Men’s D-II/III in general
3, 2, 1, … blast-off! The final weeks of the regular season are ticking down and there are still 12 valuable points up for grabs as teams make their final push for playoff eligibility and positioning in the league standings. If you want to be playing hockey in March, now is the time to start … Read more
The Red Dragon Is Breathing Fire If the SUNYAC season were to end now, Cortland would be hosting a playoff game. Not just in the playoffs, but hosting the first round. This from a team that hasn’t had a winning season (which they currently do at 11-9-2) since 2001-2, the same year they last hosted … Read more
Battle at the top Last weekend saw a crucial series of play in the MIAC with the two teams tied at the top of the standings playing a home-and-home series. Last year’s conference champions, the Bethel Royals, were facing the upstart Hamline Pipers, who have already set a program record with their 10 wins this … Read more
Macho hockey players wearing pink? Sure. When it’s for a good cause. The Fredonia State Blue Devils will be wearing special pink uniforms (along with pink socks) for the Pink the Rink ’08 to be held this Friday, February 8 at the Steele Hall Ice Arena. All for the fight against breast cancer. “They love … Read more
St. Norbert and Elmira could easily be confused for D-III’s version of yin and yang. The Green Knights (12 first place votes) held the top spot for six weeks before the then-undefeated Soaring Falcons (eight) swooped in to perch atop the rankings. After a split with new-No. 14 Neumann — and a win and tie … Read more
Hard to believe that the calendar rolls into February this weekend and that we are heading down the stretch run in the season where both leagues are very competitive for all of the playoff spots. Fondly referencing a ‘Badger Bob’ Johnson quote, Bowdoin coach Terry Meagher noted that “we are right in that hockey tunnel … Read more
Saving A Season Buffalo State entered the weekend of December 7-8 with what appeared to be a lost season. They were 2-8-2 overall with a four game losing streak and winless in seven straight. Worse, they were only 1-4-2 in the SUNYAC just 10 months after hosting their first playoff game in school history. This … Read more
As the newcomer to the ECAC NE, Becker College is having a respectable campaign, currently sitting in the middle of the pack, four points out from second place but in a four way tie for fourth place. “This is our second year of existence,†coach Steve Hoar stated. “I think the ECAC NE is a … Read more
To Have A Humanitarian Over the years, I have highlighted the community outreach in the ECAC West in this column. Every team has programs to get the players out of the rinks and into the communities helping on numerous community service projects. Now, three programs have been recognized on a national level for the efforts … Read more
Elmira is a wingman no more. After playing second fiddle to St. Norbert for a good six weeks, the Soaring Eagles parlayed three wins into 16 first place votes (nearly completely reversing the margin of 17-3 enjoyed last week by the Green Knights) and D-III’s number one ranking — a fitting perch for the nation’s … Read more
With the weeks counting down to the all important conference playoffs at the end of February, some teams are starting to get on the roll that many predicted would carry them to the top of the league standings at the beginning of the year. Middlebury and Norwich are prime examples. Still others are finding their … Read more
Finally, the month we have all been waiting for. It’s nothing but conference action from here on out for both the NCHA and MCHA, and both are figuring not to have much of anything figured out until the final weekend of the season. The NCHA finished up with the MIAC Interlock portion of its schedule … Read more
Ending Early Every year, my colleague Chris Lerch has a running count of the teams that complete their season as we wind down to the final game. This count always starts in mid-February as teams begin to be eliminated from their league playoffs. This year, Lerch can begin his count right now. The first team … Read more
“We’re right in the thick of things,†coach Rob Davies said of his conference-leading Curry College Colonels. “We had a tough game against Becker the other night. They played very well and gave us all we can handle. We were fortunate to get the win. Now we’ve got Wentworth and Nichols coming up. Right now, … Read more
Getting Your Money’s Worth Hobart and Neumann played a pair of wild games last weekend in Aston, PA that provide a glimpse of the kind of hockey that fans can expect in the ECAC West down the stretch. Friday’s contest saw Neumann start out on a tear, scoring four goals in the first 6:11 of … Read more
The only thing that seems to change among the upper echelon elite of Division III hockey teams these days is the apportionment of first place votes. Two polls ago, St. Norbert had 19, Elmira 1. Last week, the ratio was 17-3. Now it is 18 for the Green Knights and two for the Soaring Eagles. … Read more
Corsairs rolling along Sitting atop the ECAC NE in sole possession of first place is UMass Dartmouth, with a 6-0-0 record, and a 8-4-1 overall mark. Head coach John Rolli is pleased with his team’s effort so far, but after playing five of the last six on the road, he can’t wait to play a … Read more
Save for two games, from now on both leagues exclusively are partaking in conference play from this point on. It’s safe to say we’ve hit the homestretch. The NCHA all but wrapped up its Interlock schedule last weekend and currently holds a 29-19-8 record against the MIAC. While not as impressive as last season’s dominating … Read more
This week brings us to the unofficial halfway point in the season. Based on what amounts to about an average of a 25 game schedule per team, this weekend puts most teams across the halfway mark and really turns the focus on making an impact in league play. As Colby coach Jim Tortorella puts it: … Read more
With most ECAC West teams winding up their non-league games and heading back into league play this weekend, it is time for my annual mid-season review. The first half of the season has been a wild ride, with surprises, disappointment, and some incredible hockey. The ECAC West has done an outstanding job in the non-conference … Read more