Niagara suffers a holiday loss in the form of its star rookie; Wayne State follows up a visit to North Dakota by playing two more powerhouses; and the Serratore brothers bring Division I hockey to a new frontier in Minnesota. Mike Volonnino rounds up the CHA.
Jeremy Hall’s “sudden” decision to leave Niagara after playing only 17 collegiate games appears not to have been so rash after all. According to Niagara coach Dave Burkholder, Hall had been mulling his move for over a month and had already once quit the team, in the week leading up to the Dec. 13-14 weekend … Read more
Niagara suffered a huge loss when coach Dave Burkholder announced that the team’s second leading scorer, freshman forward Jeremy Hall, has left the school to return to his old junior team, the Danville Wings of the USHL. Burkholder did not reveal the reason for Hall’s departure, merely citing “personal reasons.” But his new junior coach, … Read more
After a worrisome stretch, preseason favorite Bemidji State starts to find the net. Also: Mike Volonnino composes a list of Christmas wishes for the CHA.
Improving Air Force gets all the leadership it needs from a pair of linemates; Niagara’s offense forges on without a big contribution from sniper Joe Tallari; and Bemidji State comes home. Mike Volonnino reports.
Fresh off two more games with a CHA neighbor, Wayne State tries to build a new rivalry with nearby Michigan State. Also, Bemidji State didn’t bring home Babe the Blue Ox, but the Beavers did get a big win last Friday. Mike Volonnino reports.
Wayne State and Findlay face off (again) in a budding rivalry series, this time home-and-home. Also: Bemidji State takes on in-state (but nonconference) foe Minnesota-Duluth for a newly-named trophy that’s got Mike Volonnino wondering.
College Sports Television (CSTV), home of the first-ever college hockey national game of the week package, has unveiled its second half Friday Night Hockey schedule. It includes the first-ever live national telecast of the women’s NCAA Frozen Four, as well as the CHA and ECAC men’s tournament championships games. CSTV currently reaches 15 million households, … Read more
Shorthanded Alabama-Huntsville finds the range against Air Force, but preseason favorite Bemidji State has a little trouble locating the net; Wayne State makes the rounds (and rounds, and rounds) in league play; and CHA correspondent Mike Volonnino expands the Fan Challenge.
Niagara, coming off a stunning upset of then-No. 1 New Hampshire, takes on a more difficult opponent (at least, historically speaking) — the Purple Eagles kick off their CHA season against Wayne State. Mike Volonnino reports.
Air Force engraves its name atop the growing list of CHA upsets; Niagara gets two big games this weekend — including a visit with its former coach; a rivalry develops along the Ohio-Michigan border; and Alabama-Huntsville kicks off the new season. Mike Volonnino reports.
Findlay comes off a stunning upset, while Bemidji State tries to outdo Niagara in receiving a visit from an ECAC foe. Finally, USCHO’s Mike Volonnino proposes a little test of predictive power.
Findlay takes on host Michigan State at the season-opening Ice Breaker; Wayne State ventures east for a pair at St. Lawrence; and Mike Volonnino talks to commissioner Bob Peters about the past, present and future of College Hockey America.
At this time last year, Alabama-Huntsville took its standard preseason excitement on the road — to Wisconsin. Then Denver. And then Minnesota. Six losses later, by the time the Chargers had returned home to face Air Force, an already veteran team had aged a generation. UAH would lose just one of its next 16 games, … Read more
From the moment that the CHA met the requirements for an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament the whining began. This upstart, diminutive division with barely six teams to its name, could now keep one team from a major conference out of the postseason, while providing nothing more than cannon fodder for a team on … Read more
It is a sure sign that a team is a longshot when its coach cannot name the team’s best player. Air Force managed just two conference wins last year despite featuring second-team All-CHA Andy Berg (22g, 18a). With three of its four top scorers graduated, the Falcons will need all the mettle a service academy … Read more
At the end of last season, Iona and Fairfield dropped hockey as a varsity program. When the only coach Findlay had ever had, Craig Barnett, left for a position at a prep school this summer, some wondered if a similar fate was in the offing for the Oilers. It seems like the Findlay rumors were … Read more
Tops among the preseason priorities for Wayne State coach Bill Wilkinson was finding a replacement for goaltender David Guerrera, who backstopped the Warriors for his entire four years at the college. Fortunately, WSU is located in Hockeytown, USA, and Wilkinson thought he could give a fellow Detroit club a hand with its roster problems. “We … Read more
With a trip to the NCAA tournament on the line, Bemidji defenseman John Haider, killing a five-on-three disadvantage, stole the puck and raced in on Wayne State goaltender David Guerrera for a critical insurance goal in last year’s CHA finals. Veteran teams seize such moments. Unfortunately for the Beavers, Haider was only a sophomore and … Read more
In Joe, Niagara trusts. The Purple Eagles have a high-flying attack that is poised to challenge for the CHA crown. The reason for the optimism reads like this: 26 goals, 29 assists, 55 points. The returning CHA Player of the Year makes Niagara the most explosive team in the conference. “We will be an even … Read more