Feature

Feature stories

Right To The ‘Core

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New York’s Apple Core Junior team has paved the way to college hockey for a number of current and former standouts. Dave Starman — a man with intimate knowledge of the program — displays its impact.

Charles Kupchella: UND’s Surprising Nickname Warrior

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University of North Dakota president Charles Kupchella has emerged as one of the NCAA’s staunchest critics of a policy that punishes some of the association’s member institutions for using American Indian nicknames, mascots and imagery in athletic competition. Back in early August of last year, when the NCAA Executive Committee announced its plans to implement … Read more

History In The Making?

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Players with college ties could take the top three slots in this weekend’s NHL Draft — and Jim Connelly finds that there’s plenty more where that came from.

Enrico Blasi – More Than A Coach

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Enrico Blasi took his alma mater to the CCHA Regular Season Championship this year through his hard work and dedication. Zach Silberman profiles the newly named Spencer Penrose Winner from Miami.

Four Guys You’re Going To Miss

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At the end of every season, college hockey fans across the country say goodbye to seniors they’ve known for four years, young men whose careers and lives they’ve followed into the early stages of adulthood. Among college hockey fans, there is a certain snobbery regarding “our” players, the arguable assertion that guys who play hockey … Read more

Mike Eaves: A Matter Of Trust

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It was Oct. 11, 2002, and Rensselaer had just beaten Wisconsin, 5-1, in the opening game of that year’s Ice Breaker Invitational, hosted by the Badgers in Madison. “They capitalized on every opportunity,” UW head coach Mike Eaves told USCHO’s Jayson Moy after the game. “Every chance they had, they took advantage.” That was what … Read more

Robbie Earl: Most Outstanding Player

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With three goals and an assist on the weekend, everybody in the state of Wisconsin knew that junior forward Robbie Earl would be the Frozen Four’s Most Outstanding Player. Everyone, it seems, except Earl. “I didn’t even know until we got the locker room when coach told me. It’s a great honor. But there’s so … Read more

Anatomy Of An Opening Goal

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On the road, scoring the first goal can often make or break the evening’s performance. Home teams usually have an adrenaline surge off the opening face-off with the crowd buoying their efforts. Getting that initial tally accomplishes the dual purposes of taking the lead and deflating those energies. Since 1999, the team that has scored … Read more

Battling The Building

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“LET’S GO RED! LET’S GO RED!” The crowd, a sea of Wisconsin red with only tiny islands of Boston College gold, was determined to be the potentially decisive seventh man. “LET’S GO BADGERS!” The Wisconsin band blared. The students jumped up and down in unison. The electric atmosphere pulsed with excitement and throbbing decibel levels. … Read more

Championship Notebook

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Tonight’s win gave Wisconsin its sixth NCAA title, the fourth-most of any program. Only Michigan’s nine, and North Dakota and Denver with seven, top the Badgers. Wisconsin finishes with its seventh 30-win season and the first since 1999-2000. Title IX: Two Titles Wisconsin is the first team to have men’s and women’s national championships in … Read more

The Last Worry

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Going into its NCAA semifinal contest against Wisconsin, Maine’s last worry was special teams. Many factors may have conspired to keep Black Bears coach Tim Whitehead awake at night, but neither the power play nor the penalty kill was among them. The penalty kill ranked first in the nation with an 89.1 percent success rate; … Read more

The Survivors

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The Boston College Eagles, just four weeks ago, were talking more about bubbles than rings. After a near-deadly skid that ended the regular season, BC knew not only did it need to advance to the Hockey East final four, but in doing so needed to sweep its best two-of-three quarterfinal series with Vermont in order … Read more

Role With It

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Most everyone in the WCHA may know Ryan MacMurchy and Jack Skille, but if you’re a college hockey fan who lives east of Milwaukee, chances are that when you think “Badger hockey,” you think “Brian Elliott.” If you’re a diehard college hockey fan, you may even know the play of sophomore Joe Pavelski, junior Robbie … Read more

The Long Road

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When the Wisconsin Badgers walked into their locker room for the first time at the start of the 2005-06 season, they were greeted with an assortment of hardware. There was the Pettit Cup from the 2002 Badger Hockey Showdown, representing the last time Wisconsin took its own home tournament, as well as a WCHA playoff … Read more

Inaugural Skills Challenge Offers Thrills, Controversy

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East Coast bias struck again and Milwaukee botched yet another All-Star event. Everything was working out perfectly in the inaugural Frozen Four Skills Challenge at the Bradley Center. A tie after the five main events forced a sudden-death overtime shootout round that had the crowd on the edge of their seats. After nine straight players … Read more

Pump Up The Volume

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Once Wisconsin qualified for the Frozen Four, the home-ice advantage was obvious. The Badgers would play for their fourth national championship in their home state. But some things have to be heard to be believed. Thursday evening, the crowd reverberated every time a Wisconsin player touched the puck. The compact Bradley Center shook when Brian … Read more