New Kids on the Block My column last week went to press too early to get official reaction to the admission of Niagara and Robert Morris to Atlantic Hockey. The Colonials held a press conference on Wednesday, formally making their announcement. “This is a big day for our program,” said head coach Derek Schooley. “Atlantic … Read more
Semifinalists for the Walter Brown Award, presented each year to the best American-born college hockey player from New England, were announced by the Gridiron Club of Greater Boston, the presenter of the award. Sixteen players were nominated as semifinalists, including three from Northeastern and two from Boston University. Nominees included 12 forwards, three defensemen, and … Read more
It’s Official Let’s give a warm welcome to Niagara and Robert Morris, the newest members of Atlantic Hockey. At the time this column went to press, neither the league nor the two schools had publicly commented , but AHA officials have confirmed to me that Niagara and Robert Morris will be joining the AHA beginning … Read more
Sources within Atlantic Hockey have confirmed to USCHO.com that Niagara and Robert Morris will join the league as full members beginning with the 2010-2011 season. The schools will be affiliate members of Atlantic Hockey next season, using league officiating crews. An official announcement from the league detailing the decision will be released within the next … Read more
Catching Up Back on Dec. 5, Air Force was 11-0 in Atlantic Hockey and 14-1 overall. The Falcons had just defeated RIT 2-0, extending their home unbeaten streak to 14 games dating back to January, 2008. The Tigers fell to 4-4-1 in the AHA and trailed the Falcons by 13 points in the standings. RIT … Read more
Streaking The 2008-2009 season has been a record-setting one for Air Force, which opened 13-0, tops in school history for both longest winning streak and best start to a season. The Falcons’ “travel partner” (the team they always play four times a season), RIT, has also set a school record for consecutive wins this season. … Read more
Catching Up In the four weeks since my last column, Atlantic Hockey teams have had their share of highs and lows. Let’s see what each team has been up to. Air Force After the Falcons’ 3-2 overtime loss to RIT back on December 6, Air Force coach Frank Serratore was asked if he was worried … Read more
The Long and Winding Road With a light schedule on the horizon and the RIT-Air Force series the dominant story of last week, this column is a slight departure from the norm. Friday, December 5, 5:00 a.m. ET Rochester, N.Y. Ouch. I’m not a morning person, but duty calls. I have a 7:00 a.m. flight … Read more
Respect Last week might just have been the third most-important in the ten-year history of Atlantic Hockey (and the MAAC before it.). The first would obviously be the first league games, played back in 1998. The formation of the MAAC saved some programs from either folding or being relegated to a quasi-Division III no-man’s land. … Read more
Canisius’s Dave Kostuch has turned heads in the opening salvos of his college career, surprising few around the rookie forward. Jennifer Miller reports.
Thanks…and No Thanks There are plenty of things for the teams in Atlantic Hockey to be thankful for at this point in the season, as well as some things not to appreciate. So in the spirit of the holiday, let’s play a game of Thanks…and No Thanks. Air Force Thanks: Wow. The Falcons are off … Read more
Making Hay Can it get any better for Air Force? The Falcons are 10-0 for the first time in school history and ranked No. 12 in the latest USCHO.com/CBS College Sports poll, the highest ranking ever for an Atlantic Hockey program. Air Force has the top offense in the nation (4.70 goals per game), two … Read more
Getting the “W” The last two winless teams in Atlantic Hockey picked up their first victories last Friday. Mercyhurst defeated Holy Cross 4-3 in overtime, and AIC downed Army, 4-3. Both squads lost the following night. “That particular night (Friday) we really played well,†said AIC coach Gary Wright, in his 25th season behind the … Read more
A Tale of Two Weekends Army had a rough start to its defense of the Atlantic Hockey regular-season title, getting swept by Connecticut in the Black Knights’ opening AHA series. But Army rebounded nicely last weekend, picking up three points against Sacred Heart. Such are the trials and tribulations of coaching a young team. “Give … Read more
Nutmeg, Anyone? Last week, it was squads named “Falcons” making a splash. This time around, Connecticut teams roared, posting a 3-0-1 record in league play. Connecticut looked impressive with a sweep of Army, and Sacred Heart took three points from RIT. For the Huskies, it was the first time in school history that they had … Read more
In college hockey at least, the ties that bind former players to their schools seem to be very strong. A total of 43 percent of all the Division I men’s hockey programs are helmed by former players of the school. The reasons that alumni players return to coach at their schools are varied, but they do believe it to be an exceptionally rewarding experience that also gives them a leg up in their recruiting, Candace Horgan reports..
Falcons Soar Last weekend was a good one for teams nicknamed “Falcons.” While the rest of Atlantic Hockey went 0-9 in non-conference matchups, Air Force swept Bemidji in resounding fashion, and Bentley earned a split with a pair of ECAC teams, including a 4-3 overtime win at Rensselaer. Senior Jeff Gumaer’s goal, his second of … Read more
After a rocky start to his career, goaltender Andrew Volkening has become the foundation for the Air Force Falcons, enabling them to play with confidence and advance to the NCAA Tournament the last two seasons. Now a junior, Volkening and the Falcons find themselves in an unfamiliar position: favorites.
Travel Hockey The Atlantic Hockey season opened with most teams traveling long distances to play their first games. Canisius was at Ferris State, RIT traveled to Bowling Green and Western Michigan, Mercyhurst was at St. Cloud, and Air Force flew to Sacred Heart for a pair to kick off the conference schedule. Connecticut earned the … Read more
The injury bug hit the Lakers pretty hard last season. Mercyhurst was without goaltender Matt Lundin for the first part of the season and lost star forward Ryan Toomey in December. Leading scorer Ben Cottreau was lost for a crucial seven-game stretch as well. But Rick Gotkin’s team played though the adversity and came within … Read more