Feature stories
They’re the little waterbugs that drive an opposing defenseman nuts, darting elusively this way and that, always staying out of arm’s reach, posing the ultimate threat to his dignity. You let that midget beat you? Put a puck on their sticks and you can hear the extra buzz of anticipation in the crowd. Something exciting … Read more
The University of Minnesota-Duluth’s athletic program has had to endure a lot of negative publicity in recent years, from turmoil surrounding former athletic director and current WCHA commissioner Bruce McLeod right on through to the success — or lack thereof — of the Bulldog hockey program. Although UMD won the MacNaughton Cup as the WCHA’s … Read more
For Notre Dame captain Steve Noble, the impulse to help other people is something he learned from his own family. “My uncle has Down’s syndrome, so my grandma — his mother — actually helped co-found a school to teach mentally challenged people. It’s been in the family, and I’ve been exposed to people who are … Read more
The title doesn’t quite have the same ring as taxation without representation, and you won’t be finding Hockey East Commissioner Joe Bertagna dumping tea, or its equivalent, into the Boston harbor. Nonetheless, Hockey East will next year become the first major conference without a member on the NCAA tournament selection committee, and Bertagna is none … Read more
Last year was a banner year for the ECAC in terms of national recognition. A look at the rosters of the Titan All-America Teams from the East, and the presence of the ECAC was undeniable. On the first team there was Trevor Koenig (Union) in goal, Matt Pagnutti (Clarkson) on defense, and Martin St. Louis … Read more
When the NCAA announced that this year’s East and West Regionals would be available in a pay-per-view package, the instinctive reaction was, “What are they thinking? This sport needs more exposure, not less.” Fears that college hockey’s governing organization had sold its soul for a few pieces of silver, however, turned out to be groundless. … Read more
It was 1981, at Hobey Baker Rink in Princeton. The Dartmouth men’s ice hockey team was on its way to a 4-3 overtime loss to the Tigers when a visitor in the stands named Dan Gaudet found himself in the middle of a loud disagreement between opposing fans. Big mistake for the Tiger faithful, because … Read more
Much has been said about Anchorage as a place to play hockey. Too far. Too dark. Too cold. Even more has been said about Alaska-Anchorage hockey under Dean Talafous, who took over the program at the beginning of the 1996-97 season. Too low-scoring. Too slow. Too boring. Talafous takes umbrage at these comments. It is … Read more
To Hugo Boisvert, central Ohio is more foreign a concept than is “U.S.A.” “It’s different.” The sophomore center from St. Eustache, Quebec, makes a gesture as though he’s running his hand over the top of a table, and he makes a noise — “ppphtt.” He says, by way of summary, “Flat.” “I’ve been to the … Read more
This weekend, the Michigan Wolverines and the Michigan State Spartans renew one of college hockey’s greatest traditional rivalries. Students, parents and alumni of both schools, as well as fans of all stripes, will stream to the games: Friday at Munn Arena in East Lansing, and Saturday at Detroit’s Joe Louis Arena. It’s an old rivalry, … Read more
T.R. Moreau doesn’t even remember it happening. Fifteen minutes, two seconds into the first period of Wisconsin’s game against Minnesota-Duluth Jan. 9, Moreau and Duluth forward Joe Rybar followed the puck into the corner. Rybar checked Moreau into the boards, and the Badger winger’s neck whiplashed into the glass. Moreau fell to the ice and … Read more
(Note: this is the third and final installment in USCHO’s interview series with ECAC commissioner Jeff Fanter. The first two parts were entitled “Man On A Mission” and “Five Months And Counting“) What other things are on Jeff Fanter’s mind? Are there more items on the agenda that he wishes to pursue? If so, how … Read more
One of the hallmarks of success for any forward line is the moment it acquires a nickname. Princeton University has had a few such units, including the trio dubbed the “Suburban Snipers” (Boston-area products John Messuri, Greg Polaski and Bart Blaeser, from 1985-1988) and the “Money Line” (Terry Morris, Brian Bigelow and Matt Zilinskas, who … Read more
If you ask CCHA Commissioner Bill Beagan what he plans to do once he retires at the end of this season, you may get a straight answer. And you may not. “I’m going to lie down a lot,” he says. No one who knows the CCHA’s top man of 13 years believes for a second … Read more
A live turkey tied to a goalpost … the famous “zip code” speech and the infamous money on the table … a geyser in the visitors’ locker room during a national championship game … If you look at the nondescript exterior of UMass-Lowell’s Tully Forum, you’d never guess the oft-bizarre history that lurks within. On … Read more
For a guy who was just named the WCHA’s Offensive Player of the Week for the third time this season, Wisconsin forward Steve Reinprecht was quite humble. “It feels good, though the times I’ve won it, it’s been unexpected,” the sophomore center said. “It’s good that you get the honor of being Offensive Player of … Read more
There, in the middle of the scuffle, was the familiar number eight with “HOWATT” stretching between the shoulders. But the jersey was not the orange, blue and white of the New York Islanders; it was the black, gold and gray of the United States Military Academy. In the stands of Tate Rink on the West … Read more
A state of emergency has just been called by the State of New York for the North Country. The second half of the annual home-and-home rivalry between two North Country neighbors, Clarkson and St. Lawrence, takes place this weekend at Appleton Arena in Canton, N.Y. — an event that North Country residents look forward to … Read more
It’s January 1996, the first month of the second half of the college hockey season, and the CCHA has settled into its usual “two-tier” system. The usual suspects — Michigan, Michigan State, Lake Superior, Miami — crowd the top, while the rest of the league looks up from below, behind in everything from points to … Read more
It’s January in Ann Arbor, and the University of Michigan Wolverine hockey team sports a 12-2-1 conference record halfway through the CCHA regular season. The Wolverines sit atop the CCHA, in front of the Michigan State University Spartans and the Miami University RedHawks. A Wolverine icer leads the nation in power-play tallies, and is second … Read more