Coming Next Season: Michigan-Michigan State at the Big House

Confirming a long-held rumor, Michigan on Thursday announced that it will host Michigan State outdoors at Michigan Stadium on Dec. 11. Faceoff for the game, dubbed The Big Chill at the Big House, is scheduled for 3 p.m. Eastern. The teams set the international attendance record for a hockey game by drawing 74,544 to Spartan … Read more

This Week in the CCHA: Jan. 28, 2010

Kickin’ It Old School After a few columns of a more somber variety lately, I think that ending January with a more gazette-style offering is a good idea. It’s a chatty one. Grab your coffee. I Love the Buckeyes! That seems to be the subtext that some readers gleaned from last week’s column, when I … Read more

CCHA Suspends Lake Superior State’s Acton for Hit

The CCHA on Saturday suspended Lake Superior State forward Will Acton for one game after a major charging penalty in Friday’s game against Notre Dame. The junior was not eligible for Saturday’s game against the Fighting Irish. Related link: Will Acton’s player page Acton was called for a hit on Notre Dame’s Ian Cole, a … Read more

This Week in the CCHA: Jan. 21, 2010

Fighting to Death Quick: What’s the roughest neighborhood in the CCHA? If you answered, “Bowling Green,” or, “Big Rapids,” you’d be right — at least as far as last weekend’s action is concerned. In Northern Michigan’s 6-0 win over BG last Friday, the teams combined for 99 penalty minutes, in large part because of a … Read more

This Week in the CCHA: Jan. 14, 2010

Sweeps Week Robert Morris. Robert Morris! Robert Morris!! Then there’s Ferris State and Ohio State. We’ll get to them later. Last weekend, the then-No. 1 Miami RedHawks played a home-and-home series with the unranked Robert Morris Colonials and lost both games. In their first action in nearly a month, the RedHawks dropped the opening game … Read more

CCHA Adds Game to Ferris State Player’s Suspension

The CCHA has doubled the automatic one-game suspension issued to Ferris State center Travis Ouellette following a game disqualification for checking from behind last Sunday. Ouellette was punished for a check on Notre Dame defenseman Teddy Ruth, a play that ignited an incident that also resulted in a major penalty and DQ to Ruth for … Read more

Former MSU, Michigan Tech Coach Bessone Passes Away

Amo Bessone, who coached Michigan State to the 1966 national championship as part of 28 years leading the Spartans, has died in New Mexico. He was 93. He coached 814 games behind the Michigan State bench, second only to Ron Mason’s 974. He started in 1951 and retired in 1979 with a 367-427-20 record at … Read more

This Week in the CCHA: Jan. 7, 2010

Happy Golden New Year! What a week this has been for hockey in the United States, and what a way to kick off 2010. Congratulations to Team USA for a thrilling overtime gold-medal victory over Canada Jan. 5. What a game. What a tournament. What a bright glimpse into the future of American hockey. Congratulations … Read more

Holiday Tourney Preview: Shillelagh Tournament

The Details Who: Colgate (7-6-4), Niagara (3-10-2), No. 6 North Dakota (9-6-3), No. 20 Notre Dame (8-8-4) When: Saturday, Jan. 2 and Sunday, Jan. 3 Where: Sears Centre, Hoffman Estates, Ill. Tickets: Click here (new window) Saturday’s games: Niagara vs. North Dakota, 3 p.m. Central; Colgate vs. Notre Dame, 6 p.m. Sunday’s games: Niagara/North Dakota … Read more

Holiday Tourney Preview: Dodge Holiday Classic

The Details Who: Bowling Green (2-14-2), Clarkson (4-10-2), Northern Michigan (7-8-4), Minnesota (8-9-1) When: Saturday, Jan. 2 and Sunday, Jan. 3 Where: Mariucci Arena, Minneapolis Tickets: Click here (new window) Saturday’s games: Clarkson vs. Northern Michigan, 4 p.m. Central; Bowling Green vs. Minnesota, 7 p.m. Sunday’s games: Clarkson/Northern Michigan vs. Bowling Green, 4 p.m. Central; … Read more

Holiday Tourney Preview: Badger Hockey Showdown

The Details Who: No. 11 Ferris State (13-3-2), Merrimack (7-8), No. 7 Wisconsin (11-5-2), No. 9 Yale (7-3-2) When: Saturday, Jan. 2 and Sunday, Jan. 3 Where: Kohl Center, Madison, Wis. Tickets: Click here (new window) Saturday’s games: Ferris State vs. Yale, 4 p.m. Central; Merrimack vs. Wisconsin, 7 p.m. Sunday’s games: Ferris State/Yale vs. … Read more

Holiday Tourney Preview: Wells Fargo Denver Cup

The Details Who: No. 5 Boston College (10-3-2), No. 2 Denver (11-5-2), Nebraska-Omaha (9-7-4), St. Lawrence (8-7-2) When: Friday, Jan. 1 and Saturday, Jan. 2 Where: Magness Arena, Denver Tickets: Click here (new window) Friday’s games: Boston College vs. St. Lawrence, 4:30 p.m. Mountain; Denver vs. Nebraska-Omaha, 7:30 p.m. Saturday’s games: Nebraska-Omaha vs. St. Lawrence, … Read more

Holiday Tourney Preview: Great Lakes Invitational

The Details Who: Michigan (9-9), No. 13 Michigan State (12-6-2), Michigan Tech (3-14), Rensselaer (9-9-1) When: Tuesday, Dec. 29 and Wednesday, Dec. 30 Where: Joe Louis Arena, Detroit Tickets: Click here (new window) Tuesday’s schedule: Michigan Tech vs. Michigan State, 4 p.m. Eastern; Michigan vs. Rensselaer, 7:30 p.m. Wednesday’s schedule: Semifinal losers, 4 p.m. Eastern; … Read more

This Week in the CCHA: Dec. 10, 2009

Baby, It’s Cold Outside For the months of October and November and for the first few weeks of December this year, Flint resembled Columbus in climate. As much as I wanted to leave Ohio for Michigan — nothing personal, Buckeye State — I knew one week into November 2008 that I had been spoiled by … Read more

This Week in the CCHA: Dec. 3, 2009

I Had That Feeling of Self-Pity I can’t take this anymore. Three correct picks two weeks ago. Four last week. I picked Michigan State to sweep in the College Hockey Showcase. I picked Ohio State to be swept in North Dakota. At least I picked Michigan to split. Is it too much to ask for … Read more

This Week in the CCHA: Nov. 25, 2009

Thankful? You Betcha! As Wisconsin and Minnesota will be visiting the Wolverine State this week, that opening seems entirely appropriate. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! The holiday shortens the week, which shortens the column, so it seems the perfect time to take a look back on the early going this season and express gratitude for some of … Read more

This Week in the CCHA: Nov. 19, 2009

Brave New World Until 350 BC, everyone in Western culture who thought about such things knew that Earth was flat. Until 1543, everyone in Western culture who thought about such things knew that Earth was the center of the universe, and everything orbited around it. Until 1932, everyone who was anyone knew that there could … Read more