The structure of the ECAC is balanced. Six Ivy League programs. Six non-Ivies. Yet, last season, Cornell, Harvard, Dartmouth, Yale and Brown finished one through five. The best non-Ivy team was Union, and the Dutchmen were no better than .500 in the league. In fact, the aforementioned quintet were the only ECAC clubs to finish … Read more
With Clarkson coming off its first losing season since 1974-75, new head coach George Roll brings 14 recruits into a program desperate for new blood. Roll, an assistant during Clarkson’s dominating days in the early- and mid-1990s, may be the perfect choice to brush away the clouds of the last few years of Mark Morris’ … Read more
Picked to finish ninth in the ECAC Coaches’ Poll, there’s no time like the present for Kevin Sneddon’s new club as the Catamounts kick off the 2003-04 season with a home contest against Boston College on Oct. 4. Sneddon is a talented young coach who will help establish a much-needed new attitude and atmosphere in … Read more
Head coach Bob Gaudet continues to build a successful and consistently solid program at his alma mater, capturing 20 wins last season for the first time since 1947-48. With each campaign, Dartmouth gets one step closer to its goal of winning the ECAC championship and advancing to the NCAA Tournament. An impressive collection of talent, … Read more
Those who criticized the University of North Dakota for its nonconference schedule last season might be surprised at who was in their corner. Early last season, Fighting Sioux coach Dean Blais received a gift from Ralph Engelstad, the late UND hockey benefactor. "It doesn’t do you any good to play top-caliber teams if you don’t … Read more
One of the more experienced teams in Atlantic Hockey this season is Army. Having lost only three players, only one of whom was in the top five in scoring, and returning a defense that ranked fourth in the MAAC a year ago, it’s no surprise that head coach Rob Riley is optimistic for his club’s … Read more
A year ago, the voices say, Bentley simply overachieved. Having finished in or near the cellar of the MAAC for three straight years, a fifth-place finish, a first-round upset of Sacred Heart and a berth in the MAAC final four was a dream come true. Overachieving? Maybe, though not in the eyes of head coach … Read more
Hockey East announced today a new television agreement with New England Sports Network (NESN) beginning in January 2004. The deal, announced at the league’s annual media day, will move Hockey East coverage from rival Fox Sports Network to NESN, the home of Boston Bruins hockey. It is the second stay for Hockey East with NESN. … Read more
As the Holy Cross seniors return to the ice for their final season as Crusaders, there’s no doubt that the last two years were memorable. Top-four finishes in MAAC play, home ice in the playoffs and a berth in the final four last year: these players have plenty to be proud of. But when memories … Read more
On Sale dates for the 2004 NCAA regionals were announced today. All regional tickets are being sold as a three-game package from the first sale date at each site through March 22, 2004. If any of the four sites are not sold out by March 22, tickets will be available for individual sessions at an … Read more
Last year, it was boys against men. A lineup filled with freshmen and sophomores meant growing pains from day one. Add to that the fact that Canisius put together one of the toughest nonleague schedules in the MAAC and you had the recipe for disaster. [The Griffs] are no longer wet behind the ears. The … Read more
Many in Atlantic Hockey feel that Quinnipiac suffered the least in terms of losses to graduation. Head coach Rand Pecknold disagrees. “I’m a little concerned about losing three defensemen,” said Pecknold of the departed Dan Ennis, Wade Winkler and Matt Erhart, along with forward Brian Herbert, from last season’s roster. “I thought they were three … Read more
Boston College was the last team to make good on a first-place selection by Hockey East coaches. This year the Eagles look to break the poll jinx and repeat their championship season of 2001.
Mercyhurst head coach Rick Gotkin has gotten used to having a bullseye on his chest. Having won the last three regular-season titles in the MAAC and two of the last three tournaments, his team can’t be overlooked. “Everyone asks about the bullseye, but that’s the way it’s been for 10 years,” said Gotkin, who has … Read more
After five years of living under someone else’s rule, the nine remaining members of the MAAC hockey league became independent this summer. The resulting conference — Atlantic Hockey — is set to take its first leap as its inaugural season commences. No venture of this sort comes without headaches. Even the simple stuff, such as … Read more
Many thought that if Sacred Heart ever could make a run at a title, last year was the year. That was until the Pioneers ran into a postseason steamroller named Bentley College, bowing in the first round for the fourth time in five seasons. Then graduation took its toll on Sacred Heart, and even home … Read more
There has to be a point at which things get frustrating. Despite constantly improving from year to year, it seems American International and head coach Gary Wright can’t make a move up the standings. The Yellow Jackets have, over the past three seasons, added solid players at all positions. Unfortunately for AIC, though, the skill … Read more
A year after posting an 8-23-3 record and missing the MAAC playoffs for the first time ever, Connecticut head coach Bruce Marshall knew it was time for a change. The Huskies mentor did what he called an “evaluation,” but what most call “housecleaning.” The result: 12 of the 24 players scheduled to return to the … Read more
The promising start North Dakota put together a year ago ended up amounting only to an appearance at the WCHA Final Five and an appearance in the NCAA tournament, not the victories in each of those competitions that seemed plausible. Things like that happen. Often, there’s a scapegoat — for the Sioux last season, it … Read more
The NCAA legislation on the table that could strip Colorado College and other Division III schools playing at the Division I level of the ability to award scholarships served as something of a wake-up call, a notice that life sometimes drops changes on unsuspecting parties. The lesson, then: Enjoy success while you have it. The … Read more