Feature stories
It is tough to remain competitive through all of the adversity the 2020-21 season has thrown at teams.
Yet, Bob Daniels’ Ferris State squad is trying to do just that. The Bulldogs are 1-8-0 on the season after earning a win on Saturday over Trine.
Right now, his team’s record is the least of what Daniels is trying to focus on.
Building and continuously rebuilding a college sports program is easily the greatest challenge that every coaching staff faces.
Success, particularly in college hockey, often leads to NHL teams taking notice and players being snatched prior to the conclusion of their four-year college career, often leaving significant holes in a lineup.
Three years ago, Connecticut coach Mike Cavanaugh faced exactly that.
Rochester Institute of Technology has had seven of its scheduled 17 games postposed so far this season, about average for teams in Atlantic Hockey.
The Tigers, who came close to not having a season at all, have had zero players and staff test positive for the coronavirus so far.
It’s been a long line of zeroes lately for Quinnipiac and goalie Keith Petruzzelli.
The lack of continuity for Penn State led to an 0-5 start, but the Nittany Lions have won seven of their last nine contests and are coming off their first conference sweep of the season after taking down Michigan State at home last weekend.
Each week during the season, we look at the big events and big games around Division I men’s college hockey in Tuesday Morning Quarterback.
Each week, USCHO.com will pick the top 10 moments from the past weekend in our Monday 10 feature.
A cutout of coach Gordon Bombay seems to approve as Notre Dame took it to No. 1 Minnesota for the second straight night, sweeping the Gophers in a road series, winning Saturday, 2-1. The Fighting Irish are now 3-1-0 since the start of 2021 (Photo: Jim Rosvold)
Graham Slaggert’s late third-period goal assisted by his brother Landon gave Notre Dame a road upset of No. 1 Minnesota, 3-2 (photo: Jim Rosvold)
With Omaha having three consecutive series moved due to positive COVID-19 tests, contact tracing and quarantining within the UNO program, many might see Mavericks coach Mike Gabinet as being in an unenviable situation these days.
This hockey season is likely the weirdest time ever for a freshman to begin their collegiate hockey career.
With tons of regulations, inconsistency on the schedule, and some teams having 10 more games than others, it’s a lot to sort through. For anyone entirely new to college hockey, they have the luxury of not knowing how normal things felt in the before times to compare to.
Fresh off of a six-point sweep of Air Force last weekend, Mercyhurst is right back where everyone expects the Lakers, in fourth place with a position to challenge for the league’s top slots.
College hockey didn’t start back up again until November, and even then, Alabama Huntsville was on the road for its first six games.
So last Friday and Saturday’s games were a cathartic experience for the Chargers: a sweep of Ferris State in their first home games in almost 11 months.
Leave it to Danton Cole to sum up this whole wild ride of a college hockey season with an axiom that neither oversimplifies nor underexplains:
“You know what? Sports are an interesting thing.”
Yes. Yes they are.
Each week during the season, we look at the big events and big games around Division I men’s college hockey in Tuesday Morning Quarterback.
Quinnipiac’s Desi Burgart fired a laser of a shot past Clarkson goaltender Kris Oldham at 2:29 of overtime as the Bobcats won, 4-3. it was the second of three games the teams will play this weekend, each earning OT victories thus far (photo: Rob Rasmussen/Quinnipiac Athletics)
New Hampshire goaltender Mike Robinson made one of his 35 saves as the Wildcats upset #2 Boston College, 4-3 in overtime, on the road on Friday (photo: John Quackenbos/Boston College)
Ever since Miami’s last NCAA tournament appearance in the NCHC’s second season, the RedHawks have struggled to have success.
Since the 2014-15 season, when Miami finished second in the regular season and then won the NCHC Frozen Faceoff, Miami has yet to post a winning record, and in the last four seasons Miami has finished seventh twice and eighth twice in the eight-team league.
By this point last season, Lake Superior State was coming off a split with Alaska Anchorage that included its seventh win of the season in their 26th game of the season.
However, that win was part of a second-half turnaround of their fortunes that saw them win seven more times, including a win to force a third and deciding game in the WCHA quarterfinals.
A big reason for that turnaround, then-sophomore Ashton Calder scored a goal and added an assist in the 5-3 win over the Seawolves. The 6-foot-1 forward added seven more goals over the Lakers’ run, helping propel them into the playoffs and force that third and deciding game.
Tuesday night was a night for the ages in the United States as the U.S. Under-20 team upset its rival to the north, Canada, for World Junior gold.
Certainly there was impact from Hockey East in the game as Northeastern’s Devon Levi entered riding an historic streak in goal for Team Canada and former Boston University forward Trevor Zegras skated through the tournament at a wild clip, eventually finishing with a point total that matched the largest ever for a U.S. player.
But there was one team that was loaded with great storylines on both sides of the puck: Boston College.