Lucia Gets Milestone Victory

Colorado College head coach Don Lucia earned his 200th career victory Dec. 27 as his Tigers beat the Vermont Catamounts 6-0 at the Badger Hockey Showdown. The win came in Lucia’s tenth season as a head coach, the last four at Colorado College, where he has won an unprecedented three straight WCHA regular-season crowns. The … Read more

Mistakes, Passion and Commitment

Shawn Walsh, no stranger to enemies, returned to Maine hockey on Dec. 24 after serving a one-year suspension. Some welcomed him with open arms; of course, others did not. “Shawn Walsh is the reason I came to Maine,” said assistant captain Dan Shermerhorn. “The players know they’re getting the best,” said athletic director Suzanne Tyler. … Read more

This Week in the CCHA: December 27, 1996

CCHA Preview: Dec. 27-31, 1996 by Paula C. Weston Each team in the CCHA except for the University of Alaska-Fairbanks Nanooks is competing in non-conference tournament play during the holiday break. The University of Michigan is defending the Great Lakes Invitational title for the eighth straight year, while Michigan State, Lake Superior State and Michigan … Read more

This Week in the WCHA: December 27, 1996

WCHA Preview: Dec. 27-31, 1996 by Jim Thies Next to the end-of-the-year league and national playoffs, this time of year is possibly the most exciting for players, coaches and fans alike, since teams leave the rigors of conference play and face new opponents from across the nation. This leads to some great matchups, and that’s … Read more

This Week in Hockey East: December 27, 1996

Hockey East Preview: Dec. 27-31, 1996 by Dave Hendrickson After two sparse weeks Hockey East rebounds into full-scale action. All but Boston University will be participating in tournaments, while the fourth-ranked Terriers travel to North Dakota to play the fifth-ranked Fighting Sioux. Look for plenty of upsets this week. After a week or two off, … Read more

This Week in the ECAC: December 27, 1996

ECAC PREVIEW: Dec. 13-14, 1996 ECAC Preview: Dec. 27-31, 1996 by Jayson Moy There are things that go hand in hand with the holiday season: presents, family, laughs, tradition, shopping, and college hockey. Yes, college hockey is a huge part of the holidays. There are a total of nine tournaments involving a total of 32 … Read more

Walsh Returns to Maine Bench

Maine head coach Shawn Walsh returns to the bench Friday, December 27, as Maine takes on Denver in a first-round matchup of the Denver Cup tournament. Walsh was suspended in December, 1995 by Maine after many NCAA violations were uncovered in which Walsh was either directly or indirectly involved. Walsh’s suspension ended December 24. “I’m … Read more

Greg Cronin Speaks Out

“Last July when I was entertaining some other opportunities, people were trying to keep me at Maine,” said Greg Cronin, who served a year as Maine’s interim head coach before recently taking a position with USA Hockey. “They were very disappointed that I might leave. Now a lot of people have opened the door and … Read more

Sertich Gains 300th Win

Minnesota-Duluth coach Mike Sertich won his 300th career game on December 21, as the Bulldogs defeated visiting Harvard, 4-2, in a non-conference game. The win is a milestone for the 14-year coach Sertich, but far from the only one. Not only has he won 300 games, but he has also been named the WCHA Coach … Read more

This Week in the WCHA: December 20, 1996

WCHA PREVIEW: Dec. 13-15, 1996 WCHA Preview: Dec. 20-21, 1996 by Jim Thies Although most of the WCHA is off this weekend, Minnesota-Duluth stays in action, hosting ECAC member Harvard in a weekend series in Duluth, Minn. The rest of the teams take a break from play, but will be in action again soon, with … Read more

This Week in Hockey East: December 20, 1996

Hockey East Preview: Dec. 20-21, 1996 by Dave Hendrickson Will Hockey East ever beat the ECAC again? Since November 26 — Hockey East’s last victorious date on the calendar — the two leagues have faced each other in 14 games played on seven calendar days. Hockey East has won only two of the games and … Read more

Northern Lights

University of Alaska-Fairbanks hockey coach Dave Laurion sighs. “The first five games of the year, soon after Erik got hurt, we weren’t very good. All of our returning players who knew Erik didn’t play well. Right away, we’re oh-and-seven at home against good teams, when we’re not playing our best hockey.” He pauses. In his … Read more

Where Do They Come From?

Teams from the WCHA are among the best in the country, year after year. As a unit, the league has won 29 NCAA titles, as well as claiming runner-up honors 25 times. WCHA teams have appeared a total of 77 times on the national stage. Obviously, players and coaches of member schools take pride in … Read more

This Week in the WCHA: December 13, 1996

WCHA PREVIEW: Dec. 13-15, 1996 WCHA Preview: Dec. 13-15, 1996 by Jim Thies North Dakota won three of four points from Colorado College last weekend, increasing its lead to six in the race for first place in the WCHA. The Fighting Sioux are off this weekend, but would probably rather be playing to keep their … Read more

This Week in the CCHA: December 13, 1996

CCHA PREVIEW: Dec. 13-15, 1996 CCHA Preview: Dec. 13-15, 1996 by Paula C. Weston The teams atop the CCHA standings remain constant, as Lake Superior State and Michigan State (each with 18 points) hold on to their one-point lead over Michigan, while Miami stands one point behind the Wolverines. The potential for change in the … Read more

This Week in Hockey East: December 13, 1996

Hockey East Preview: Dec. 11-14, 1996 by Dave Hendrickson Exam week sidelines six of the nine Hockey East teams this weekend. What the league lacks in quantity, however, they’ll try to make up in quality. First, Boston University hosts Boston College in one of the top rivalries in the sport. Although both teams are far … Read more

State Legislator Wants Walsh Fired

A state representative to the Maine legislature plans to introduce a resolution asking the University of Maine to fire suspended ice hockey coach Shawn Walsh, according to the Associated Press. Walsh, who was suspended for one year without pay for his role in NCAA violations, is slated to return as coach Dec. 24. Rep. Art … Read more

‘Lacrosse Goal’ Up for Awards

The “lacrosse” goal by University of Michigan center Mike Legg is under consideration for two major awards this year: Canada’s sporting network TSN’s “Play of the Year,” and an ESPY awards from the American equivalent, ESPN, the University of Michigan announced this week. Legg’s goal, which came in a quarterfinal game of the 1996 NCAA … Read more

Fans Will Be Treated to Two All-Star Games

There will be two postseason all-star games this year in the college hockey world: one featuring the top U.S. born NCAA players against the top talent from the Canadian equivalent,the CIAU; the other featuring the best of the best from Hockey East and the ECAC, as well as players drawn from the best in NCAA … Read more

This Week in the ECAC: December 13, 1996

ECAC PREVIEW: Dec. 13-14, 1996 ECAC Preview: Dec. 13-14, 1996 by Jayson Moy The holiday season is upon us, and as usual, that means a light schedule of games. There are only two on the ECAC docket this week, and both involve a Hockey East foe — UMass-Amherst. The ECAC is currently overwhelming HEA opponents, … Read more