Columns, excluding “This Week” columns
Early surprises try to show staying power in Hockey East; Quinnipiac demonstrates its continuing development; and Atlantic Hockey pulls off another upset in the Rocky Mountains, giving Jim Connelly and Scott Brown plenty to talk about.
Attendance issues come to the forefront in week two of Bracketology, as Jayson Moy tries to balance the draw against the integrity of the field by using a little inventive bracketing.
Corsairs rolling along Sitting atop the ECAC NE in sole possession of first place is UMass Dartmouth, with a 6-0-0 record, and a 8-4-1 overall mark. Head coach John Rolli is pleased with his team’s effort so far, but after playing five of the last six on the road, he can’t wait to play a … Read more
Save for two games, from now on both leagues exclusively are partaking in conference play from this point on. It’s safe to say we’ve hit the homestretch. The NCHA all but wrapped up its Interlock schedule last weekend and currently holds a 29-19-8 record against the MIAC. While not as impressive as last season’s dominating … Read more
This week brings us to the unofficial halfway point in the season. Based on what amounts to about an average of a 25 game schedule per team, this weekend puts most teams across the halfway mark and really turns the focus on making an impact in league play. As Colby coach Jim Tortorella puts it: … Read more
With most ECAC West teams winding up their non-league games and heading back into league play this weekend, it is time for my annual mid-season review. The first half of the season has been a wild ride, with surprises, disappointment, and some incredible hockey. The ECAC West has done an outstanding job in the non-conference … Read more
Sports’ Lessons Sports is a great way to learn many of life’s lessons. That was evident in Potsdam’s topsy-turvy weekend. Potsdam forward Mitch West played in 18 games in his freshman year. He did not score a single point. Not a goal. Not an assist. In his first 13 games this year, he still had … Read more
It took a bit for Rick Comley to really settle in at Michigan State, but now the Spartans’ bench boss is focused on a repeat NCAA championship, Dave Starman finds.
It’s time once again to do what we like to call Bracketology — College Hockey Style. It’s our weekly look at how the NCAA tournament would look if the season ended today. It’s a look into what are the possible thought processes behind selecting and seeding the NCAA tournament teams. This is the first installment … Read more
Scott Brown’s back on duty, so he and Jim Connelly take on the rise of Michigan’s Billy Sauer, Hockey East’s new contenders, video troubles in Denver and the “Vote for Hobey” fan poll.
For the third consecutive poll, the St. Norbert Green Knights are the top team in college hockey. Their hold on that honor, however, is more tenuous after it took overtime in each game to defeat St. Mary’s and fourth ranked St. Thomas. Despite their unbeaten streak reaching 14, their first place tallies were pared to … Read more
Happy New Year! Can’t you just see the confetti, the ball, er puck, dropping at the stroke of midnight over and over again in a scene reminiscent of Bill Murray in Groundhog Day? Over and over again in flashbacks, the league coaches have had various amounts of time during the holiday break to think about … Read more
Midterms With the second semester of the 2007-08 college hockey season underway, it’s a good time to take a look at the first semester for surprises, disappointments, and meeting expectations. Perhaps the two biggest surprises sit on top of the league. One for good reason, the other due to disappointment. A few weeks back, I … Read more
MIAC teams have a full slate of non-conference games against NCHA squads this week before returning to conference next week as each MIAC member faces difficult opponents. With all but two teams within three points of the MIAC leaders, next week’s games are extremely significant. However, we should not overlook this week’s tilts as just … Read more
Hat, Hat, Hat, Hat, Hat Trick Over the holidays, Neumann junior Mike Hedden completed one of the most amazing feats in hockey amidst very little fan fare. It started on November 30 as Neumann defeated Lebanon Valley 8-2. Hedden tallied three goals and an assist that night, and began a streak of scoring hat-tricks that … Read more
While it may be human nature to always look at the top of the standings when scanning Web sites or even newspapers, this week we focus on the Golden Bears of Western New England College, a team still in search of its first victory of the season. Chris Bernard, now in his second year as … Read more
There is no doubt many of us are working to drop some of the weight we put on over the holidays. The same can be said for the NCHA and MCHA teams as they gear up for the second half of the season. In fact, many have already gotten action in since we last visited, … Read more
After so much inter-conference action during the holiday tournaments, Jim Connelly and Theresa Spisak have a lot to back-and-forth about this week. While neither the ECAC nor Hockey East set the college hockey world on fire at midseason, two WCHA squads had to settle for third-place in their own traditional holiday happenings. Has No. 1 Michigan been tested? What’s up with the U-18 program? It certainly is a brand new year.
Lightning Strikes For UMass Several Hockey East teams are having a little happier new year than they might otherwise in the wake of last weekend’s holiday tournaments. Seven of the league’s teams competed in six different tournaments. When the ice chips had settled, Hockey East teams emerged with four championships. Unexpectedly, Boston College didn’t have … Read more
The Good Congratulations Ferris State, Miami and Michigan for midseason championship titles! And thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you. The CCHA had much on the line at midseason, even if no one wanted to admit it. Many people still think that Michigan State somehow stole the national championship from far superior competitors; these … Read more