It was a storied trip for Holy Cross last season, one that few associated with the program, coaches, players and fans alike, will ever forget. A wire-to-wire regular-season championship was followed by a dominant walk through the Atlantic Hockey tournament and the school’s first visit to the NCAAs. Now, for the Crusaders the question is … Read more
The old cliché reads that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, so Holy Cross coach Paul Pearl should take it as a compliment that Sacred Heart coach Shaun Hannah wants to imitate last year’s Holy Cross hockey season. “We learned a lot from the Holy Cross team last year,” said Hannah, whose upstarts shocked … Read more
Uno mas. One more. That should be the war cry of Quinnipiac as it embarks on its final season in Atlantic Hockey before moving on to the seemingly greener pastures of the ECAC Hockey League. This is the last chance for the Bobcats to show their value in a league in which, at least for … Read more
Head coach Frank Serratore didn’t expect his Air Force Falcons to set any records for victories last year. After all, his 2003-04 squad saw the turnover of nearly half of its roster from the previous season, and that club recorded just 10 wins. “Last year we came back and we were kind of dreading the … Read more
Derek Schooley knows exactly what Tom Petty meant when he sang “the waiting is the hardest part.” The Robert Morris head coach has been counting the days until the first-year Division I program finally takes to the rink. “Our players are excited about being here. The community’s excited, the campus is excited about us being … Read more
After season upon season of seeming youth, Connecticut returns a lineup where veterans outweigh the inexperienced. Still, for this year’s edition of UConn, that’s not enough to earn complete respect. UConn returns the top player in Atlantic Hockey, last year’s leading scorer and MVP Tim Olsen, and graduated only one significant player in Eric Nelson. … Read more
“I think we were happy with our team last year.” That may sound crazy coming from a coach whose team finished in seventh place despite the feeling the club could compete for a top-four spot, but Ryan Soderquist means it. Okay, so maybe “happy” wasn’t the right term. There was plenty for Soderquist to pick … Read more
“We’d like to be a pleasant surprise,” were the words from Canisius head coach Brian Cavanaugh. Now in his 24th season behind the Griffs’ bench, Cavanaugh has learned that it’s better to be cautiously optimistic than to set expectations that are hard to meet. “I think the players have their expectations,” said Cavanaugh, the dean … Read more
Brian Riley, who took the head coaching reins from his brother Rob at Army this summer, is not the only new thing at West Point this year. No, half the locker room is brand new to the U.S. Military Academy — all freshmen — after Riley cleaned house upon arrival this summer. Talk about the … Read more
Depending on where you’ve been for the past five or six months, a lot has changed in Atlantic Hockey. In essence, it became known that the league was somewhat a home for the “wannabes” of the college hockey world, though those who know the league well won’t find that a strange discovery. The summer brought … Read more
Just score more goals. That’s what American International coach Gary Wright wants his team to accomplish this season. A year ago, the AIC offense scored what Wright called an “anemic” 2.04 goals per game in league play, which easily ranked dead last. Combine that with a league-worst 4.04 goals against per game and there’s no … Read more
Mercyhurst College is the top team once again in Atlantic Hockey, according to the preseason coaches poll unveiled Tuesday morning at Atlantic Hockey’s media day. The Lakers received six first-place votes and 85 points total to take the top spot. Mercyhurst was the preseason No. 1 last year in the inaugural edition of Atlantic Hockey … Read more
Mercyhusrt has taken home nearly every accolade in the brief history of the College Hockey America women’s league, and the preseason polls and All-League teams released today were no different. The CHA coaches named the Lakers the preseason favorite for the third year in a row and selected four of their players to the preseason … Read more
Atlantic Hockey will vote on Wednesday whether or not to expand from its current membership and, if so, which members will be accepted. The vote will be part of a meeting of the league’s athletic directors in Albany, N.Y. Among those rumored to be considered for acceptance into the league include Robert Morris, Air Force … Read more
The Executive Committee for the Atlantic Hockey Association has approved a three-year contract extension for commissioner Bob DeGregorio. The extension runs through the 2006-07 season. “Bob has done a great job for the members of Atlantic Hockey,” said Canisius athletic director Tim Dillon, chair of the Executive Committee. “He has proven to be an asset … Read more
Officially ending a four-month process, the ECAC announced today it is adding Quinnipiac to its membership, effective 2005-06. The announcement was officially made today at a news conference on Quinnipiac’s campus. Quinnipiac will be replacing Vermont, which last winter announced its intentions to leave the ECAC for Hockey East following the upcoming season. The ECAC … Read more
After 18 years as head coach at Army, Rob Riley announced his retirement from college coaching today, ending a career that spanned more than three decades. Director of Athletics Rick Greenspan named Brian Riley, associate head coach of the Black Knights for the past five years, to succeed his older brother at the helm of the Black Knights’ program.
The ECAC appears to have all but finalized a decision regarding the league’s membership. USCHO has confirmed that Quinnipiac has been recommended for admission, and will get the spot, pending imminent approval by the ECAC’s Policy Committee. However, according to sources, Holy Cross, despite some support among ECAC ADs, is out of contention because it … Read more
The ECAC is down to Quinnipiac and Holy Cross for its choice of new membership to the league. Either, both or neither of the two schools will be chosen, as the ECAC’s Policy Committee makes its final considerations.
Niagara coach Dave Burkholder has agreed to a new multi-year contract, locking him up through the 2007-08 season. Burkholder, who begins his ninth year with the program, fourth as head coach, led the Purple Eagles to a CHA tournament title and automatic NCAA bid last season. “I’m pleased that Dave will continue to lead the … Read more