The Friars displayed pronounced schizo tendencies last year. They opened with only two wins in their first eight games, then won nine out of 10. They followed that hot streak with a 1-6-1 stretch only to turn things around yet again and win six of eight. “It was a roller coaster year for us emotionally,” … Read more
Is the glass half empty or half full? Do BC fans torture themselves with woulda-coulda-shoulda possibilities involving national championships the last three years? Or do they draw pride and satisfaction in the fact that during that stretch their team is the only one in the country to have reached the Frozen Four each time? Do … Read more
Hockey East’s only new coach, Don Cahoon, arrives from Princeton, where he took a difficult recruiting situation and brought that program to heights never before achieved. (Among other notable accomplishments, Princeton won its first-ever ECAC title and made its inaugural NCAA tournament appearance in 1997-98.) UMass-Amherst fans are hoping that Cahoon can work that same … Read more
If the Tin Man only had a heart… if the Scarecrow only had a brain… if the Cowardly Lion only had courage… And if Ricky DiPietro had only stayed at BU for one more year. It was a proud moment for college hockey when DiPietro became the first goaltender and the first collegian to be … Read more
Even though UMass-Lowell finished in the cellar last year, it was only by a single point. It won’t take much to make a significant move in the standings. “We recognize Hockey East is the strongest league in the country right now,” says coach Tim Whitehead. “For anyone that finished in the bottom half last year, … Read more
Wisconsin’s hockey team can say something its football and men’s and women’s basketball teams can’t — it came away from an athletics department scandal largely unscathed. Unlike the three other high-profile teams at the school, the hockey team was not hit with any suspensions stemming from athletes accepting unadvertised discounts at a Madison-area shoe store. … Read more
After years of explosive offensive firepower and defensive stinginess, New Hampshire had to rely primarily on the latter last season. The Wildcats totaled only a modest 122 overall goals, a far cry from their 204 in 1996-97 or even the 171 the year before last. This finally caught up with them when they finished 4-5-1 … Read more
ECAC West athletic directors have accepted the applications of both Utica College and Neumann College for admission into the league, at league meetings being held on Cape Cod this week.
Last year proved to be a Jekyll-and-Hyde one for Northeastern. After breaking out to an 11-8-5 record, culminating in an undefeated January, the Huskies were looking like an NCAA bubble team. Then they lost seven of eight games in February and finished with nine straight losses and 11 out of 12. They won’t have an … Read more
The Black Bears returned to the Frozen Four last year, but were foiled in the semifinal game by North Dakota in their attempt to repeat as national champions. All of which moved to the background during the offseason when coach Shawn Walsh was diagnosed with kidney cancer. He’ll miss the season opener against North Dakota … Read more
“We recognize Hockey East is the strongest league in the country right now. For anyone that finished in the bottom half last year, something special has to happen to get into that top half of the league.”— UMass Lowell coach Tim Whitehead Last year, Boston University, New Hampshire, Boston College and Maine all spent virtually … Read more
It was almost fitting, looking around the room at MAAC media day, to see UConn coach Bruce Marshall sitting close to Holy Cross benchman Paul Pearl. The two have something in common — they’ve guided their teams to MAAC tournament championships, Pearl in 1999, and Marshall last year. And both coaches face similar challenges one … Read more
Last year they were an X-factor, but the Mercyhurst College Lakers marched into the MAAC and took the league by storm. As one of two new entries in the conference’s second year of existence, Mercyhurst used a combination of depth and experience from the tough ECAC West league to post an impressive second-place finish. This … Read more
Anybody out there remember being picked on as a little kid? I know I sure do, and I hated every minute of it. But somewhere, somehow, you always swore that your day would come. That there would be a day that you weren’t so little anymore, and that, even though you wouldn’t be able to … Read more
If Bentley College becomes known for one thing around the MAAC, it will be their head coach Jim McAdam. At age 61, McAdam has the feistiness of a coach just starting his career, coupled with the honesty of a man who has been around for a while. So much was apparent at MAAC media day. … Read more
The Sacred Heart Pioneers made their statement loud and clear throughout the 1999-2000 MAAC season, a statement that they are here to stay. An eighth-place pick last season by the MAAC coaches, Sacred Heart used heart, determination and a lot of skill from a talented group of players to muscle into a tie for fourth … Read more
The darkhorse in the MAAC this season is Iona College. The Gaels, in their first two seasons, have shown signs of brilliance. Two years ago, Ryan Carter, then a freshman, burst onto the MAAC scene to win the scoring title as well as the league’s Offensive MVP. Last year, coach Frank Bretti knew that it … Read more
You might think that a feeling such as winning a championship, especially the inaugural championship in the MAAC hockey league, is something that you never forget. And though that is probably the case, Holy Cross coach Paul Pearl, who led the Crusaders to exactly that berth two seasons ago, probably wishes that the memories of … Read more
How much is goaltending a factor in deciding championships? If it were up to AIC coach Gary Wright, a major factor indeed. That is the one area where his Yellow Jackets will be strong this year. With returning seniors Chance Thede and Ben Brady, AIC will have the most experienced goaltending tandem in the MAAC. … Read more
For the second consecutive year, Rand Pecknold and Quinnipiac University will sit on the bench each night not dressed in their typical purple, white and gold uniforms, but rather wearing the biggest bullseye money can buy. J.C. WELLS Without a doubt, Quinnipiac is the MAAC’s preseason favorite — possibly the biggest favorite in all of … Read more