Season previews for leagues
Jackson Brewer – and his NESCAC-leading 33 assists – is coming back. So, too, are John Hawkrigg and Sean Orlando, with their 17 goals apiece in tow. And who can forget Ryan Cole, a freshman like Orlando, and his 16 league tallies. All of that is great news for Trinity, not so great for the … Read more
Framingham State’s T.J. Brown thinks so. John Rolli, an institution at Massachusetts-Dartmouth, does too. It is the opinion many, including those two MASCAC bench bosses, that conference title chase will boil down to two squads, Salem State and Plymouth State. Just like last year when they shared the regular-season crown. “I think the league should … Read more
Still young, still hungry, and until proven otherwise, the best of the bunch in the ECAC Northeast. Such as it is for Nichols, which won both the regular-season and conference tournament titles last year on the way to their second-ever NCAA appearance. The Bison did so with a cast of talented novices – including … Read more
Babson and Norwich. Norwich and Babson. It’s been that way in the ECAC East for just about forever, or so it seems. Between them, the two powers have captured a whopping 13 of the last 15 conference tournament titles, with Norwich going on to win the national title three times (2000, 2003, 2010). What’s more, … Read more
The team to beat in the ECAC West is … Elmira. That notion wouldn’t have put you out on a limb not too many seasons ago. For half a decade, from 2008 to 2012, the Soaring Eagles owned the spot at the top of the league at the end of the regular season. Each of … Read more
Somebody’s bound to say it. “Ours is the toughest conference in Division III hockey.” The thing is, the SUNYAC can make the claim as well as anybody, at least if the gauge is Frozen Four appearances. Last year’s Frozen Four featured two SUNYAC schools, Geneseo and Oswego, and although they both bowed out in the … Read more
As defending ECAC East champions, Norwich is within hours of forging into uncharted territory. Without question, the Cadets are clearly overwhelming favorites to return as league champs; a recurring cycle of 20-plus win seasons vividly tell us such. For the Cadets, it isn’t about when, it’s about how. What will be the plan as the … Read more
St. Norbert won the national championship last year, its fourth in program history, but Green Knights’ coach Dan Coghlin doesn’t see his team as the defending champs. “We don’t look at it as defending a title,” Coghlin said. “It’s a brand new season and every team wants to be a champion. We want another shot … Read more
St. Thomas head coach Jeff Boeser wanted his top assistant, Parker Burgess, to do the inteview about the season ahead. As far as the Tommies are concerned, it really doesn’t matter who does the talking. The resutls speak for themselves. St. Thomas enters the year as the favorite to win the MIAC. The Tommies have … Read more
Wisconsin-River Falls coach Steve Freeman talked about how strong the WIAC really is from top to bottom. He noted that a year ago his River Falls team won the regular-season title, but Wisconsin-Eau Claire and Wisconsin-Superior played for the conference title, with the Blugolds prevailing in the championship game. Yet, it was Wisconsin-Stevens Point that … Read more
Minnesota State and Ferris State made the field of 16 last season, the first of the league’s new look.
The addition of Connecticut gives the league 12 teams and a new playoff format.
Success out of conference can help all six league teams at the end of the season.
North Dakota, St. Cloud State and Miami are the picks to finish in the top three in the league’s second season.
As a whole, the ECAC is in the midst of arguably one of its strongest stretches in conference history.
With the departure of Connecticut to Hockey East, pod-based scheduling is no more, replaced by unbalanced draws. Programs will play four league opponents four times, the rest twice.
ECAC Hockey is the oldest league, and of late, it has been the most stable. Greg Fargo has the least tenure at his current job, and he starts his third season at Colgate. This could well be the best that the league has been from top to bottom, as several contenders feature Olympians and those … Read more
More than any other league, four years ago is ancient history in the CHA. Sure, rosters turn over in four years all over the country. But consider that four years ago: The CHA did not have an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament; The players of the first recruiting class at Syracuse were entering their … Read more
If women’s hockey conferences were equated to television shows, then in recent years, Hockey East would be a program like “Hard Copy” or “Inside Edition,” as teams have taken turns on the hot seat. Vermont, Connecticut, and Maine each endured phases where more news was generated off the ice than on, resulting in coaching changes. … Read more
It is a season of change in the WCHA. For the first time since the league’s inaugural season of 1999-2000, it doesn’t have the defending national champion. That doesn’t necessarily indicate that its days as the country’s top league are over, however, as half of the WCHA is ranked in USCHO’s preseason poll, including the … Read more