Jason Lesteberg, a former All-America performer at Gustavus Adolphus College (Minn.), has been named Wisconsin-Stevens Point’s first women’s ice hockey coach, the school announced. The program will make its debut as a varsity sport at UWSP in the fall of 2000 after spending the past several years as a club sport. “I’m very excited about … Read more
Regular-season and tournament champion Niagara dominated the inaugural College Hockey America postseason awards, as selected by the league’s head coaches, assistant coaches and sports information directors. The Purple Eagles boast the Player of the Year, Coach of the Year and four members of the CHA all-league first team. Niagara senior goaltender Greg Gardner was named … Read more
Merrimack center Greg Classen has signed a contract with the NHL’s Nashville Predators, foregoing the final two years of his collegiate career, according to the Lawrence (Mass.) Eagle-Tribune. Classen was an undrafted free agent. Classen, 22, led Merrimack in scoring this season with 14-16–30, following a solid freshman year that landed him on the Hockey … Read more
After 13 years as both athletic director and head hockey coach for Northern Michigan University, Rick Comley will dispense with the AD role effective July 1 and concentrate on running the Division I hockey program he established at Northern in 1976. Comley and NMU President Judi Bailey announced the change at a press conference Thursday … Read more
The American Hockey Coaches Association, in conjunction with Jofa, has announced the 1999-2000 College Division (Division III) All-American teams, and forward Steve Aronson of St. Thomas led the squad as a first-team All-American for the third straight year. RIT forward Pat Staerker made one of the teams for the third straight season; he was second-team … Read more
Once again this year, the NCAA used an objective selection process (the decision regarding Niagara notwithstanding) to pick the national tournament field. And once again, U.S. College Hockey Online’s Pairwise Rankings (PWR) correctly predicted the field that was selected, for the fourth straight year. Why is this so accurate? Well, it’s not because anyone at … Read more
Dave Poulin is fond of talking about little steps. When his Fighting Irish took Michigan to three games in Yost during the first round of the CCHA playoffs to cap the 1997-98 season, that was a significant little step. When the Irish captured home ice at the end of the 1998-99 season and lost in … Read more
Four finalists for the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, which recognizes the accomplishments of the most outstanding player in women’s intercollegiate varsity ice hockey, were named Tuesday by the USA Hockey Foundation. The finalists are goaltender Ali Brewer (Racine, Wis.), a senior from Brown University; goaltender Sara DeCosta (Warwick, R.I.), a junior from Providence College; defenseman … Read more
In past seasons, the selection of teams for the NCAA tournament was absolutely straightforward. Last year, however, a new wrinkle created some ambiguity in the process when the selection committee added language that allowed it to reject a team based on conference strength. This was put into place primarily because of the insular nature of … Read more
Ink. Press. Publicity. Most of the time, it goes to forwards. They get it when they score a key momentum-turning goal or bury a game-winner late in the third period or in overtime. And when the forwards don’t get it, the goaltenders do for tossing a shutout or making one acrobatic save after another. Defensemen? … Read more
Michigan State senior Shawn Horcoff won an unprecedented five laurels to highlight the 2000 CCHA Awards, presented Thursday, March 16, at the Fox Theatre in Detroit. Horcoff Fellow Spartans Joe Blackburn, Ryan Miller, and Mike Weaver, who picked up two plaques, accompanied Horcoff as Michigan State led all CCHA teams in postseason accolades. Michigan’s Jeff … Read more
Charles E. Holt, an 18-year head coach of the University of New Hampshire men’s ice hockey program, died early Friday morning in his Durham home at the age of 77 following a long bout with cancer. “Charlie Holt’s achievements as a superb and universally respected hockey coach at UNH are well known,” said UNH President … Read more
Umass-Amherst athletic director Bob Marcum announced Friday that the school will not renew the contract of head coach Joe Mallen. The eighth-place Minutemen, who capped off the season with a first-round loss to Boston University in the Hockey East playoffs, compiled a record of 11-20-5, 5-15-4 in league play. Mallen finishes his tenure at UMass … Read more
“I don’t care about shots on goal…”— Maine coach Shawn Walsh “It’s never a bad idea to shoot.” Fans shake their heads in disgust when their favorite team generates a good offensive chance, only to come away without even a shot. “You can’t score if you don’t shoot.” The power play is a special irritant. … Read more
Reggie Jackson earned a reputation as “Mr. October” by always delivering in the postseason for the New York Yankees. When it comes to the Hockey East tournament each March, Blake Bellefeuille has been no less dominant. In his four years at Boston College, he’s totaled 13 goals and 11 assists for 24 points in 15 … Read more
It’s not your typical Cinderella story. First of all, there’s no glass slipper. Twenty or so pairs of skates, yes, but not a slipper in the bunch. And make no mistake: there’s no rags-to-riches theme here. And there is no Prince Charming. Two dozen Princes Charmed, absolutely. Nebraska-Omaha goaltender Kendall Sidoruk has been a big … Read more
The top four teams in the Hockey East Association dominated the honors at the league’s annual awards banquet, held at the Royal Sonesta Hotel here. Boston College, Boston University, Maine, and New Hampshire, all ranked in the nation’s top seven in the latest U.S. College Hockey Online poll, will battle for the 16th Hockey East … Read more
The Hobey Baker Award Committee today announced its top ten finalists for this years’ award. Each year, the top college hockey player in the U.S. is presented the Hobey Baker Award. This group was determined by a ballot of all 60 Division I college hockey coaches and by a fan vote. The award winner will … Read more
The annual ECAC awards were handed out this morning at the Lake Placid Hilton, and leading the charge were Colgate and St. Lawrence, each taking home two of the major individual awards, voted on by the league’s 12 head coaches. Colgate’s Andy McDonald (center) accepts his award as ECAC Player of the Year. Leading the … Read more
And The Envelope, Please The official Hockey East Awards will be announced Thursday evening. Then it’ll be the real experts — the coaches — who will have done the voting. But here’s one writer’s opinion about how the honors should be dispensed. Some of these choices ignore the statistics. Ask any coach and he’ll tell … Read more