The Michigan Wolverines will be short another defender for at least part of the 1999-2000 season after rookie Matt Bannon was declared academically ineligible by the NCAA. The ruling came one day after junior-to-be Mike Van Ryn announced his plans to leave Michigan for the Canadian national team. The Wolverines also lost blueliner Scott Crawford, … Read more
Michigan defenseman Mike Van Ryn announced Tuesday that he will forego his final two years of collegiate eligibility to join the Canadian national team this fall. “I am disappointed in his decision,” said head coach Red Berenson, “but hope he does well in his hockey future. I am also disappointed academically, since he will not … Read more
Following a freshman season in which he was named to the WCHA’s all-rookie team, Wisconsin defenseman Dave Tanabe has opted to sign with the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes, the school announced. In doing so, Tanabe becomes the first true freshman to leave the Wisconsin program and the second to leave after one year of play. The … Read more
Jenny Schmidgall, a former U.S. Olympian, has signed a letter of intent to play for coach Shannon Miller and her Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs this fall. According to the Duluth News Tribune, Schmidgall said, “Her hockey philosophy and mine were the same, and she made me an offer I couldn’t refuse. She’s looking for the best players … Read more
Two-time All-American and Hobey Baker finalist Hugo Boisvert will ink a deal with the Atlanta Thrashers next week, forgoing his final year of college eligibility at Ohio State. The 23-year-old free agent, who was among the CCHA’s scoring leaders his sophomore and junior years, said his age was a factor in his decision. “I’m getting … Read more
Notre Dame has signed four players, including three members of the national junior development program, to national letters of intent during the spring signing period. The signees include forwards Connor Dunlop (St. Louis, Mo.) and John Wroblewski (Neenah, Wis.), defenseman Paul Harris (Ridgefield, Conn.) and goaltender Tony Zasowski (Darien, Ill.). Zasowski is wrapping up a … Read more
Don Lucia, one of the leading candidates for Minnesota’s vacant coaching position since former coach Doug Woog’s resignation last week, was named the Gophers’ 13th head coach at a press conference Friday at Mariucci Arena. This is Lucia’s third head coaching position. He spent six years at Alaska-Fairbanks, where he led his team to four … Read more
Ohio State goaltender Jeff Maund announced Friday that he has signed with the NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks, forgoing his final two years of eligibility. The two-year deal struck Thursday — Maund’s 23rd birthday — includes a $700,000 signing bonus and a guaranteed $75,000 for minor-league play. “There’s an education clause so that I can finish my … Read more
Following weeks of speculation about his job security after two consecutive sub-.500 seasons, Doug Woog stepped down Tuesday as head coach at Minnesota. “This is an end, and yet a beginning,” said an emotional Woog at an afternoon press conference at Mariucci Arena in Minneapolis. “It’s important for people to know it was a volunteer … Read more
It’s impossible to think of Mike York as someone who would intentionally hurt another person. The Michigan State senior forward — the CCHA’s Player of the Year and Best Defensive Forward, and a Hobey Baker finalist — is really just a soft-spoken guy from Waterford, Mich. “He’s kind of quiet and shy,” says Bob York, … Read more
One is older, more experienced; the other could be called the young pup. One plays the role of leader for his team; the other is brand-new to college hockey. But the brothers Comrie — Paul, the senior captain of the University of Denver, and Mike, the rookie sensation for the University of Michigan, have plenty … Read more
The NCAA Wednesday placed the University of Wisconsin’s athletic programs on two years’ probation, mostly for violations in the use of booster club money by various staff members. According to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, 77 UW staffers received reimbursements from booster club accounts without proper authorization from the chancellor’s office. The payments themselves were for legitimate … Read more
Michigan State players Jeff Kozakowski and Bryan Adams are currently under investigation by East Lansing (Mich.) police for their roles in a Sept. 18, 1998, incident, and criminal arrest warrants for both players have been issued. Adams, a senior forward and assistant captain, is charged with illegal entry and malicious destruction of property. The charges … Read more
The four schools which have participated in the first six years of the College Hockey Showcase have agreed to continue the event next year, and to keep the games at campus sites. Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota and Wisconsin have participated in the Showcase, begun in an effort to highlight Big Ten rivalries in college hockey, … Read more
On Christmas night, the Ohio State men’s ice hockey team got a gift from Santa they’ll never forget: their first skate in the $106.5 million Jerome “Schottenstein Center’s Value City Arena. Of course, it was Christmas, and the players were grumbling about the shortness of the break; the road conditions on the way home through … Read more
Jackie Barto has left her post as women’s head coach at Providence to become head coach of the Ohio State program, which begins varsity play in 1999-2000. Barto has already assumed her new position with the Buckeyes. At Providence, Barto led the Lady Friars to a 55-30-6 record in four years. A 1984 graduate of … Read more
Minnesota’s defense sustained a major loss this week, as the Minnesota Daily reported Wednesday that Gopher defenseman Ben Clymer is set to sign with the National Hockey League’s Boston Bruins, forgoing his final three years of eligibility. Clymer, a WCHA All-Rookie pick two years ago when he scored seven goals and 20 points 29 games, … Read more
New Hampshire’s Winny Brodt has been admitted to the University of Minnesota for fall quarter, 1998 and will play for the Gopher women’s team this season, Minnesota coach Laura Halldorson announced Friday. Brodt, the Most Valuable Player in the inaugural American Women’s College Hockey Alliance national championship, scored 11 goals and added 23 assists for … Read more
Notre Dame defenseman Mark Eaton has signed with the Philadelphia Flyers, foregoing his final three years of college eligibility. According to Flyers president and general manager Bob Clarke, the 19-year-old, who was named the 1997-98 CCHA Rookie of the Year, signed a three-year deal with the Flyers as a free agent on July 28. Eaton … Read more
Julie Sasner (formerly Andeberhan), the head women’s coach at Cornell, has been hired as the first varsity women’s coach at Wisconsin. Sasner, 32, will receive a three-year contract with a base salary of $65,000 beginning Aug.1; her new team is expected to start play in the 1999-2000 season. Sasner compiled a 15-8-3 record last year … Read more