It’s Go Time The postseason is upon us, at least in the NCHA. And how about that nagging question-will MSOE make the NCAA Tournament? I’ll give a quick rundown of the first round matchups in the NCHA tournament and make a case for why the Raiders are for real. NCHA Playoffs No.8 Wisconsin-Eau Claire (2-19-4 … Read more
The postseason is about to get underway, and Chris Lerch delivers his nationwide predictions for league playoffs. Plus, he checks in with UMass-Dartmouth to find the secret to the Corsairs’ success.
Chris Lerch looks at some well-attended games, as well as the rise of MSOE in This Week in Division III.
Changing of the Guard It’s no surprise that St. Norbert is leading the NCHA with one weekend to play, but it may be a surprise to see the Green Knights in the top spot in the recent USCHO.com poll. St. Norbert stole the number one ranking away from defending champ Middlebury after the Panthers lost … Read more
Thanks to new leadership and a powerhouse rookie class, Matthew Webb finds St. Scholastica making its mark on the NCHA.
Some teams are putting disctance from themselves and the rest of the pack as Chris Lerch reports in This Week in Division III.
Critical Weekends Last weekend was huge in the NCHA as the top two teams squared off for conference supremacy. The MIAC has its own version this week as two of the top teams battle for the conference title. The St. Norbert Showcase One point separating them. Two critical points on the line. Three weeks left … Read more
Big Weekends in the West The next two weekends feature some of the most exciting match-ups and biggest rivalries in the West that will have serious playoff implications. The MIAC and NCHA races look like they will come to down to the wire, while MSOE is getting closer and closer to locking up the MCHA. … Read more
It’s Upset City as St. Olaf, Tufts and Cortland rise up to beat their higher-ranked rivals. But is this a trend that will last? Chris Lerch takes a look at these upsets and breaks down the initial 2006 USCHO.com Pairwise Rankings.
The Hockey Humanitarian Foundation today announced seven outstanding student athletes who were selected as finalists for the 2006 Hockey Humanitarian Award. The finalists, listed in alphabetical order, are: Janelle Armitage, Sr., University of Connecticut Eric Leroux, Sr., Princeton University Drew Miller, Jr., Michigan State University Mason Oakes, Sr., Lawrence University Jaime Sifers, Sr., University of … Read more
The Calm Before the Storm While hockey in the West has hardly been smooth sailing this season, one player has had a calming influence on his team this year, and throughout his career. Johnnie on the Spot For three years, Adam Hanna has been St. John’s saving grace. The senior netminder has posted a 46-9-3 … Read more
When is a forfeit not a forfeit? Chirs Lerch looks at the situation at Bethel, plus rolls out his Power Ratings.
At the beginning of the season, Norwich looked to be just another average team after years of being among DIII’s best. Now on a nine-game win streak, the Cadets seem to be heading back to their winning ways. Chris Lerch finds out how the Cadets got back on track, and gives us some players to watch for in the second half of the 2005-2006 season.
Holiday Happenings While most teams had a lengthy layover for the holiday break, there were a couple of teams in the West that played some rather important games-games that could be pivotal in determining where they wind up at season’s end. Surprising Results in Vermont Expectations were high for St. Thomas when they began the … Read more
While playoff contenders shake off the holiday rust, Chris Lerch profiles two teams-Neumann and Wisconsin-Stout-who have surprised most observers with their strong starts. Can they keep up their momentum and compete for a playoff spot?
Former St. Norbert College hockey standout Maris Ziedins has been named to the roster of Latvia’s Olympic hockey team, which will compete at the 2006 Winter Olympics February in Turin, Italy. Latvia opens Olympic play on February 15 against the United States. The Latvian national team will also host the 2006 International Ice Hockey Federation … Read more
Midway Madness It’s the holiday season once again and the teams in the West have wrapped up an exciting first half of hockey. After a bumpy start to the season, things have started to smooth out and the perennial powers are sitting on their lofty perch atop the NCHA, MIAC and MCHA. But none of … Read more
As the holiday break approaches, Chris Lerch hands out his midterm grades to leagues all across Division III-from the expected powerhouse performance of Middlebury to the sudden downfall of Minnesota-Crookston.
The Western Jinx Only one thing is relatively certain in Division III West Region hockey; if I write about a team in one of my columns, odds are they are going to have a terrible weekend. This theory does not apply to the conference previews, but to my first two columns. In the first column, … Read more
First, the bad news. Two teams in DIII are under fire for discipline and eligibility issues. However, some struggling programs are starting to put the pieces together. Chris Lerch will tell you who’s up and who’s down in this edition of This Week in DIII.