Michigan freshman netminder Al Montoya was visibly frustrated–not to mention angry. And it wasn’t because of his 24-save performance in Michigan’s 3-1 victory over No. 11 seed Bowling Green in the first round of the CCHA Tournament at Yost Ice Arena. Montoya said the Falcons took cheap shots physically at him all game long. The … Read more
Winning this Hockey East semifinal game was a small step for the University of New Hampshire. Competing valiantly in a losing effort in their first FleetCenter appearance represented the end of a giant leap for the University of Massachusetts hockey program. Despite trailing twice by two goals to the No. 3 team in the nation, … Read more
No. 6 Minnesota rolled to a 3-0 lead and held onto a 3-1 victory against Michigan Tech in the first round of the WCHA playoffs at Mariucci Arena Friday night. Minnesota started fast, scoring at 1:51 of the opening stanza on the first shot of the game. Freshman Andy Sertich scored his fifth goal of … Read more
Brock Becker decided to give his coach the perfect gift: the game-winning goal in the first game of the playoffs. The freshman broke a 1-1 tie with 7:35 left and lifted Minnesota State to a 2-1 victory against Wisconsin. MSU coach Troy Jutting, who turned 39 Friday, picked up his first playoff victory in his … Read more
The ECAC’s new playoff format produced a few surprises last weekend; are more in store in the quarterfinals? Becky Blaeser and Jayson Moy preview the weekend’s action.
Regular-season champion Ferris State put five players on the 2002-03 CCHA all-conference teams, while Michigan State enjoyed three first-team picks as the Bulldogs and Spartans dominated the league’s selections. FSU’s Chris Kunitz was an All-CCHA first-teamer for the second time (photo: Christopher Brian Dudek). The troika of Spartans marked the third time the Spartans have … Read more
It’s all over in the SUNYAC, with Oswego ending Plattsburgh’s postseason reign. Russell Jaslow wraps up the league.
Last season, Norwich was less than a minute and a half away from its second national title, until a shot that deflected off a Cadet defenseman’s stick sent the game into overtime. Despite outplaying the Yellowjackets for much of the game and outshooting them handily, 23 seconds after the end of regulation Wisconsin-Superior was the … Read more
The Remaining Two Conference Champions Two more league champions were crowned last weekend, both in the East. Manhattanville won the ECAC East title by defeating Rensselaer, 3-1, outshooting the Engineers, 46-16, in the process. The Valiants jumped out to a 1-0 first period lead on a goal by Cherie Stewart, and added two more in … Read more
For the second year in a row, the second year under the current NCAA Division III hockey selection/seeding process, the West Region will battle down to a single team before the semifinals. Even though there were three NCHA teams in the top five all season long, a 6-3 East-West split resulted in the play-in game … Read more
With the WCHA playoffs opening this weekend, Todd D. Milewski dispenses with the niceties and gets right to the details; also, an analysis of this year’s preseason predictions.
Team unity is an important ingredient to success in the game of hockey, particularly college hockey. Twenty-some guys have to learn to live together on the bus and in hotel rooms during long road trips. They must have that competitive fire to battle as a group through the adversity and setbacks that are inevitable during … Read more
Balance was the operative word at this year’s Hockey East banquet. Ben Eaves and Mike Ayers were named co-winners of the KOHO Player of the Year Award while Massachusetts coach Don “Toot” Cahoon earned CCM/Bob Kullen Coach of the Year honors. Eight of the nine schools placed representatives on the All-Hockey East teams while the … Read more
Oswego and Wentworth know each other quite well. They faced off twice this season. The first time was in the finals of the Ben McCabe Tournament in Amherst. Oswego won 5-1 after leading 5-0, and outshot Wentworth, 45-34. A month later, the game was in the Romney Field House, and Oswego again easily won at … Read more
Dave Hendrickson previews this weekend’s Hockey East action at the FleetCenter, detours to consider Providence’s NCAA hopes and makes a VCR recommendation for next month — but not before a salute to Joe Exter and the high class of the Merrimack hockey program.
The Road to the Joe begins this weekend as the CCHA rolls out the first round of the playoffs. Paula C. Weston previews the action.
Picked deep in the WCHA, MSU-Mankato has surprised with what could be its best season ever. Next stop: the NCAAs?
With the expansion of the NCAA tournament to 16 teams this year, even knowledgeable people around college hockey have been thrown into confusion about the new seeding process. And since the NCAA has publicized its new guidelines for seeding, here is a second peek — “bracketology”-style — at what the NCAA tournament would look like … Read more
Just days before its MAAC quarterfinal with Mercyhurst, Iona announced Tuesday that it will drop its men’s hockey program effective at the end of this season. Iona joins Fairfield as the second MAAC school to drop men’s hockey this season. The announcement came after a meeting on March 6 of the college’s Legal Board of … Read more
Merrimack goaltender Joe Exter remained in serious condition Tuedsay at Boston’s Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Tuesday with multiple fractures sustained in a collision during last Friday’s Hockey East quarterfinal game at Boston College. According to hospital officials, there is no change in Exter’s condition, and nothing further is expected before Wednesday morning. The injury … Read more