When the puck drops on the 2012 portion of the schedule, Bethel will try to keep its recent success rolling. Every college team wants positive energy going into the winter break, and Bethel has it. Consider Bethel the surprise team in the MIAC this season. It is locked into a tight race in the conference … Read more
Now that the first half of the 2011-2012 hockey season has been hung by the chimney with care, let’s take a look at how the competition is shaping up in the MCHA/MIAC/NCHA conferences. Also, I will guess as to what the coaches would want from Santa Claus for the start of 2012. MCHA Adrian and … Read more
In my preseason review of the MIAC, I picked Concordia (Minn.) to win the MIAC. I made that prediction because the Cobbers had the luxury of two solid goaltenders returning and played good team defense and special teams. Although the Cobbers finished fourth in the MIAC last season, the team made it to the title … Read more
Looking back at the Thanksgiving tournament games has led me to believe that the NCHA is the strongest conference in the Midwest, from Wis.-Eau Claire’s run to the Adrian Thanksgiving Tournament title to St. Scholastica winning its two games at the MCHA/NCHA Showcase. St. Norbert fared well at the Showcase as well, with a victory … Read more
Sometimes those warm summer days just appear to fly by. That can be especially true in the life of a newly-hired hockey coach, professional and collegiate alike. Hired this past July 15, Chris Brooks had to have a quick introduction to Division III hockey at Wis.-Stevens Point after coaching professionally for the past three years. … Read more
The ice arena on the campus of Lake Forest College, in suburban Chicago, has gone through some recent renovations. Improvements have been made to the bleacher area and the locker rooms. There have been changes made behind the home team’s bench as well. Hired in early May, the 2011-12 season will be the first at … Read more
Adrian is picked once again to finish first in the MCHA.
Four years after they came in to help launch the first year at Adrian hockey, the senior class fell just short of their goal: a national title.
St. Norbert leads the way with three players on the 2010-2011 All-USCHO D-III teams
Adrian Bulldogs Record: 23-3-1 Ranking: No. 5 USCHO poll Leading scorer: Shawn Skelly, 18 goals, 26 assists, 44 points Starting goaltender: Brad Fogal, 23-3-1, 2.10 goals against, .926 save pct. Coach: Ron Fogarty (fourth season) After going one-and-out in last season’s NCAA tournament, coach Ron Fogarty orchestrated a change in the Bulldogs approach, evolving from … Read more
Here is a quick look at this weekend’s respective playoff championships in the Midwest, Minnesota and Northern collegiate hockey conferences. The winners in all three will get a ticket to the NCAA Division III Tournament, which starts March 9 with the first round. The Final Four takes place March 25-26 at Ridder Arena in Minneapolis, … Read more
I was 6-2 in predicting the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association’s first-round playoff outcomes last weekend. Good, right? Well, this is where the old saying about statistics never lying but liars using statistics comes into play. Yes, I perfectly forecasted results in six regulation playoff games, but missed the mark entirely on two mini-games that eventually … Read more
Suddenly, coaches have started speaking in code, player body parts are now only referred to as upper and lower hemispheres, and if someone is clutching so much as a rabbit’s foot for a measure of good luck, not even Wikileaks is going to find out about it. Yes, the playoffs are here. This weekend, the … Read more
British author Oscar Wilde once noted that we are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars. When looking above, Finlandia first-year coach John McCabe only sees a brighter future for his Lions in the constellations. At 2-18, skeptics would suggest the former Alabama-Huntsville assistant is looking through the lens … Read more
While the regular season winds down, the D-III West region playoff picture gets clearer with every weekly coat of Windex in the form of pivotal games down the stretch. At stake in each of the three conferences is an automatic bid to the NCAA D-III tournament. Here is a brief synopsis of how playoff and … Read more
The respective Division III West conference races have turned into a sprint for the finish where standout goaltending will remain at a premium. Here is a quick look at those the star performers between the pipes who will have a large say in how their respective teams perform down the stretch as the battle for … Read more
Lake Forest’s coach hopes to parlay last weekend’s pair of wins over Concordia (Wis.) into a better second-half campaign. Interim coach Seamus Gregory makes the case his Foresters are a better team than their 4-11 overall record indicates. The team (4-6 MCHA) travels to Ashland, Wis., for games against Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association-rival Northland (4-11, … Read more
No. 8 Adrian holds a 14-0 series advantage over No. 9 Milwaukee School of Engineering heading into this weekend’s clash of the Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association titans. “The record speaks for itself,” MSOE coach Mark Ostapina said. Said coach Ron Fogarty: “What’s happened in the past is irrelevant.” While stating the obvious, both coaches are … Read more
Wisconsin-Stevens Point coach Wil Nichol’s announced departure this week left a few lingering questions, notably the timing. Nichol is leaving June 1 to take an unspecified operations job with an unnamed NHL team. A national search for Nichol’s successor will start in spring, with the intent of having a new coach in place by July … Read more
With No. 2 St. Norbert’s vice-grip lock on the top spot, the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association may be mistakenly viewed as a one-horse race. The ongoing battles for the second through seventh spots continues to make for compelling viewing. The campaign’s roller-coaster ride is perhaps best illustrated by the fact that all seven NCHA teams … Read more