Columns, excluding “This Week” columns
Welcome back from what I hope was a happy holiday slumber, everyone. This season finally ramps back up this weekend as the NCHA squares off with the MIAC in a full set of crossover games, while a handful of MCHA teams are in action, most notably Adrian as the Bulldogs travel to Oswego to take … Read more
A Fresh Slate The start of the new year not only brings heaps of unfilled resolutions, but also signals the rebirth of Division III college hockey after a three week slumber. With most of the MASCAC idle last weekend and the ECAC Northeast and NESCAC engaging in mostly non-conference games, the true grind has yet … Read more
A Happy New Year to all! The second half of the season has begun and there are New Year’s resolutions abounding amongst the coaches and players as we start 2010. Some teams have already started with a holiday tournament while others are tasting their first competitive action in over two weeks this weekend. What are … Read more
Better Effort Elmira returned from the holiday break and jumped right into the fire at Oswego’s Pathfinder Classic tournament last weekend. The Soaring Eagles last game was an 8-1 thrashing of Utica way back on Dec. 5 and the long layoff showed as Elmira opened up against the Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) in the … Read more
Checking Back In When we last looked in on the MIAC, it was still two weeks before Christmas. Since then, several games have been played, and more big matchups are looming next weekend. Coming into their series against the Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE), St. Thomas had lost four games in a row. Over that … Read more
Three Tournament Champions Potsdam, Oswego, and Plattsburgh all celebrated the new year by bringing home hardware to put in their trophy cases. All three played in holiday tournaments, and all three won them. Potsdam was perhaps the most impressive of the lot because not only were they the only ones who did it on the … Read more
Team USA practice
USCHO.com national columnist Dave Starman, broadcasting the World Junior Championship for NHL Network, offers some thoughts on the tournament.
Switzerland vs. Latvia
Team USA practice Canada vs. Switzerland
The whole idea of turning college hockey games into outdoor “events” is starting to wear on USCHO national columnist Dave Starman.
Time flies. Or maybe one’s sense of it changes with age. So it is with women’s hockey. The fight to bring the sport under the NCAA umbrella is still fresh in mind, but it’s been 10 years since that battle was won. And now we’re about to witness women’s hockey make its fourth appearance in … Read more
The credibility of the sport is under attack, USCHO’s Brian Sullivan writes in a commentary.
Change of guard in the MIAC? The Gustavus Adolphus Gusties have been the premier team in the MIAC ever since the NCAA started sponsoring a Division III women’s ice hockey championship for the 2001-2002 season. The Gusties have won every MIAC Tournament since 2004 and a majority of the regular season crowns as well. However, … Read more
With most teams playing around 24 games this season, for many they are at the one third mark of the season. Or, as coach Jim Ward from Connecticut College, describes it: “It’s the end of the first period.†The Camels break up their season into three periods of eight games each which seems apropos for … Read more
Up in Orono, you use your snow tires for most of the hockey season because traction is always such a problem. Or at least it has been over the years for the UMaine women’s team. The Black Bears have been hard pressed to make the WHEA playoffs throughout their previous seven years in the league, … Read more
As these are our last columns of 2009, it’s time to take a look at the USCHO.com Division III men’s poll for the final time this calendar year. This week’s edition wasn’t overly surprising, though there was certainly some movement amongst NCHA and MCHA teams. After going 2-2 in its last four games, St. Norbert … Read more
Conference Roundup After all the unexpected results of the first two weeks of conference play, this past weekend seemed to finally answer some nagging questions. At the same time though, it did nothing to put any gaps between teams in the standings. Six teams are within four points of first place, meaning a great weekend … Read more
A Rare Feat Scoring a hat trick is an accomplishment to be proud of. Scoring a natural hat trick (three consecutive goals without anyone on either team scoring during that time span, and some would say it has to happen in the same period) is an even greater achievement, though it does rely on a … Read more
Back in the Groove? Hobart stumbled through the last two weeks of last month, starting on Nov. 14 when they gave up four one goal leads against Neumann. The bottom fell out the next weekend when Hobart dropped a pair of games against Elmira and the slide continued a week later out of conference with … Read more