Men’s D-II/III in general
It has been a frustrating stretch run for the Utica Pioneers over the last few weeks. The return to league play in late January started off optimistically enough. Utica battled league-leading Elmira to a 2-2 tie on January 20, then swept Hobart the next weekend. It has been a wild roller coaster ride since then. … Read more
Western New England coach Greg Heffernan looks at the final week of the regular season in one way: This is the best time for his team — or for any team — to create consistency, with the playoffs approaching. “This season has been about emotional highs and lows for us,” Heffernan said. “We had some … Read more
As the MCHA concludes its 14th regular season this weekend, the league can no longer be considered an upstart in Division III hockey. Two teams have been ranked for most of the season, and there are many players who will finish the season near the top of the Division III stat columns. Since joining the … Read more
You might wonder why this week’s column is looking at the Skidmore Thoroughbreds, who enter the final weekend of the regular season with a 10-11-2 record overall, 9-7-0 in the conference. The fact is that coach Neil Sinclair’s team may be the best example of getting it done right at the right time of the … Read more
The five schools will play under the umbrella of their all-sports conference starting in 2014. Weston Hodkiewicz reports.
The Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference announced Wednesday that its men’s and women’s hockey teams will be leaving the NCHA and will compete solely under the WIAC banner, effective with the 2014-15 school year. Wisconsin-Eau Claire, Wisconsin-River Falls and Wisconsin-Superior are charter members of the men’s NCHA which was formed in 1980, while Wisconsin-Stevens Point and … Read more
Oswego has taken over the top spot in the USCHO.com Division III Men’s Poll by the slimmest of margins over Norwich. Oswego earned 10 first-place votes and 290 points, while now-No. 2 Norwich garnered nine first-place votes and 287 points. Amherst had the other first-place vote and is up one notch to No. 3 this … Read more
Goaltenders are a fickle bunch. This leads to coaches pulling their hair out making decisions concerning their goaltenders. No one should know this better from both sides than Potsdam coach Chris Bernard, a goalie himself at Clarkson. Last season, the Bears starting goaltender was Trevor O’Neill for the third year in a row. Kevin McFarland … Read more
Consider what the world was like when Bill O’Neill took over as head coach of the Salem State hockey team in 1981. There was no such thing as Facebook or Twitter. There were only 21 NHL teams. In 1981, O’Neill was three years removed from winning a national championship at Boston University in 1978. And … Read more
It was the tale of two games for Manhattanville last weekend, as the Valiants played Utica in a home-and-home series. Friday’s game was very even through two periods before Manhattanville exploded for three goals in a 3:20 span to open the third. “As the game went along we got better and better and better,” said … Read more
It would be an understatement to say that St. Thomas has been on a bit of a roll lately. For example, the team jumped two more spots in the USCHO.com poll this week. Previously ranked No. 7, St. Thomas is now No. 5, the highest-ranked team in the West Region. St. Thomas is 11-0-1 in … Read more
For goaltender Jonathan La Rose, this season must represent some unfinished business for the Amherst College senior. Four years ago, La Rose was half of the nation’s best goaltending duo at Amherst that saw he and Cole Anderson lead the Lord Jeffs to the top of the NESCAC standings. In what would have been his … Read more
Norwich earned 19 of 20 first-place votes this week to stay atop the USCHO.com Division III Men’s Poll. Oswego recorded the other first-place vote and again sits at No. 2 this week. Plattsburgh remains third, Amherst jumps one to No. 4 and St. Thomas rises two to No. 5. At No. 6, St. Norbert holds … Read more
Louie Educate can pinpoint the change that’s come in his team, what differentiates the Nichols hockey team’s first half of the season from its second half. In the first half, when Nichols would lose a lead or make a costly mistake, it was the start of a downward slope. The mistakes through the course of … Read more
At 10-1-1 in conference play, the Castleton Spartans know they have a lot riding on their success in the final six games of the regular season in the ECAC East. It may be some basic math, but coach Alex Todd’s squad is in full attack mode in looking to sure up their best possible position … Read more
Heading in to last weekend, Elmira’s power play wasn’t really lighting up the lamp. The Soaring Eagles man advantage had scored seven times in 47 opportunities since the holidays, but five of those goals came against Morrisville during three games. Then came along Friday’s game against Manhattanville, where special teams dominated the second period and … Read more
You know the mantra — defense wins championships. In the case of Plattsburgh, it’s more like the double D’s — defense and discipline wins championships. “Our philosophy always starts with discipline, hard work, and defense, not one over the other,” Plattsburgh coach Bob Emery said. A philosophy which is working better than ever this season. … Read more
After a down season last year, St. Scholastica has bounced back in a big way. Currently ranked No. 13 in the USCHO.com poll, St. Scholastica is in second place in the NCHA, just one point behind No. 6 St. Norbert. St. Scholastica went 9-17-1 in the 2010-2011 campaign, after five seasons of double digit wins … Read more
The BNY Mellon Wealth Management Hockey Humanitarian Award announced Wednesday the five finalists for the award that will be handed out this April at the Frozen Four in Tampa. Shawn Baker, Sr, D, Norwich From Mont-Laurier, Quebec, Baker is the Cadets’ captain, and has been a leader off the ice as well. He has been … Read more
This week’s USCHO.com Division III Men’s Poll shows Norwich again the top-ranked team with 19 of 20 first-place votes. No. 2 Oswego garnered the other first-place vote. Plattsburgh and Castleton remain No. 3 and No. 4, respectively, while Amherst is up two places to No. 5. St. Norbert drops to No. 6, St. Thomas rises … Read more