Senior defender Randi Pilger’s power play goal, just 18 seconds into the second period, gave the Mercyhurst Lady Lakers a hard-fought 1-0 win over visiting Bemidji State Friday, October 4, before 200 fans at the Ice Center. The game was the first for both teams in the 2002-03 season. Pilger’s goal was assisted by senior … Read more
After four straight Frozen Four appearances and a 2001 national championship, the Eagles took an expected nosedive last year. With almost three-quarters of the roster made up of freshmen and sophomores, BC dropped to a .500 record. With that rebuilding year under their belts, however, the Eagles should once again be a power in the … Read more
Logjams, Lurkers and Longshots “Any one of the top four teams in Hockey East could win the national championship.” — UMass-Lowell coach Blaise MacDonald Who’ll win Hockey East this year? New Hampshire. It’s got to be the Wildcats. Goaltending, scoring, defense. They’ve got it all. It’s gotta be them. Martin Kariya and Maine are back … Read more
Last year’s woulda-coulda-shoulda season (if only the three French players hadn’t left for the Olympics… if only the NCAA selection criteria had eliminated the “last 16 games” category one year earlier… if only there had been a 16-team tournament) gives way to a new season. In this one, however, the 11 River Hawks who’d been … Read more
As the puck dropped in Providence for the first time in nearly 5 months, the Friars were looking forward to something that they desperately needed all of last season a fresh start. Their wishes were granted as they hosted Queen’s University, a Canadian counterpart from Kingston, Ontario in the squad’s first outing of the 2002-03 … Read more
If not for the early departure of defenseman Regan Kelly, the Friars would rival Boston College for the least attrition in the league. With a talented, senior-dominated lineup, there’s the potential for a big move upward in the standings. “You win with your upperclassmen and they certainly are going to lead the way for us,” … Read more
The Ferris State Bulldogs had a surprising 2001-02 season. The last-minute departure of stalwart goaltender Phil Osaer appeared to leave FSU in a tight spot, but two rookie goaltenders, Mike Brown and John DeCaro, picked up the slack nicely. Then there were Rob Collins and Chris Kunitz. Collins led the league in scoring, and Kunitz … Read more
In all seriousness, Michigan’s loss is the CCHA’s loss. When a player the caliber of Mike Cammalleri leaves a program early, the entire league feels the absence. Yes, some folks may be happy about the departures of Cammalleri, Mike Komisarek and Michigan State’s Ryan Miller, thinking that this somehow levels the playing field for the … Read more
The Alaska-Anchorage Seawolves opened their season by defeating the visiting Mount Royal College Cougars 6-4 Friday night in exhibition play at the Harry J. McDonald Memorial Center. UAA senior Joe Garvin put the Seawolves on the board first at 3:55, burying a rebound from close quarters. UAA assistant captains Lee Green and Dan Gilkerson registered … Read more
No one is looking forward to the start of the 2002-03 season more than Mike Kemp. When the season begins, after all, the offseason is officially over. “It’s been an interesting summer for us in Omaha,” said Kemp. “We started out the summer with seven surgeries — four knees, three shoulders — added two new … Read more
UMass-Amherst began the season with a 3-2 exhibition loss to St. Francis Xavier on Friday night. St. Francis Xavier opened the scoring with two first-period goals, just over two minutes apart. Todd Norman lit the lamp first at the 9:58 mark of the opening 20 minutes and teammate Mike Smith added a goal at the … Read more
Junior R.J. Umberger scored two goals and added two assists to lead Ohio State to a 6-2 victory over Waterloo in an exhibition game Friday at CoreComm Ice Haus. Junior Daymen Bencharski had a goal and two assists and freshman Dan Knapp recorded a goal and an assist in the victory. The first period ended … Read more
With more or less typical losses to graduation, this was going to be the season for Merrimack to take a step forward in the standings. No more battling it out to the end for the final playoff spot. That is, until early departures ripped extra holes in the depth chart. Count ’em: Anthony Aquino, a … Read more
Junior defenseman Anders Olsson scored two goals to lead Bemidji State past the University of Manitoba Bison, 4-2, in an exhibition contest tonight at the John Glas Fieldhouse. Olsson, who scored just two goals all of last season, scored even-strength at 1:07 of the second period to put BSU ahead for good, 2-1, and sealed … Read more
Exhibition games are the first real opportunity that a coach has to see his team face off against another squad. So what did Boston University coach Jack Parker learn about his team after watching them beat Concordia College 2-0? “That we’re going to have to get a lot of shots to get a goal, if … Read more
Lake Superior State freshman Alex Dunn broke a 1-1 tie with Western Ontario when he scored an unassisted goal late in the third period of Friday?s exhibition contest. The Lakers went on to defeat the visiting Mustangs 4-1. “We reacted well for a team that does not have a lot of older players,” said Laker … Read more
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish opened the 2002-03 season with an offensive explosion at the Joyce Center as they knocked of the University of Toronto 8-1 in front of a crowd of 2,367. Freshman center Matt Amado scored twice in the game with six others getting single goals in the seven-goal victory. The Irish broke … Read more
For the first time since the 1997-98 campaign Miami scored 10-plus goals as it dominated its first-round game at the Lefty McFadden Invitational 12-1 against the Air Force Falcons. The RedHawks test their strength tomorrow night in the championship against CCHA foe Bowling Green. The loss was the worst for Air Force since the 1996 … Read more
If you’re a glass-empty BU fan, you bemoan the graduation of Mike Pandolfo and Jack Baker, the only two players who scored more than 26 points last year, and also point to the losses of offensively-gifted defensemen Chris Dyment and Pat Aufiero. Where is the offense going to come from? The matchups with Hemingway-Collins-Gare (UNH), … Read more
If you’re a college hockey coach and your only significant question mark is your backup goaltender, then life is good. For UNH coach Dick Umile, life is indeed very good. In this writer’s eyes, New Hampshire enters the season as the number one team in the country. Depth and skill abound on the roster. It’ll … Read more