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
A record 25 players have been unveiled as the nominees for the 2011 BNY Mellon Wealth Management Hockey Humanitarian Award. The list includes returning nominees Sam Kuzyk of Adrian, Mario Mjelleli of Augsburg and Brigid O’Gorman of Connecticut College. Finalists will be announced in mid-February, with the award scheduled to be presented on Friday, April … 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
Hamline defenseman Chris Berenguer juggles a lot in his daily routine — a family, school, hockey — but when he has taken the ice in his senior season, he has savored every minute of it. Larry O’Connor reports.
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
A pivotal battle for first place in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference features familiar foes who have a habit of crashing each other’s party. This weekend, No. 6 Gustavus Adolphus faces first-place St. Thomas, a team that upset Gustavus in last season’s MIAC championship game, only to see the Gusties beat the Tommies in the … Read more
East meets West in Adrian College’s Hackett Builders Thanksgiving Showcase Friday and Saturday. The second-annual hockey revue at Arrington Ice Arena features three Top-10 ranked teams with No. 5 Hamline, No. 7 Adrian and No. 9 SUNY Geneseo, as well as Wisconsin-Eau Claire. Geneseo takes on Hamline at 3 p.m. Friday, followed by UW-Eau Claire … Read more
Milwaukee School of Engineering players remain grounded, despite getting a sniff of rarefied air with the team’s Top-15 ranking and first place standing. The Raiders pierced the NCAA Division III’s upper tier after a weekend sweep of then No. 15-ranked Marian. The victories in the home-and-home series lifted MSOE (6-0) into first place in the … Read more
Along with a new coach, the rebuilding Bethel Royals have embarked on a journey this season that will likely to be filled with many highs and lows. After losing their first four games, the Royals already endured the depths often experienced by an upstart team. Then there are turning points, like Thursday’s 4-3 triumph at … Read more
All three respective D-III Western Region conference favorites — Adrian, St. Norbert and Hamline — were upset last weekend, which always makes pundits wonder how they will respond the following week, if not the remaining season. Like a claims adjustor, the first task was to assess the damage: were they substantial losses so seismic in … Read more
With nine freshmen, including a 6-foot-7 behemoth from Sweden, the Saint John’s Johnnies have faith in the future. That belief has been tested in the early-going, as the Johnnies dropped four-straight contests, three of which were decided by a goal. Senior Mike Wallgren had a team-leading two goals and two assists through four games. MIAC … Read more
After finishing three points shy of a MIAC playoff berth last season, the Concordia Cobbers will work on closing deal this time around. That’s because the Cobbers had their fate decided by two goals or less in 14 of 25 contests, which included a league-record five ties. The lack of crucial goals was reflected in … Read more
St. Olaf’s strategy this season appears to be the classic strategy of lie-in-wait and then attack at dusk. Despite the Oles’ projected fifth place finish in the MIAC preseason coaches poll, coach Sean Goldsworthy expects his charges to garner momentum down the stretch and become a playoff contender. The team has qualified for MIAC postseason … Read more
After a dreadful season with only one win to its name, Saint Mary’s Cardinals are imbued with a new sense of optimism. “It’s awesome,” said coach Bill Moore, who enters his third season at the helm. “We have fun going to practice every day. The kids are working their butts off. “It’s a totally different … Read more
With the loss of NCAA D-III Player of the Year David Martinson to graduation, there have been a couple of stages of grief in the Gusties’ camp. First, there was the tribute phase. “That’s a special, special player that comes around maybe once in a lifetime as a coach,” said Gusties coach Brett Petersen, entering … Read more
The Auggies are looking to build on a seven-year best 16 wins last season, which catapulted the squad into the MIAC’s high-rent district. With the team’s top two scorers Nick Guran (18 goals and 15 assists) and Joel Sauer (16 goals and 16 assists) returning, along with goalie Justin Lochner (2.32 goals-against average), there’s little … Read more
In two-time All American defenseman Chris Berenguer, the Pipers have one of the best players in D-III hockey. Statistics alone speak volumes about his hockey abilities. Berenguer led MIAC defensemen in scoring with six goals and 22 assists last season, which followed a sophomore season when he produced a team-leading 14 goals and 25 assists … Read more
The Saints lost a combined 84 points offensively with the graduation of Jordan Chong (17 goals, 20 assists), Jordan Baird (8 goals, 16 assists) and Aaron Spotts (10 goals, 13 assists). Others are ready to fill the void, coach Mark Wick said. Forward Riley Riddell, one of the team’s two seniors, fits the profile of … Read more