Season previews for leagues
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
Last, but certainly not least every season, the NESCAC conference gets into the fray and starts playing regular-season hockey starting in the middle of November. The conference is playing catch-up with many of their league brethren in New England, but no worries, these teams come up to speed quickly. They will have to do just … Read more
It’s a brand new season for the NCHA and the landscape of the league looks quite different from where it ended last season. It was announced prior to the 2012-13 season that the two remaining schools in the NCHA would join the MCHA. Last spring, the league decided to stick with NCHA as the league … Read more
Avoiding the “sophomore slump” is often referred to a player who’s entering his second year after a decent first year. For Nichols’ Kevin Swallow and Curry’s T.J. Manastersky, they will try to avoid the sophomore slump as head coaches. Both had outstanding rookie campaigns in 2012-13, going 17-9-1 and 11-12-4, respectively. “I think every day … Read more
Wisconsin-Eau Claire enters the season with the biggest target on its back. The Blugolds are the defending national champions and not surprisingly, the favorite to win the WIAC title in the first season where the teams will play only under the WIAC banner. The teams had previously competed in the NCHA as well. The top … Read more
Small, but strong. Such is how the six-team ECAC West is shaping up in the early moments of the 2013-14 campaign. Division III’s next-to-smallest conference (only the WIAC with its five teams is tinier) can be described as both cozy and feisty. “I think as coaches, we all believe day in and day out that … Read more
While some teams have already had a taste of regular-season action this past weekend with non-conference games, the real ECAC East conference play gets into full swing this Friday night. As one might expect, the Norwich Cadets will be searching for their 16th consecutive regular-season title, but this year’s path may be the most challenging … Read more
It’s time for another season in the MIAC and don’t be surprised if the league race is as tight as it was a season ago. A total of three points was all that separated co-champions St. Thomas and St. John’s (21 points) from fifth-place St. Olaf (18 points). Gustavus and Concordia were just one point … Read more
Optimism runs amok at the beginning of every hockey season, with each team insisting that its conference is wide-open and that a league title is there for the taking. This time, they mean it. Really. It’s been a while – four years, to be precise – since anyone other than Oswego has captured the SUNYAC … Read more
The MASCAC could be a multiple horse race for the 2013-14 season. In the league coaches’ poll, last season’s regular-season champion Plymouth State and Westfield State each received three first-place votes. Massachusetts-Dartmouth – last year’s MASCAC tournament champion – is right behind in third place while Salem State is in fourth picking up the other … Read more