Men’s D-II/III in general
Ready for the Grind Five weeks, that is all the time that the ECAC West teams have left to make or break their season. With the exception of two non-conference games, all of the remaining contests on the schedule are within the league. The stretch run begins now. With the non-conference part of the schedule … Read more
Hawks in the Hunt Sitting in the middle of the pack right now are the Becker College Hawks, with a 5-5 record that puts them right in the thick of the playoff hunt, which seems to be getting tighter and tighter according to coach Steve Hoar. “I think outside of the big four — Curry, … Read more
If ever there was a week for a titanic shift in the D-III poll, this was it. But after the top two teams in the nation — including the previously unbeaten Plattsburgh Cardinals — fell victim to upsets, the world of Division III felt only minor tremors. Now 12-1-2 on the season, Plattsburgh remained at … Read more
Well, finally back from holiday break, though a week later than anticipated. My apologies for my absence last week but a couple unexpected trips to the doctor are never convenient. All is well now, and though it’s been awhile not a whole lot has changed on the national scene. The NCHA still has five teams … Read more
Most coaches with a team in the thick of the hunt would be content in that position, but for veteran University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth coach John Rolli, who fully understands the depth of talent in the ECAC NE, he’s a bit pragmatic. “Well, we’re just hanging in there, literally. Last night against a very game Worcester … Read more
This week we’ll focus on the NESCAC from top to bottom and a couple of stops in the middle of the standings as things are heating up in conference play and one school begins a new era with the opening of their new campus rink. Next week we’ll repeat the favor with an ECAC East … Read more
The Day Hockey Took a Backseat Sunday January 11, 2009 started out just like any other road-trip for the UMass-Boston women’s hockey team. The Beacons were headed to Castleton State for a 2 p.m. league contest against the Spartans. However, as their bus traveled north farther on Interstate-93 crossing into New Hampshire the weather worsened. … Read more
Midseason Awards What better time to present some midseason awards than a few games after the midseason? Better late than never as they say. Not all these awards are going to be traditional. After all, it’s the middle of January, and when this column gets published, it’s going to be below zero in Rochester, N.Y. … Read more
A Bump in the Road Prior to the holidays, the Neumann Knights were rolling along, enjoying a five game unbeaten streak. Despite a hiccup against Elmira and an overtime loss to Hobart, Neumann rebounded to go 2-0-1 against Manhattanville and solidify its position as a contender in the league. Then came the Times-Argus tournament on … Read more
In their sixth consecutive poll atop the national rankings, the still-unbeaten Plattsburgh Cardinals retightened their grip on Division III hockey in earning 15 out of a possible 20 first place votes. The buzzing (and clearly undaunted) Yellowjackets from the University of Wisconsin-Superior, now 15-1-1 on the season, remained in second, receiving the other five top … Read more
Happy New Year! Most of the players and coaches return to the ice this weekend with resolutions they intend to keep in the second half of the season. For some — who have already played in a holiday tournament or non-league game — there has been an opportunity to work off the rust that the … Read more
Coach Lou Izzi and the rest of the Nichols College team roared into 2009 much like they finished 2008: winning hockey games. The Bison kicked off the new year by winning the St. Michael’s Tournament last weekend to extend their winning streak to six, and now boast a conference best 8-0 record, and are 13-1 … Read more
Accountability It’s no secret that Oswego has not always played up to their potential this year. A season where they are led by a senior class that was the backbone to their championship season as sophomores. Some of their losses have been quite disappointing for seniors that should understand clutch play. They blew a 2-1 … Read more
Becoming Veterans Utica’s primary objective with this year’s freshman class was to add scoring punch to its already solid defensive play. At the midway point of the season, it looks like the Pioneers are well on their way to satisfying that goal and are on pace to exceed last year’s scoring total by more than … Read more
The West would like to make a statement… … “We can play too!†This past weekend, top-ranked Amherst traveled to Minnesota to take on two of the west’s best in MIAC powers Gustavus Adolphus and St. Thomas. The Lady Jeffs limped back to Massachusetts with two losses on consecutive nights falling to Gustavus 3-0 on … Read more
When all top 15 teams remain the same from one poll to the next, proffering the notion of change seems disingenuous. Looking closer, however, elicits some interesting findings. For the fifth straight poll, the still unbeaten Plattsburgh Cardinals (11-0-2) have been judged by the voters as Division III’s best team. But for the third consecutive … Read more
Past is Prologue With a short week of only six games, the unquestionable highlight from the past weekend for the MIAC was Gustavus Adolphus going on the road and knocking off then-No. 15 University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. The win came thanks to the Gusties special teams, as the Pointers out shot Gustavus by a 29-21 … Read more
With only four of the top 15 teams in action over this past week, there was understandably very little change among the nation’s elite in the last Division III poll of 2008. Slots one through five remained unchanged as, for the fourth consecutive poll, the Plattsburgh Cardinals were judged the nation’s best team. Thanks to … Read more
Jockeying For Position Looking back on the first half of the MIAC season, one thing has become clear: reports of the conference’s immense depth have not been exaggerated. Last Saturday, all four conference match-ups went into overtime, and St. Mary’s was the only team in the conference to not come away with at least one … Read more
Welcome back for what will be this column’s final incarnation of 2008. As always, let’s take a look at where NCHA and MCHA teams stand on the national scene, though not much changed this week. Superior remains the highest ranked Western team, holding onto its No.2 position nationally and three first place votes after yet … Read more