Columns, excluding “This Week” columns
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
The final full weekend of January is here and conference action is heating up. It’s the time of the year where teams really begin to battle for position and every game means a little more. Here’s a look at the picks for the weekend. Augsburg (5-11-1, 1-6-1) vs. Hamline (6-11, 4-4) The Auggies are winless … Read more
A quick look at the conference standings in the east sees some familiar and expected names at the top of the tables. That is until you get to the SUNYAC where a very young Buffalo State roster currently sits atop the standings with a 5-1-0 record in league as they prep for the stretch run … Read more
Reed Stark has an interesting story to tell when it comes to how he ended up at UW-Superior. It was late summer, 2021, and he reached out to one of his former coaches about trying to find a place to play at the collegiate level. Fortunately, his former coach happened to be good friends with … Read more
Lake Forest came to play in Friday’s NCHA series opener against No. 6 Adrian, stunning the Bulldogs 5-2 on Friday night for its first win over a ranked team this season. Dylan Kruss played a key role in the win, stopping 38 shots against the Bulldogs, who came into the night on an nine-game winning … Read more
It’s the middle of January and the action on the ice isn’t slowing down. We’ve got a handful of MIAC-WIAC crossover games and a full slate of NCHA games, with all three ranked conference opponents in action. Here’s a look at this week’s picks. Concordia (5-9-1, 1-4-1) at St. Scholastica (8-6-1, 3-3) Both teams come … Read more
After suffering their first loss of the season last weekend to a familiar antagonist in Elmira, the Geneseo Knights rebounded in a big way with a decisive win over Fredonia and now face their final twelve games of the season in their new UCHC affiliation looking for a conference title and more. “Candidly, I was … Read more
Two top 10 teams battled in NCHA play and it was Adrian that prevailed, holding off Trine 4-3 at home. The seventh-ranked Bulldogs scored three times in the final frame to secure the win over the No. 5 Thunder. It was David Clarke that delivered the game winning goal, scoring with a little over five … Read more
After winning the Northfield Savings Bank Tournament hosted by Norwich with wins over Plymouth State and the host school just after the New Year, the Hamilton Continentals are nationally ranked in the top ten and are looking to make a strong run for a NESCAC title with only conference games remaining on their schedule. “We … Read more
January is flying by and the action on the ice is heating up. We have several big games on tap this weekend, including a key matchup in the MIAC featuring Gustavus and Saint Mary’s. The biggest matchup of the weekend, though, pits Trine against Adrian in a battle of nationally ranked NCHA opponents. Without further … Read more
Brennan Boynton didn’t get a chance to play at UW-River Falls last season after transferring in from Division I American International. But this year is he back on the ice, holding down the role as starting goalie for the Falcons. “It’s been awesome. I haven’t played a full season since my second year of juniors … Read more
Nothing like ringing in the new year with a matchup featuring nationally ranked teams. That’s what hockey fans were treated to on Saturday as No. 15 UW-Stevens Point knocked off second-ranked St. Norbert by a 4-1 score at home. The Pointers (7-4-1) avenged a 6-2 loss to the Green Knights (12-3) and stayed unbeaten at … Read more
Christmas is history and we have are ready for a new year and a full slate of hockey as the second half of the D-III West season gets rolling. St. Norbert at UW-Stevens Point What a way to begin 2025 by having two ranked opponents square off for the second time this season. The No. … Read more
For Keene State head coach Bobby Rodrigue, the 2024-25 season is an opportunity to see his new NCAA level team play an independent schedule and get acclimated to the D-III game before they become part of the new Little East hockey conference next season. After a slow start to the campaign, the Owls entered the … Read more
It’s the day before Christmas, and all through the D-III hockey world, rinks are as silent as the night. The hockey sticks are hung by the chimney with care in the hopes of them soon being used to score plenty of goals in the second half of the season. Coaches, athletes and fans are home … Read more