All the playoff posturing, injuries, streaks and statistical battles are irrelevant now. Here’s the bottom line: win four games (five games for some), collect your ticket to the NCAA tournament’s Field of 12. Now that the dust has settled on a wild season in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, let’s take a quick look at … Read more
Three repeat selections lead the 1997-98 CCHA All-Academic team announced by the league Wednesday, as Michigan State’s Tyler Harlton, Notre Dame’s Steve Noble and Western Michigan’s Jeff Rucinski all return to the team. Rucinski’s selection marks the 14th consecutive season that a Western Michigan student-athlete has been a member of the team, the longest active … Read more
The title doesn’t quite have the same ring as taxation without representation, and you won’t be finding Hockey East Commissioner Joe Bertagna dumping tea, or its equivalent, into the Boston harbor. Nonetheless, Hockey East will next year become the first major conference without a member on the NCAA tournament selection committee, and Bertagna is none … Read more
I didn’t hear a fat lady sing, did you? What was once the largest lead of any first-place team in the nation is now the smallest. Clarkson picked up four points this past weekend and Yale just one, narrowing the battle for the ECAC regular-season title between the two to just one slim point. Taking … Read more
St. Norbert forward Rob Smillie, who helped lead the Green Knights to their second straight NCHA regular-season championship, was named the league’s Player of the Year, the league announced Monday. The 5-11, 190-pound junior led the NCHA in both goals and points, with 19 goals and 14 assists for 33 points. Meanwhile, St. Norbert College … Read more
I don’t have anything to complain about this week. Neither does Northeastern coach Bruce Crowder, whose team swept UNH in yet another Husky stunner. Everyone keeps waiting for the NU Cinderella season to turn midnight, but it seems these kids can’t tell time. Their own Roger Holeczy took the KOHO Player of the Week award … Read more
It should be mentioned that this list is not an official endorsement by USCHO; nor was the all-rookie team of last week. It’s just the official Girl Reporter’s All-CCHA Team. If I were picking sides, these are the guys I’d want on my team. Goalies As I’ve been saying all season long, hands-down, without a … Read more
Except for you, my friends on the World Wide Web, who, instead of being treated to tuxedos and slinky dresses on the likes of Gwyneth Paltrow, will be treated to 30-some bloody, battered, bruised dudes — and one guy in a suit — waiting to get their mitts on some USCHO hardware. I think the … Read more
The PrimeLink Great Northern Shoot-Out, a new season-opening tournament featuring four top Division III hockey programs from New York and Vermont, will debut in November on the campus of Norwich University. Slated to appear are ECAC powerhouse and host Norwich, three-time defending Division III champion Middlebury, perennial NCAA contender and 1992 national champion Plattsburgh State … Read more
Maine junior winger Steve Kariya remained hospitalized Monday with a collapsed lung suffered early in Maine’s Feb. 28 game against Nebraska-Omaha. Kariya, the nation’s 11th-leading scorer with 23-23-46 in 30 games, was hit while holding his breath, resulting in the puncture. He is expected to be out for this week’s action, but is probable for … Read more
Michigan State’s Chad Alban became just the fourth netminder in collegiate history to tally a goal Saturday night, scoring into an empty net in the Spartans’ 6-3 win over Ferris State. On the play, Alban collected the puck in the corner to the right of Michigan State’s goal and fired a 180-foot shot which bounded … Read more
So what’s the deal here? I have no idea, and all the loyal readers will agree with me when I say so. Can you figure this out? I know that I can’t. How about some facts to begin with: Yale, Clarkson, and Rensselaer have clinched ECAC playoff berths. Yale has clinched home ice for the … Read more
Goalies There are several rookie goaltenders who have made a difference for their respective teams. The most notable of these is Jeff Maund, Ohio State’s rookie who never–not for one second– played like one. Maund has considerable talent, considerable points–and considerable stats. He’s 14-6-0 in over 1,200 minutes of play; he’s 12-6-0 in league play. … Read more
"Figures often beguile me, Scott, particularly when I have the arranging of them myself; in which case the remark attributed to Disraeli would often apply with justice and force: ‘There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics.’" To which I responded: "You’re talking about Duluth’s penalty-kill percentage, right? I’ll bet they’d be … Read more
From 1984 through 1989, the two leagues played games against each member of the opposing conference, with the games counting in both leagues’ standings. In those days, wags in Hockey East press boxes would announce, "WCHA rules tonight. Two assists for every goal." I find myself wondering sometimes if we’re back to "WCHA rules" again. … Read more
The SUNYAC has announced its postseason awards, including all-conference teams. Junior Tracey Belanger of Plattsburgh and senior Brian DeFeo of Oswego were honored as co-Players of the Year. The SUNYAC Coach of the Year is Oswego’s George Roll, and the league’s Rookie of the Year is Aaron Coleman of Geneseo. First- and second-team all-conference rosters: … Read more
Last year was a banner year for the ECAC in terms of national recognition. A look at the rosters of the Titan All-America Teams from the East, and the presence of the ECAC was undeniable. On the first team there was Trevor Koenig (Union) in goal, Matt Pagnutti (Clarkson) on defense, and Martin St. Louis … Read more
When the NCAA announced that this year’s East and West Regionals would be available in a pay-per-view package, the instinctive reaction was, “What are they thinking? This sport needs more exposure, not less.” Fears that college hockey’s governing organization had sold its soul for a few pieces of silver, however, turned out to be groundless. … Read more
It was 1981, at Hobey Baker Rink in Princeton. The Dartmouth men’s ice hockey team was on its way to a 4-3 overtime loss to the Tigers when a visitor in the stands named Dan Gaudet found himself in the middle of a loud disagreement between opposing fans. Big mistake for the Tiger faithful, because … Read more
Michigan State head coach Ron Mason, already the winningest coach in the history of the sport, earned the 800th victory of his career Friday night as the Spartans defeated archrival Michigan, 5-1. Hundreds of enthusiastic fans stormed the ice to honor Mason after the game. “I’ve never had that happen,” Mason said of the fans’ … Read more