Men’s D-II/III: NESCAC

The smiles that one sees on the faces of Bowdoin hockey players, even after the most grueling of workouts, really aren’t much different than those of elation seen after Sunday’s 2-1 win over Williams College for the NESCAC Conference championship. If it involves playing hockey, this Bowdoin team knows how to have fun playing the … Read more

A different team will be celebrating this year’s NESCAC championship and automatic NCAA bid, following the elimination of last season’s title holder Amherst in its quarterfinal with Middlebury. The number one seed and host Bowdoin Polar Bears are hoping to repeat the magic from just two years ago, but will have their work cut out … Read more

With the final playoff seedings only being determined after Monday’s make-up game between Trinity and Bowdoin, the quarterfinals are now set for the NESCAC tournament. While not every team qualified for postseason play, the final games went a long way in determining who was in and out, and who stayed home vs. getting on a … Read more

The aftermath of Winter Storm Nemo certainly caused some scheduling headaches for collegiate hockey teams all across New England this past weekend, but for one coach, the date and time changes weren’t looked upon as a bad thing. Jack Arena at Amherst College has noted that his team has seemingly struggled on Saturdays in recent … Read more

Sometimes, it’s all about staying true to your core values. For the Hamilton Continentals, who have lost 75 man games to injury in their 20 games this season, playing fast, disciplined, physical, and being hard to play against, is a mantra that is carrying the core group and 10 freshmen toward the end of the … Read more

There is a very old coaching adage that says “You play like you practice.”  While some teams may not appreciate the true value of that statement, the Middlebury Panthers are finding great value and relevance in their recent game performance correlated with the intensity level that has been showing up during practice. So the adage … Read more

“Seamless,” said coach Bill Kangas. “That is the word I would use to describe how this team flows and appears to anyone looking in from the outside. It just works almost effortlessly and without any perceived hierarchy. You could see a bunch of hockey players having lunch together and not know what class they were … Read more

In his first year at Colby, coach Blaise MacDonald has taken the reins of a NESCAC team and is learning the ropes in his new conference. Coming from the D-I ranks, MacDonald has coached at Niagara, Massachusetts-Lowell, and BU among other schools before moving on to the D-III ranks and Waterville, Maine this season. The … Read more

Somewhere at the North Pole… “Hey guys, hey elves gather round.  It’s always great to get the Christmas lists from all of the hockey coaches and this year the NESCAC boys have out done themselves.” “Really Santa?  Why do you say that?” “Well, not only is everything neatly typed and alphabetized in convenient Excel spreadsheets; … Read more

What? Really? With all due respect to The Beatles, what is a hockey submarine? Having written for USCHO for awhile now, you really almost become immune to certain clichés and “coach-speak” that you hear routinely around the rink and in the locker room. So when a term comes out that I can honestly say I … Read more

In a conference that was dominated in many ways by goaltending last season, there are mighty big skates, or should I say creases, to fill for many teams in the conference this season. Last year’s Sid Watson Award winner, Jonathan La Rose, has departed from defending champion Amherst, as too have record setters in goal … Read more

Whenever one attempts to ascend the highest of peaks, there is usually an acclimatization period and central staging area commonly referred to as base camp. For Wesleyan coach Chris Potter and all of the seniors who have helped build the program’s success, this year represents yet another assault on the summit that is the NESCAC … Read more