Columns, excluding “This Week” columns
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
USCHO senior writers Jim Connelly and Todd D. Milewski go over conference standings in this week’s edition.
It seems to be the Golden Age of the young goalie. You’ve got Minnesota freshman Noora Raty, to whom every incoming puck must seem like a beach ball, because she’s stopping virtually every last one of them. And you’ve got sophomore Hillary Pattenden, whose parsimonious netminding (that means she’s really stingy) is a big reason … Read more
Around the League While most students were home for Thanksgiving break, four MIAC schools saw action over the holiday weekend. St. John’s and Concordia (MN) traveled to Adrian, Michigan to face off against Buffalo State and Adrian College, St. Thomas hosted the University of Wisconsin-Superior for one game, and St. Olaf traveled to Illinois to … Read more
ECAC West Rivals Heading In Separate Directions? Two weeks ago, Elmira and Plattsburgh met for their annual ECAC West conference games at the Ronald B. Stafford Ice Arena in Plattsburgh. Although both games were tightly contested, Plattsburgh walked away with a sweep and four crucial ECAC West points against its arch-rival. On the first night, … Read more
Unfamiliar Contempt Familiarity breeds contempt. Or so the saying goes. However, for Potsdam and Utica, two teams that haven’t played each other since Oct. 2005, they had no problems developing plenty of enmity toward each other. They played a two game series in central New York. A hard fought, hard hitting, highly emotional two contests. … Read more
With the final two Division III conferences kicking off their campaigns, already there are some surprises. Some teams have already surpassed expectations, others who have fallen short. But there is the holiday break coming and then the grind of January and February that will determine where everyone lines up for the playoffs. So if your … Read more
Adjusting In an unusual Saturday/Sunday schedule, Manhattanville lost its first two games of the year, both in non-conference play. The Valiants dropped their first contest to Curry, 3-2, and then saw its weekend completely fall apart Sunday afternoon against Williams, losing 5-1. “Curry and Williams played great road games,” said Manhattanville head coach Keith Levinthal. … Read more
Does Bemidji State answer to the name David anymore? That’s one of the topics as USCHO.com senior writers Jim Connelly and Todd D. Milewski debate.
It’s not often that a spirited, high-octane hockey tilt leaves everybody feeling groovy (if not warm and fuzzy). That’s one thing that made Sunday’s exhibition featuring the U.S. National Team and a squad of WHEA All-Stars, staged at UNH, stand out: there were no bad guys. Only good guys. Which gave the vocal Whittemore Center … Read more
Are we seeing a shift in college hockey’s power structure early this season? That’s one of the items USCHO.com senior writers Jim Connelly and Todd D. Milewski debate this week.
Weekend Roundup If anyone had any doubts as to how wide open the MIAC is this season, the opening weekend of conference play dispelled them. Only one team managed to win both games this weekend and of the eight games played only two were decided by more than two goals. Bethel topped St. John’s 5-3 … Read more
The Champs are Back in Town It’s been a long seven-and-a-half-month wait for Jim Plumer and the Amherst Lady Jeffs after winning last year’s NCAA championship in thrilling fashion with a 4-3 overtime victory over Elmira. However, this Saturday the wait is finally over as the Lady Jeffs hit the ice for the first time … Read more
Ragging the puck while waiting for the Qwest Tour to hit the Granite State … Ten Years of Title-hunting Taking note that Minnesota-Duluth will be celebrating its 10th anniversary in womens’ hockey this weekend – “A Decade of Dominance†– when Minnesota State hits the Iron Range. Talk about an illustrious program. What Shannon Miller … Read more
Another week brings another installment of the USCHO.com Division III men’s poll and in what is, as usual, no real shock, NCHA teams are all over the place. Five in all grace this week’s edition, and once again St. Norbert is most newsworthy. The Green Knights two game sweep over the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point … Read more