Columns, excluding “This Week” columns
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
USCHO.com senior writers Jim Connelly and Todd D. Milewski give their takes on the topics du jour, including the number of losses for top-10 teams last week, how things shake out in the polls and some of the key games this weekend.
Sure, local and national broadcasts of college hockey may not be everything to everyone, but the exposure the game gets is the important part, USCHO national columnist Dave Starman writes.
USCHO’s weekly look back at the goings-on around college hockey and glance ahead at the upcoming weekend returns with Jim Connelly and Todd D. Milewski writing about early-season surprises.
So, what’s it going to be? The Alabama-Huntsville Chargers, or the Lake Superior State Lakers? Alabama-Huntsville, or Ferris State — or St. Cloud State, or Minnesota-Duluth, or everybody’s current darling, the Bemidji State Beavers? How would you like to have to make that choice? After the CCHA rejected UAH’s application for admission to the league, … Read more
The CCHA told Alabama-Huntsville to point its charge toward respectability elsewhere. That’s interesting. More than a few former college coaches (now coaching professionally) have mentioned on many occasions that the appearance given by the college hockey world is that there is no urgency to grow Division I college hockey. Yes, there are Web sites and … Read more
It appeared to be one of the best-laid road maps. The solution that seemingly was brokered between all college hockey conferences and the 58 member institutions that would find homes for the four “homeless” members of the CHA looked almost too good to be true. Thanks to the CCHA, looks certainly aren’t meant to be … Read more
On Monday, March 30 the Hobey Baker Memorial Award Selection Committee had a spirited debate as to who should win the 2009 award. Listed below are the three candidates who are up for the honor, to be announced Friday evening. The votes from the committee were done last week. In my opinion — others may … Read more
A few years back, someone asked Hockey East Commissioner Joe Bertagna if he was concerned that no Hockey East teams were in the Frozen Four that season. He replied simply that these things go in cycles. This season, Hockey East has the defending national champion in Boston College. The Eagles will be dethroned Saturday, but … Read more
Why is this night different from all other nights? As I watched Vermont’s Justin Milo knock a power-play rebound past Kieran Millan to tie the UVM-Boston University game, I couldn’t help but think of those words. After all, I’d heard Milo ask that exact question just a few hours earlier. This year’s Frozen Four coincides … Read more
If there was an undoing for Bemidji State this season, it was exactly what played out Thursday on the Verizon Center ice. Not being outplayed, like coach Tom Serratore and his players said they were in a 4-1 loss to Miami in the Frozen Four semifinals. Not a shortfall of scoring like the Beavers experienced … Read more
Northeastern University goalie Brad Thiessen has signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins, the team announced on Friday. Thiessen is a Hobey Hat Trick finalist and led Northeastern to one of its greatest seasons in 2008-09, with his 25-12-4 record, 2.12 goals against average and .931 save percentage. He will forgo his senior season with the Huskies … Read more
Every year features wonderful hockey in the postseason. It seems that when the NCAA tournament rolls around, teams naturally ratchet up the intensity, the drama, and the excitement. Whether it is a multiple-overtime game or a goal the likes of which no one has ever seen, incredible efforts seem to arrive at the end of … Read more
Some general observations and thoughts from the early games on opening day of the regionals that will make you angry, indifferent, or just provoke some thoughts. To start with, most exciting game I saw Friday was at the Junior B National Tourney, being hosted by the Eastern Junior Hockey League in Marlborough, MA. The New … Read more