Columns, excluding “This Week” columns
Minnesota hasn’t played an in-state rival for conference points since March of 2013, but in the middle of back-to-back series against St. Cloud State and Minnesota Duluth, it feels like we’ve been transported back a couple years. The Gophers and Bulldogs will face off in a home-and-home bout this weekend with Friday’s game being played … Read more
During this season’s CCHA preseason conference call, Minnesota State coach Mike Hastings was asked about the fact that his team is set to play six consecutive games against top-ranked teams to start the new season. Hastings joked that he wanted to throw former assistant coach Darren Blue under the bus but couldn’t because he also … Read more
Such is the life of college hockey fans in October — wait all summer for the season to start, only to have to wait even longer for conference play to get going in earnest. Ten of Hockey East’s 11 teams (all but Maine) will be in action this weekend, playing 16 total games, but only … Read more
Transfer players have always played a role in college hockey. But while transfers once served to plug a hole or two on a team’s roster, some schools took advantage of a new rule to help makeover their lineup for this season. Last spring, the NCAA Division I council voted to allow undergraduate players in football, … Read more
We can’t all be the Tom Brady of our sport, but North Dakota goaltender Zach Driscoll feels he has a couple of irons in the fire. A graduate student who played the last three hockey seasons at Bemidji State, Driscoll in the summer of 2020 was introduced to the sport of pickleball by fellow Twin … Read more
Their roster makeup is quite different, Mel Pearson hails from Canada and Scott Sandelin is from Minnesota’s Iron Range, and nobody is going to confuse Ann Arbor and the Twin Ports. Even if not much else is the same, Michigan would probably like to emulate Minnesota Duluth’s season-ending results from the last half-decade or so. … Read more
Depending on who you talk to, the new NCAA rules around player movement, the ability to transfer and play immediately plus the extra year of eligibility players have been given due to the pandemic, are making things better…or in some cases, worse for college hockey. Players now have more choice and control over their college … Read more
Each coach and program have different criteria for what they look for on the recruiting trail. Sure, everyone is looking for talent on the ice, but there’s so much more that goes into a player’s makeup. There are players every program wants, but for up-and-coming teams that may not be able to land those recruits, … Read more
The turmoil of conference restructuring in men’s college hockey largely has not affected the women’s game over the past ten years or so. And while operationally, the shuttering of the men’s WCHA this summer didn’t much change things for the WCHA women, it signaled the end of one era of the league and an interesting opportunity for the future.
After starting the season 2-2-1, Elmira finished the season winning 8 of 10 games including three in the UCHC playoffs leading to their first ever UCHC championship. The playoff wins included a 6-0 quarterfinal home-ice victory over Chatham before the visiting Soaring Eagles knocked off No. 1 seed Utica in triple overtime in the semifinals. … Read more
Congratulations to the Elmira Soaring Eagles!! Elmira took out the two top seeds to earn their first ever UCHC title. We are talking playoffs and a championship won in the UCHC as the 2020-21 season champion was decided on Easter Monday. It was a great playoff week and there were a few other easter eggs … Read more
The UCHC standings are finalizing for the playoffs beginning with quarterfinal action this Wednesday and while some non-conference teams are closing out their abbreviated season, others like Hobart, Skidmore and Trinity are finally playing games to see how they stack up competitively. Here is a recap of all the week’s action: Non-Conference Norwich v. New … Read more
The UCHC standings are heating up as the regular season winds down and Connecticut College pulled off the upset of the weekend with a 2-1 win over previously unbeaten Norwich. Here is a recap of all of the week’s action: Non-Conference Anna Maria v. Plymouth State On Thursday, the visiting AmCats jumped out to an … Read more
A couple of the regional powers, Babson and Norwich, continued their unbeaten ways while the UCHC heats up with Stevenson and Chatham starting to get their game in high gear. Here is the full wrap-up from the busiest weekend so far: Non-Conference Becker v. Southern Maine On Tuesday, the visiting Hawks looked to be on … Read more
Following multiple delays and a 14-day in-room quarantine period, the Norwich Cadets finally and officially kicked off their season last week with three games in four days against in-state rival Castleton. While the season is quite short and there is no conference or national tournament trophy to be won, the team is committed to advancing … Read more
There was big excitement in Waterville, Maine where Colby opened the new Jack Kelley Rink against the University of New England. In Vermont, Castleton did something no team had done in over 400 calendar days and 11 games when they scored a goal against the Cadets, ending an incredible NCAA record. Here is the wrap-up … Read more
While some cancellations continue to COVID, several new teams kicked off play this weekend including Norwich, Nichols, and Connecticut College. Action in the UCHC continued with a mix of tight games and a couple of upsets. Here is a summary from this past weekend’s action: Non-Conference Castleton v. New England College The two NEHC rivals … Read more
Between the end of the 2019-2020 season and the current 2020-2021 season, the COVID dynamic has created a variety of challenges for institutions, coaches, and players alike. While some teams and one conference in the D-III ranks in the east are playing real games, all are looking forward to a more normal hockey season in … Read more
The UCHC has officially commenced conference play and the action did not disappoint across the league games played. Elsewhere there were additional COVID-related postponements, but teams continue to find a way to play out the shortened season. Here is a summary from this past weekend’s action: Anna Maria v. New England College The two teams … Read more
This weekend begins in earnest the six-week season sprint for the UCHC championship as the league commences play as the only conference in the East to do so. With nine teams playing, King’s opted out of the season, the schedule is both condensed and intense in the travel schedule with teams playing eight of the … Read more