Columns, excluding “This Week” columns
Setting the Field The quarterfinal matchups are set in the MIAC with Hamline hosting St. John’s and Bethel traveling to St. Thomas on Saturday. Let’s take a look at how we got here before we delve into this weekend’s match-ups. Bethel was idle for the final week of the regular season, with St. Thomas lurking … Read more
The first regular-season conference champion has been crowned — who’s next? Jim Connelly and Scott Brown discuss the league races, the polls and the PairWise Rankings.
There are still seven WCHA teams in the field, but this week Jayson Moy has a different set of problems in lining up the brackets.
A Tale of Two Teams This week we take a look at two programs at opposite ends of the spectrum. We’ll check in on Nichols College and get Lou Izzi’s thoughts on what could be a record-setting season. First, however, we’ll start with the only team in the ECAC Northeast without a league victory: the … Read more
Everyone is getting ramped up for perhaps the most exciting week of the season. Not only does opening round NCHA and MCHA playoff action begin this weekend, but we also have our first look at the NCAA West Region Rankings. They are: 1. St. Norbert 2. St. Thomas 3. River Falls 4. Adrian 5. Stout … Read more
The Final Weekend Believe it or not, this weekend marks the end of the 2007-2008 Division III women’s hockey regular season. It seems like just yesterday players across the country were throwing on the practice jerseys and lacing up the skates for the first day of tryouts eager to hit the ice for the first … Read more
New school. Old school. In either case it’s still in session in the world-wide classroom encased in ice. As the U.S. hockey community celebrates the 10-year anniversary of striking of the first women’s Olympic gold medal, a select group of 27 of today’s best players have been tabbed to take steps toward repeating the feat … Read more
Similar To Last Year Last year for the play-in round, one game was tight, the other not so much. The same scenario occurred again this year. The tight game was once again the Buffalo State-Fredonia match up. This year the teams met on Fredonia’s ice in Steele Hall. “Good hard fought game,” Fredonia coach Jeff … Read more
I was going to start out with something like: It’s the Final Countdown … but then the flashback to 80’s hair bands and Euro pop just kind of took the luster off of the whole moment. No, I am looking for something a little bigger than that cliché phrase and song title because, as usual, … Read more
Battling For Position Just one week to go before the MIAC postseason begins in earnest and teams are frantically jostling for playoff positioning. Four teams have locked up playoff spots, leaving just one opening for the two teams battling for it. Before delving into the playoff possibilities this week, let’s take a look back at … Read more
Jim Connelly and Scott Brown are back to size up North Dakota and New Hampshire, along with an early look at some Hobey Baker candidates and more.
This week’s Bracketology causes Jayson Moy fewer headaches on attendance, but there’s some shifting to be done thanks to seven WCHA teams in the field.
Elmira Clinches Regular Season Title With a three point series against Manhattanville last weekend, Elmira secured the regular season title. But it certainly wasn’t easy, and started out with a rocky game on Friday. Manhattanville’s Vinny Ciardullo scored on a turnover at center ice midway through the first period, and the Valiants’ trap gave the … Read more
Advantage Unknown Last weekend saw several series in the MIAC that could have provided some answers to the league’s muddled playoff picture. The conference’s second team, St. Thomas, was facing off against the fourth place, Hamline. A clear victory by the Tommies could have sent the Pipers flying out of the playoffs and had Bethel … Read more
Okay. By now last week’s bench clearing brawl involving the RIT and Canisius College mens teams have made the YouTube rounds. One clip has had nearly 19,000 viewings to date (and rising daily). But last week’s women’s action produced a few YouTube-worthy clips of its own. Take the goal scored by North Dakota junior Casie … Read more
Oftentimes in sports, things don’t always go as you would expect them. (For further clarification, ask any fan of the New England Patriots.) That can certainly be said of the Worcester State Lancers program this season. Currently in 12th place with a 2-10-0 record, the team in enduring an injury riddled campaign the likes of … Read more
The old saying goes, don’t count your chickens before they hatch. Well, I was guilty of this last weekend when I had all but penciled in Stevens Point as the NCHA champions and top team in the West. The Pointers were unbeaten at 17-0-2 and coming off a huge 3-2 victory over Gustavus Adolphus on … Read more
OK welcome to the insanity that is the league standings at this time of the year in both the ECAC East and NESCAC. Don’t like your team’s position in the standings? Just hope they have a good weekend and almost anything can happen. With just four games left in the regular season, it’s really getting … Read more
And Down The Stretch They Come There are just two weeks to go in the regular season of the ECAC West and the playoff race has tightened up. Two teams have a shot at the top, while three other teams are vying for home ice. Let’s take a team-by-team look around the league and see … Read more
Streaks If there is one word to describe the 2007-8 SUNYAC hockey season, it would be: streaks. For some, early streaks ensured them a successful season. For others, late streaks turned a season around. For the unfortunate, the inability to get off to any kind of streak doomed them. Let’s start at the top. Plattsburgh … Read more