Columns, excluding “This Week” columns
The somewhat surprising Fitchburg State Falcons, winners of the MASCAC tournament will travel to play Utica on Saturday in the first round of the national tournament with both teams coming into the game in very different places. The Falcons are on a five-game win streak including three conference tournament victories that claimed their fist MASCAC … Read more
The newly crowned SUNYAC champion Oswego State Lakers will travel to Indiana to face nationally-ranked Trine on Saturday in the opening round of the NCAA D-III National Championship tournament. The Thunder received an at-large bid following an excellent regular season and semifinal loss to St. Norbert in the NCHA conference tournament back on March 1. … Read more
St. Norbert has now gone back-to-back as the NCHA champions. The Green Knights completed the repeat Saturday night with a 7-4 win over rival Adrian to claim the Harris Cup. Ranked fourth in the USCHO.com poll, St. Norbert trailed early but scored four goals in the second to take control. The Green Knights eventually led … Read more
This is it. Three conference championships will be decided this weekend in the west region of NCAA Division III hockey. And a lot is riding on the games as not only is a conference title at stake, but an auto bid to the NCAA tournament is on the line as well. MIAC Gustavus (15-9-2) vs. … Read more
If ever there were two teams that showed that the regular season was not necessarily an indicator of playoff performance, look no further than MASCAC’s Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) and SUNYAC’s Plattsburgh. Both teams struggled in the regular season to qualify for the playoffs but have found the magic formula in their game … Read more
Oh what a wild game it was between UW-Eau Claire and rival UW-Stevens Point in a decisive mini game of a WIAC semifinal series on Saturday night. The Blugolds had lost 4-1 to the Pointers, ranked ninth in the USCHO.com poll, in Game 2, giving up four goals in the third as their dreams were … Read more
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