Columns, excluding “This Week” columns
Developing Stories The season is still quite young. However, certain stories are already starting to develop. For starters, and not surprisingly, Oswego and Plattsburgh are staking their claim as the elite teams in the SUNYAC as well as national contenders. Overall, they each have only one loss, are playing tight defense, and especially in the … Read more
Growing Pains With a very youthful team, Neumann has been struggling through the first quarter of the season. The Knights are a respectable 2-2-2, despite having played a very difficult schedule to date. But Neumann is 0-2-2 in its last four games and the two losses were by large margins. “It’s all growing pains, consistency … Read more
USCHO Senior Writers Jim Connelly and Todd D. Milewski talk national championship contenders — in November. Too early? Never. That and more in this week’s edition of Tuesday Morning Quarterback.
When you head west and pull off one big upset, it may be dismissed as a fluke. However, when you pull off a second such stunner, you begin to gain a reputation as a giant-killer … which is how the hockey world can now regard Robert Morris. Last weekend, the Colonials motored out to Madison … Read more
Making Strides The 2009-2010 Division III women’s hockey season is well underway and we have already had a couple of major surprises to start off the season. Adrian, a team picked to make some major noise in their first season as an official member of the NCHA, is off to a 0-4 start; dropping two … Read more
Pipers Pack a Punch The biggest bright spot for the MIAC this weekend was the Hamline Pipers. On Friday, the Pipers won 6-3 at University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, who may be the most improved team in the NCHA this season. On Saturday, Hamline was the only MIAC team not to lose to their rival conference, … Read more
More Offensive The Manhattanville offense is clicking nicely three weeks into the season, averaging 6.67 goals per game to lead the nation. Coming off a strong weekend against Lebanon Valley (whom Manhattanville scored 16 goals against) some might scoff at the garish numbers. Not so fast. “I was impressed with Lebanon Valley,” said Manhattanville head … Read more
Oswego Makes First Big Statement Oswego accomplished two tasks early in the 2009-10 season. The Lakers broke a 10 game winless streak against their arch nemesis and they became the team to beat in the SUNYAC. And they did it on the road. They accomplished these tasks be defeating Plattsburgh, 5-2, after blowing a 2-0 … Read more
The first regular season installment of the USCHO.com Division III men’s poll was released on Monday, and at first glance it looks pretty much as expected. Five NCHA teams grace the top 15 and Adrian is hanging out roughly where it has for the better part of the past two years. The big mover was … Read more
Is Bemidji State a top-10 team? That’s one of the issues up for debate as USCHO Senior Writers Jim Connelly and Todd D. Milewski look back and look ahead.
The atmosphere at RIT’s Frank Ritter Arena and the kind of hockey Atlantic Hockey has developed are things that should be experienced by more teams (yes, big-name schools, USCHO national columnist Dave Starman is talking to you).
Used to play “I spy with my wandering eye†with my kids, when both they (all six of them) and I were a lot younger. Found myself doing so again this week as I perused the D-I landscape. What Caught my Eye: WCHA Da Badgers. Just when you think you’ve got Wisconsin figured out, the … Read more
Welcome back for what should no doubt be another chaotic season. Though many things changed from a season ago, the preseason USCHO.com Division III men’s poll is not one of them: it remains littered with NCHA teams, six in all. Defending Peters Cup champion Stout was the highest of the bunch and checked in at … Read more
MIAC Showcase The inaugural MIAC Showcase was held at the Bloomington Ice Gardens this last weekend. From Friday through Sunday, all nine teams from the MIAC got to go out and face off against each other. It wasn’t a tournament format: there were no playoffs or seedings, no champion declared or trophy won, nor was … Read more
RIT Tigers Coach: Scott McDonald (62-14-4, 4th season) Last year’s record: 21-3-2 ECAC West Record: 15-2-1 (2nd) Coaches’ Projection: First My Prediction: First Key Losses: Keltie Jones and Sandra Grant Key Returnees: Jr. Sarah Dagg (16-24-40), Jr. Katie Stack (17-17-34), Jr. Traci Galbraith (6-14-20) Newcomers to watch: Kim Schlattman, Kayla Ross, Danielle Read Elmira College … Read more
First Big Upset It didn’t take long for the first big upset involving a SUNYAC team. Morrisville, playing their first game of the season, stunned Elmira, playing their third game, 2-1, in the Thunderdomes. “A great win for our program,” Morrisville coach Brian Grady said. “A great confidence boost. I think it’s huge. I told … Read more
ECAC West Preview When it comes to the ECAC West, you usually always immediately think the power trio of Elmira, Plattsburgh, and R.I.T. Once again, these three programs are at the top of the league’s pre-season rankings and are the odds on favorites to win the conference crown. However, the gap between this trio and … Read more
Splitting the Mustangs In a bit of a surprise, Elmira split a home-and-home series with the Morrisville Mustangs this past weekend. Coming off a rough and tumble weekend against Oswego, the Soaring Eagles are a bit dinged up and keenly felt the loss of the missing players against Morrisville. “The games were interesting to say … Read more
A shootout controversy, series splits and a weekend preview are on the docket as USCHO.com senior writers Jim Connelly and Todd D. Milewski catch up on college hockey.
Don’t look now, but … What’s up with the CHA, anyway? Syracuse is suddenly respectable. Wayne State is, as we all know, still unpredictable. And Mercyhurst, is, well, still the top-ranked team in the land. Let’s start with the Orange. The second-year program appears to be making great strides under head coach Paul Flanagan. Syracuse … Read more