After sneaking into the conference championship game as the sixth seed last year, Johnson and Wales isn’t surprising anyone this season. With a wild 6-4 win at Becker Wednesday night, the Wildcats moved to 9-2 in conference play to jump ahead of Curry for the top spot in the ECAC Northeast, and could be in … Read more
For many, sports provide a release in which nothing matters outside of the field of competition. For Salve Regina sophomore Isaiah Carlson, athletics have provided an outlet for his talents to be used to reach out and give back to others. Carlson was one of the record 25 players nominated last Wednesday for the Hockey … Read more
Making an adjustment to college hockey can be difficult for some players. Some, like Plymouth State goalie Jack Astedt, need a year or so to adjust to the new surroundings and tendencies of the game. However, a large number of freshman have already made an impact thus far this season, including a pair of goalies … Read more
Last week’s 4-3 win over Southern New Hampshire represented more then just a milestone for Nichols’ head coach Lou Izzi; it’s also a symbol of the drastic change the program has gone through during his tenure. “It was brought to my attention; I knew I was approaching it,” Izzi said of the win mark. “When … Read more
With 26 players returning from last year’s squad that went 17-9-1, including 12-5-1 in the MASCAC, first-year Plymouth State head coach Craig Russell had every reason to believe this season could be just as successful. However, while their are still some kinks to be worked out (the Panthers are 7-1, but have four ties on … Read more
One of the most historic weeks in the history of the Worcester State men’s ice hockey program was followed by….nothing. The Lancers started their final week of play in 2010 by knocking off Fitchburg State, who they hadn’t beaten since 2003. Following that was a 4-1 win over Westfield State, who swept the season series … Read more
With the first semester rapidly coming to a close, college freshman are beginning to get a taste of the torturous process known as finals week. However, for a young Wentworth Institute of Technology hockey team, the first test has already come and gone. The Leopards started the year 1-3-1, but have since rattled off a … Read more
Whether looking at accomplishment or futility involving an athlete or a team, it’s become an all too common practice to compare the longevity since that event’s occurrence to a public figure or cultural reference. The Cleveland Indians haven’t won a World Series since a movie ticket cost sixty cents. Mark Recchi scored his first NHL … Read more
There’s been a lot of inter-conference mingling in the early part of the season, particularly between the Northeast-10, MASCAC, and ECAC Northeast. In fact, with the exception of Franklin Pierce’s season-opening two-game series with Utica, all the Northeast-10 action has come against the MASCAC and ECAC Northeast, with varying results. The conference has an overall … Read more
A Grand Opening The pieces were in place. And when the lights went on, the results were there, as Plymouth State christened its new arena at Hanaway Rink with a convincing 6-0 win over Southern New Hampshire Saturday night before a sellout crowd of 900. “It might have even been a little over capacity,” first … Read more
With the opening of the new season comes a new format in the way coverage is going to be presented at USCHO. If you’ve taken a look at some of the Division I columns and Division III blog postings, you’ll probably have a good idea how this is going to work. If not, here’s a … Read more
While the newly-created MASCAC still has one more year to go until NCAA tournament eligibility, there’s no shortage of story lines following what could be considered a successful debut for the conference. Salem State won the initial MASCAC championship in a thrilling 2-1 overtime win over top-seeded Fitchburg State. Overall, the conference was fairly competitive … Read more
After losing almost 90 percent of its scoring to graduation, Framingham State will be looking to tighten up the defensive game this year. “We will try to play a more aggressive style on the offensive end, but our key focus will be our end,” coach T.J. Brown said. “We gave up way too many goals … Read more
Thirteen new players, including four new goalies, have Worcester State coach John Guiney hopeful for a turnaround season. “Overall, we should be stronger up front with more offensive skill,” he said. “On defense, we will be more experienced.” After allowing just over five goals per game last season, the Lancers have brought in four freshman … Read more
It’s been a while. That’s the best way of summing up last year for Mass.-Dartmouth, as the Corsairs posted their first losing record since 1976-77, finishing with an overall record of 11-15-1. Despite that, they were still able to win a playoff game, knocking off fourth-seed Westfield State in opening round playoff action before narrowly … Read more
After a 20-year hiatus, Westfield State will look to continue its success entering its third year since returning as a varsity program. The Owls have posted a 24-19-7 record the last two seasons and are poised to continue their success this season. “First and foremost, Jerry Keefe did a great job the first year back,” … Read more
It’s not often a new coach takes over with a team locked and loaded and ready to go, but that’s the situation first year head coach Craig Russell finds himself in at Plymouth State. After serving as an assistant coach under Brett Tryder for seven years, following a four year playing career at Plymouth State, … Read more
Last year’s MASCAC runner-ups return will a veteran core that’s looking to get back to the championship game. “This team returns a great group of athletes,” coach Dean Fuller said. “Last year’s loss in the championship has motivated us to work harder in the off-season so we can get back into that game.” In net, … Read more
It’s an axiom that’s repeated all throughout sports: Good teams don’t rebuild, they reload. Sure, Salem State lost four key seniors, but they gained three transfers, two of whom have already proven themselves in MASCAC play. “They’re just quality players,” said Salem coach Bill O’Neill, who is entering his 30th season in charge of the … Read more
Cammi Granato, three-time ECAC Player of the Year, two-time Olympian and 15-year member of the U.S. Women’s National Team, was today announced as one of the first two female members in the 65-year history of the Hockey Hall of Fame. Granato will be formally inducted into the Hall on Nov. 8 as part of the … Read more