…And Down The Stretch They Come With only one week left in the regular season, for once, a lot of the MAAC playoff picture is clear. We know the eight qualifiers and the fact that Fairfield, AIC and Bentley could have early March tee times, weather permitting. Still left up for grabs is home ice. … Read more
Quinnipiac and Connecticut have created a new award called the “Heroes Hat” that will be presented to the winner of the season series between the in-state rivals. The award will honor the memory of those who lost their lives in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The 2001-02 season series between the teams is currently tied … Read more
Perhaps fittingly, Sacred Heart gave itself a Valentine’s Day gift last weekend. Also: what’s ahead as Mercyhurst wraps up the MAAC title “race”; and Jim Connelly deciphers playoff positioning.
The NCAA has been fighting to expand the men’s tournament for several years, but this time around the odds look better than ever, partly thanks to Quinnipiac AD Jack McDonald’s inventiveness. Jim Connelly reports on the tournament, Mercyhurst’s bid for zero (losses), and more.
The MAAC standings have never been this tight so late in the year. Though Mercyhurst is well out front, the next six positions are up for grabs among a host of contenders. Jim Connelly reports — then muses on the possibility of two league representatives in the NCAAs.
A relatively new league, has relatively new rivalries. But they are more and more heated every year. Jim Connelly tells us more.
Resurgent Iona — keyed by Ryan Carter’s return to offensive fireworks — gets its sternest test against MAAC-unbeaten Mercyhurst this weekend, Jim Connelly says. Also: Connecticut looks to carry nonconference momentum back into league play.
With the MAAC unlikely to cause a stir in this season’s PairWise Rankings, the league’s representative to the NCAA tournament will be its automatic qualifier. 1999 champion Holy Cross has its sights set there, as Jim Connelly reports.
Canisius returns from a longer-than-expected break, thanks to Mother Nature; Rand Pecknold and Quinnipiac review the weekend at Michigan State; and AIC netminder Chad Davis makes Jim Connelly look good.
Former Connecticut hockey coach John Chapman died Wednesday at his home in Venice, Fla., at age 76. Chapman was a 1950 graduate of Dartmouth, where he lettered in football, hockey and lacrosse. The native of Marblehead, Mass., coached tennis and hockey at Rhode Island from 1950-55. He earned a master’s degree from Columbia in 1956, … Read more
At the beginning of the season, AIC’s coaches thought they had recruited a solid goaltending duo. Half of that expectation has already been supported; now the other half may be tested. Also: the MAAC suffers through a tough tournament season, partly thanks to an old nemesis. Jim Connelly reports.
Whether it’s surprising Holy Cross or underachieving Bentley, Jim Connelly takes a look at the high-flyers and the bottom-feeders in the MAAC at the season’s halfway point.
Fairfield will play its final two home games this season at the newly-built Arena at Harbor Yard in Bridgeport, Conn. The arena is the current home of the Bridgeport Sound Tigers of the American Hockey League. The games will be played on Friday, Feb. 22 and Saturday, March 2 against Quinnipiac and Holy Cross, respectively. … Read more
Jim Connelly sorts through the week’s news in the MAAC, including the Quinnipiac name change — well, half a change; and letters to Santa are intercepted.
The Quinnipiac University Board of Trustees has voted to discontinue using “The Braves” as its athletic identity for all of its Division I men’s and women’s athletic teams. The trustees’ decision was based on a recommendation by President John Lahey, and followed a semester of discussions by the Faculty Senate, Student Government Association, President’s Cabinet … Read more
The scholarship issue is on the back-burner for now, but everyone is still talking about it. How necessary is a scholarship increase for the MAAC’s long-term survival. Also … Justin Eddy challenged to step up for Quinnipiac.
Mercyhurst returns to familiar territory, while Sacred Heart has its up and downs, and Fairfield pulls its colletive hair out after an unusual sweep by American International. Jim Connelly reports.
In a league known for developing young talent, it’s the goaltenders who stand out this season in the early going. Jim Connelly IDs the underclass powers in net, and congratulates a certain Canisius head coach.
Holy Cross forward Glen Crane will miss the remainder of the season after being diagnosed with a recurrence of Hodgkin’s Disease. The second-year freshman missed the entire second semester last season after being diagnosed with the cancer, but underwent chemotherapy that was believed to have put the disease into remission. Last season, Crane played in … Read more
Holy Cross salutes an ailing teammate; Quinnipiac gets some exposure; Sacred Heart loses its cool; and Iona and Bentley storm out of the gates — by different standards. Jim Connelly covers the MAAC.