record into anything positive, but with one series remaining in … Read more
There were some key games played amongst league leaders with Babson beating previously unbeaten Norwich, Utica downing Wilkes and Endicott doing the same to Curry in a weekend series split. The battles on the ice have been great but there have still been COVID protocol impacts felt across the region and especially in NESCAC where … Read more
While the fundraising date for the Robert Morris Athletic Department and Pittsburgh College Hockey Foundation (PCHF) is quickly approaching, Derek Schooley, men’s hockey coach and Director of Hockey Ops, isn’t solely focused on the money. The PCHF was formed after RMU cut their men’s and women’s hockey programs and has joined with the athletic department … Read more
When the season started, Northern Michigan had something of a defensive crisis. The Wildcats barely had enough healthy bodies to field a full defensive unit. At one point, they had just four regular blueliners. Adding to that, the team’s No. 1 goalie, Rico DiMatteo, wasn’t 100 percent after recovering from surgery. “We played a series … Read more