Doctor In The House
A career in medicine may be in the offing for Jordan Pearce, but for now there’s an NCAA title to chase. Mike Scandura profiles the Notre Dame netminder.
Men’s D-I: CCHA (Defunct)
This Week in the CCHA: Nov. 20, 2008
As Firsts Go, This Wasn’t Bad The Western Michigan Broncos finally earned their first CCHA win of the season in the most improbable of places — Yost Ice Arena. “We were extremely pleased with getting the win at Yost Arena on Friday,” said WMU head coach Jim Culhane. You don’t say, Coach. Really? True freshman … Read more
This Week in the CCHA: Nov. 13, 2008
Checking the Planetary Alignments Last weekend, the three ranked CCHA teams playing league games didn’t fare as well as they’d hoped. Michigan split with Alaska in Fairbanks, giving the Nanooks just their seventh win in this all-time series. Ferris State took three points from Miami in Oxford, having “lost” the tie following Friday’s shootout but … Read more
This Week in the CCHA: Nov. 6, 2008
Two for One When you think of a one-two punch in college hockey, you’re usually thinking of linemates who deliver. But what about goalmates who knock them out — or aside, away or back? In the CCHA, six teams are currently rotating goalies on a weekly basis and none with more success than Nebraska-Omaha. Yes, … Read more
This Week in the CCHA: Oct. 30, 2008
Talk About Scary What a perfect time for Halloween — less than a week before a hotly-contested U.S. presidential election and after three full weeks of college hockey. Given how the season has begun for the CCHA, which would you say is scarier? In the early going this season, CCHA fans have witnessed more than … Read more
Fresh Horses
There’s a youth movement afoot at Western Michigan, where head coach Jim Culhane is trying to instill a new spirit — and doing it with a distinct group of freshmen. Paula C. Weston reports.
Coaching Alumni
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..
This Week in the CCHA: Oct. 23, 2008
An Ugly Coincidence This is unreal. After beginning the season on a sobering note last week with news of the assault that Michigan junior defenseman Steve Kampfer suffered and the suspension by the Wolverine football team of player Mike Milano while the incident is being investigated, I thought we could return to the lighter side … Read more
This Week in the CCHA: Oct. 16, 2008
An Unsettling Start Longtime readers and CCHA fans know that I like to start the season with a column that’s more on the lighthearted side. After all, we’re all happy that it’s hockey season again, and this early in the season there isn’t much of substance to explore. But there’s nothing light about the mood … Read more
COMMENTARY: Aftermath Of An Assault
With Michigan defenseman Steve Kampfer seriously injured in an assault, Dave Starman considers the experience of Boston University’s Kevin Schaeffer, like Kampfer the victim of a senseless attack.
Michigan’s Kampfer Seriously Injured In Assault
Michigan defenseman Steve Kampfer, who was injured early Sunday morning in Ann Arbor, Mich., in an apparent assault, suffered serious injuries that will keep him off the ice for an extended period, multiple sources report. For Kampfer, 20, from Jackson, Mich., the season could be in jeopardy. Michigan defenseman Steve Kampfer (photo: Melissa Wade). As … Read more
2008-09 Western Michigan Season Preview
There is one fact about the Western Michigan Broncos that nobody can deny: the only place to go for WMU is up. With just eight wins overall and four in league play, the Broncos suffered through their worst year in the program’s history. “We played a number of tough road games last year,” says Bronco … Read more
2008-09 Northern Michigan Season Preview
If nothing else can be said about Walt Kyle — and plenty can be said about the Northern Michigan head coach — he certainly has a way with words. Kyle is obviously jazzed about the Wildcats’ prospects this season. “I think one of the reasons we’ll be strong is because of our leadership,” says Kyle, … Read more
2008-09 Miami Season Preview
“We feel really good about our team,” says Miami head coach Enrico Blasi. It’s just worth repeating. With Miami’s success in recent years and a gorgeous newer facilities to keep the RedHawks in the thick of the recruiting battle, there’s no reason why Blasi should feel anything but good about Miami hockey. The RedHawks matched … Read more
2008-09 Lake Superior State Season Preview
In 2007-08, Lake Superior State showed the league what a Laker team was without superstar goaltender Jeff Jakaitis — a team that went from 11 league wins and eighth place in both 2005-06 and 2006-07, to a 10th-place team with seven conference wins and a 12-game winless streak to bookend the midseason break. “We hope … Read more
2008-09 Nebraska-Omaha Season Preview
The 2007-08 Nebraska-Omaha season was one of just this close, just this far. UNO finished eighth in the league, two games under .500 in both CCHA and overall play. One-goal regular-season losses to Michigan and Notre Dame, two teams that went on to the Frozen Four. A two-goal loss to the defending national champion Michigan … Read more
2008-09 Ohio State Season Preview
What do the Buckeyes need to climb out of the CCHA cellar? Well, scoring comes to mind. And goaltending. But four games each against Michigan and Michigan State? According to head coach John Markell, this may be the ticket. The Bucks are perennially paired with powerhouse-come-lately Miami, so Ohio State faces 12 regular-season games against … Read more
2008-09 Notre Dame Season Preview
In the span of three short years, Notre Dame head coach Jeff Jackson has taken his team from eighth place, to a regular-season CCHA championship, and back down to fourth place — with its first-ever Frozen Four appearance and a season ended only by a loss to Boston College in the title game. The big … Read more
2008-09 CCHA Season Preview
The 2008-09 CCHA: A Numbers Game “Coincidence,” says science fiction and fantasy writer Emma Bull, “is the word we use when we can’t see the levers and pulleys.” On April 12, 2008, the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame played the Eagles of Boston College for the NCAA men’s ice hockey championship. Notre Dame was the … Read more
2008-09 Alaska Season Preview
Quick: What do you think of when you think of Alaska hockey? Hard-hitting, up-and-down action that results in tough competition? A community that’s over the top about its local Division I team? A very long road trip for a weekend series, no matter your home base? Sure, the Nanooks can be a handful for CCHA … Read more