Columns, excluding “This Week” columns
In this week’s installment, Jim Connelly and Scott Brown discuss top teams and leagues in the polls and the PairWise, strenuous objections by Boston University coach Jack Parker, the sudden fall of Air Force and more.
All season long, teams have been racking their brains in search of a sure-fire way of beating Wisconsin. Leave it to Minnesota-Duluth to come up with a fool-proof plan: don’t do anything different. The defending national champion Bulldogs worked that method to near-perfection last week, when they swept their two-game set with the Badgers, 4-0 … Read more
Well, finally back from holiday break, though a week later than anticipated. My apologies for my absence last week but a couple unexpected trips to the doctor are never convenient. All is well now, and though it’s been awhile not a whole lot has changed on the national scene. The NCHA still has five teams … Read more
Most coaches with a team in the thick of the hunt would be content in that position, but for veteran University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth coach John Rolli, who fully understands the depth of talent in the ECAC NE, he’s a bit pragmatic. “Well, we’re just hanging in there, literally. Last night against a very game Worcester … Read more
In college hockey as in other sports, wins in tight contests are often thought to be an indicator of a team’s heart or mettle. But do the statistics bear out the idea that good teams win the close ones? Brian Sullivan examines the facts.
This week we’ll focus on the NESCAC from top to bottom and a couple of stops in the middle of the standings as things are heating up in conference play and one school begins a new era with the opening of their new campus rink. Next week we’ll repeat the favor with an ECAC East … Read more
The Day Hockey Took a Backseat Sunday January 11, 2009 started out just like any other road-trip for the UMass-Boston women’s hockey team. The Beacons were headed to Castleton State for a 2 p.m. league contest against the Spartans. However, as their bus traveled north farther on Interstate-93 crossing into New Hampshire the weather worsened. … Read more
Midseason Awards What better time to present some midseason awards than a few games after the midseason? Better late than never as they say. Not all these awards are going to be traditional. After all, it’s the middle of January, and when this column gets published, it’s going to be below zero in Rochester, N.Y. … Read more
A Bump in the Road Prior to the holidays, the Neumann Knights were rolling along, enjoying a five game unbeaten streak. Despite a hiccup against Elmira and an overtime loss to Hobart, Neumann rebounded to go 2-0-1 against Manhattanville and solidify its position as a contender in the league. Then came the Times-Argus tournament on … Read more
Another week, another set of sometimes-conflicting opinions. Jim Connelly and Scott Brown review the latest on and off the ice, including the poll-versus-PairWise conundrum and this weekend’s key matchups.
The PairWise Rankings are out, and USCHO.com readers know what comes next. Jayson Moy debuts Bracketology for 2008-09, including a look at the potential ramifications of the geographic-bracketing proposal on the table at the NCAA.
With the second half under way, Dave Starman muses on the hockey season at CBS College Sports, the recently-concluded World Junior Championship, players to watch and more.
Happy New Year! Most of the players and coaches return to the ice this weekend with resolutions they intend to keep in the second half of the season. For some — who have already played in a holiday tournament or non-league game — there has been an opportunity to work off the rust that the … Read more
Coach Lou Izzi and the rest of the Nichols College team roared into 2009 much like they finished 2008: winning hockey games. The Bison kicked off the new year by winning the St. Michael’s Tournament last weekend to extend their winning streak to six, and now boast a conference best 8-0 record, and are 13-1 … Read more
Accountability It’s no secret that Oswego has not always played up to their potential this year. A season where they are led by a senior class that was the backbone to their championship season as sophomores. Some of their losses have been quite disappointing for seniors that should understand clutch play. They blew a 2-1 … Read more
Becoming Veterans Utica’s primary objective with this year’s freshman class was to add scoring punch to its already solid defensive play. At the midway point of the season, it looks like the Pioneers are well on their way to satisfying that goal and are on pace to exceed last year’s scoring total by more than … Read more
The West would like to make a statement… … “We can play too!†This past weekend, top-ranked Amherst traveled to Minnesota to take on two of the west’s best in MIAC powers Gustavus Adolphus and St. Thomas. The Lady Jeffs limped back to Massachusetts with two losses on consecutive nights falling to Gustavus 3-0 on … Read more
The month of January is named after “Janusâ€, the Roman god of doors, whose two faces were said to be able to see both forward and backward. What the heck does this have to do with women’s hockey, you ask? Nothing, really, except that the first column of the new year is a convenient place … Read more
With 2009 under way, Jim Connelly and Scott Brown wrap up the holiday tournaments and discuss the newly-minted PairWise Rankings.
The preliminaries are over, and now every game matters for the U.S. team at the World Juniors. Hurdle one in the elimination process: Slovakia. Dave Starman reports from Ottawa, Ont.