Middlebury College, which won’t see action until Nov. 17, is atop the first regular season USCHO.com Division III Men’s Hockey Poll, receiving 14 of 15 first-place votes. Following the three-time defending national champions is St. Norbert, which received the remaining first-place vote. Manhattanville moves from No. 5 in the preseason poll to No. 3 after … Read more
If last weekend was any indication what type of season we are in for, don’t change the channel. While not a full slate of NCHA and MCHA teams were in action last weekend, the handful of teams who did play did their best to raise eyebrows across the nation. On Friday, the first shocker of … Read more
Entering his first season as coach of the Vikings, Mike Szkodzinski is more than excited about the prospects of the Lawrence program. “It’s an opportunity to create an atmosphere based on great pride and character,” he said. “This is a school with great academics and an athletic director who is fully supportive. This is something … Read more
After taking over an undermanned program three years ago, head coach Jasen Wise has been able to turn the Sabres into one of the most formidable teams in the MCHA. With no losses to graduation following last season, it’s reasonable to assume Marian may continue their climb up the MCHA ladder. Leading the cast of … Read more
Eighteen Division II/III schools placed players on the 2006-2007 USCHO Pre-Season Division II/III All-USCHO Teams. National champion Middlebury leads with three players named to the team. Four schools placed two players each: national runner-up St. Norbert, ECAC East champion Norwich, Augsburg and Wisconsin-Stevens Point. The All-USCHO teams are selected by the USCHO staff. Complete All-USCHO … Read more
Only a 2-2 tie in the final game of the season kept the Pointers from locking up home ice in the playoffs last year. For Stevens Point to improve on what ultimately ended up being a fifth place finish, they must find a way to be more consistent. For example, last season the Pointers posted … Read more
The Blue Devils surprised the league last season by knocking off Wis.-River Falls in the first round of the NCHA playoffs. Though they dropped their semifinal game at St. Norbert, there is still plenty of optimism surrounding this year’s club. With the return of sophomore Matt Koenig and junior Mike Stone in goal, head coach … Read more
If things fall correctly for the Yellowjackets, 2006-07 could be a season of destiny. Having a history of playoff success, as well as being the last NCHA team to win a national title, Superior is bound to be mindful of the opportunity to play for a national championship on home ice. That’s a long way … Read more
In a league that seems bent on making things as convoluted as possible, it’s only fitting that the defending champions were the ones who had to bear the most significant losses to graduation. Eleven players are gone from last season’s Green Knight roster, eight of whom were forwards. Most notable is the departure of team … Read more
The cat is out of the bag on the Saints. Although they dropped their final two games last season and fell to sixth in the conference, the Saints are coming off their first winning season in twenty years and definitely won’t be sneaking up on anyone this time around. They might not have to. Immediately … Read more
The Falcons’ new logo is about the only new thing they will be sporting this season. Returning a starting goaltender and fourteen of their top fifteen scorers, the Falcons are in prime position to improve on last season’s NCHA runner-up finish. Head coach Steve Freeman shares in the optimism. “We’re pretty excited about our hockey … Read more
Heading into the final weekend of NCHA action last season, sixteen different playoff scenarios were still in play. First through seventh place were all up for grabs, and fourth through sixth were not settled until overtime of the final game of the season. With a season as competitive as 2005-06 was, it’s hard to imagine … Read more
As Luke Strand and the Blugolds enter their second season together, it’s apparent that they have nowhere to go but up. In what is certainly good news, the rebound may have already begun last season. Word around the league is that although their play did not translate into wins down the stretch, they became a … Read more
The Foresters are anchored by a pair of second year goalies in Brandon Kohuch and Scott Campbell. Much like last season, it is expected time will be split between the two — a luxury that head coach Tony Fritz is happy to have: “In net is our greatest strength,” said Fritz. “We have two guys … Read more
Middlebury tops the USCHO.com Division III Men’s preseason poll, with the three-time defending national champs receiving all 15 first-place votes. Coming in second in the poll is last year’s NCAA runner-up, St. Norbert. The next four in the poll were all in the NCAA tournament last season. Norwich, which bowed out in the quarterfinal round, … Read more
Every year the NCAA Ice Hockey Rules Committee meets to determine how the past season went and to look forward to future seasons. This past meeting is summarized by Ty Halpin, the NCAA’s liaision to the Rules Committee. The Committee reports on rules changes, points of emphasis and future discussions.
Former St. Norbert All-American goalie Mike Szkodzinski has been named the new head hockey coach at Lawrence University. Szkodzinski comes to Lawrence from St. Norbert, where he has been an assistant with the Green Knights for the past two seasons. SZKODZINSKI “We are pleased to secure a coach of Mike’s caliber to lead the Lawrence … Read more
Lawrence head coach Dave Ruhly will not be offered a new contract after his current contract expires in June at the end of the 2005-06 academic year. The announcement was made today by Lawrence athletics director Robert Beeman. A 1998 graduate of Providence College, Ruhly served as Lawrence’s head coach for seven seasons. Ruhly was … Read more
Middlebury sophomore Mickey Gilchrist has been selected the USCHO.com National Player of the Year and was named to the East First Team. Coaches of the year are in the East, Mass.-Dartmouth coach John Rolli, who led the Corsairs to the ECAC Northeast title and the first ever win for that league in the NCAA tournament. … Read more
The roster for the 2006 NCAA Skills Challenge is now finalized. Below is the list of student-athletes that will be participating in the Challenge. The Challenge takes place at 8:00ET at the Bradley Center on Friday, April 7. It will be preceded by the Hobey Baker and Humanitarian Award ceremonies. Tickets to the event can … Read more