It was an improvement, albeit a small one. Five more wins for the Union Skating Dutchmen and an appearance in the ECAC playoffs, where they lost twice to the eventual ECAC champion St. Lawrence Saints by one goal. Small steps — what head coach Kevin Sneddon said it would take. Sneddon hopes that 21 returnees, … Read more
It was a tough season last year for the Clarkson Golden Knights. Under intense heat as the number-one preseason pick in the ECAC Coaches Poll, the Knights didn’t get out of the gate very quickly. In the end, the Knights posted their 25th straight winning season and advanced to Lake Placid, remaining the only ECAC … Read more
So many questions in Troy, and some wonder if head coach Dan Fridgen has the answers. Item 1: just two of the top seven scorers on the Engineer squad return. Item 2: a four-year goaltending duo graduates, leaving as incumbent a junior who played six minutes last season. So many questions. In nets, the Engineers … Read more
“At Colgate this year we are going to find out what life is like after Andy McDonald,” head coach Don Vaughan said. “You just don’t replace a guy like that.” You certainly don’t replace a guy like McDonald. An All-American, Hobey Baker finalist and ECAC Player of the Year, McDonald captained last season’s Colgate squad … Read more
Niagara and Canisius are looking into the possibility of formally submitting an application to join the ECAC. The schools would be the 13th and 14th league members.
The ECAC announced its Division I men’s hockey television package today. The package delivers seven regular-season and four postseason games and features all 12 teams in the ECAC. The package will once again appear on NESN with Empire also picking up coverage. The premiere of the telecast will be the rematch of last season’s ECAC … Read more
Frozen Four participant St. Lawrence was chosen as the preseason favorite in both the ECAC coaches and media polls, released Monday. In the annual polling of the 12 head coaches in the ECAC, the Saints garnered nine first-place votes and a total of 117 points after a season in which they captured both the regular-season … Read more
The University of Vermont has settled out of court its lawsuit with former walk-on goalie Corey LaTulippe, and will pay him $80,000. UVM athletic director Rick Farnham, assistant athletic director Jeffrey Schulman and head men’s hockey coach Mike Gilligan had been named in the lawsuit. LaTulippe settled separately with former team captains Matt Sanders and … Read more
Bill Cahill, the assistant men’s coach at Rensselaer for the past seven seasons, has been named the new head coach of RPI’s women’s program. Cahill replaces Ryan Stone, who left to take an assistant coaching position at Brown. Unlike the men’s program, RPI’s women play in the ECAC on the Division III level. “RPI is … Read more
St. Lawrence’s 2001 NCAA Frozen Four hopes were dealt another blow today when center Brandon Dietrich signed with the New York Rangers. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The Saints, the early favorite to win the ECAC and a contender to return to the Frozen Four, lost goalie Derek Gustafson two weeks ago when … Read more
Last March, Derek Gustafson and Ricky DiPietro dazzled the college hockey world in an NCAA Tournament regional game between their teams, St. Lawrence and Boston University, respectively. The two freshman goalies turned in memorable performances as St. Lawrence won the four-overtime classic to advance to the Frozen Four. Less than three months later, the college … Read more
Princeton named longtime assistant Len Quesnelle its new men’s ice hockey coach at a news conference Tuesday. He replaces Don Cahoon, who left in early April after nine seasons to become head coach at Mass-Amherst.
Princeton athletic director Gary Walters has narrowed down his choices for a new men’s ice hockey coach to three, according to USCHO sources. They include current assistant Len Quesnelle, Lake Superior State head coach Scott Borek, and Boston College assistant Scott Paluch. Walters could not be reached for comment. A Princeton official said the school … Read more
Former player Corey Latulippe, whose accusations were central to the hazing scandal which rocked the University of Vermont and led to the cancellation of the men’s hockey season, recanted some of his allegations in a recent federal deposition. According to the Associated Press, Latulippe, who was a walk-on freshman goaltender with the Catamounts last season, … Read more
Union captain Jay Varady, coming off his junior season, has had his career cut short after being diagnosed with a genetic disorder in his spine, head coach Kevin Sneddon said. The disorder prevents him from participating in any contact sports. “He will be able to live a completely normal life, but hockey poses too much … Read more
St. Lawrence University head coach Joe Marsh was selected by his peers as the winner of the Spencer Penrose Award, given in recognition of college hockey’s University Division (Division I) national coach of the year. This season Marsh compiled a 27-8-2 record, the third-best season in St. Lawrence history, leading the Saints to a Frozen … Read more
Ending speculation about his collegiate status, Rensselaer All-American Brad Tapper signed a free agent contract with the Atlanta Thrashers of the National Hockey League Monday, thus relinquishing his final year of college eligibility. Tapper will join the club in September for training camp. “I’m very excited for me and my family,” said Tapper. “To try … Read more
It was March 1998, and St. Lawrence was staring at elimination from the ECAC tournament, a dubious distinction when 10 of 12 teams make it. After being a national contender for years, the Saints spent most of the ’90s in the lower tier of the ECAC standings. They thought they were close to turning things … Read more
St. Lawrence head coach Joe Marsh once said that he believes the key to any championship-caliber team is the play of its third and fourth lines. When the game is on the line and the stakes are higher than ever, the balance of power shifts from top to bottom. That’s when the real heroes emerge, … Read more
There are times in life when people are pleasantly surprised. Rensselaer fans have been pleasantly surprised over the last four years by a quiet young man from Saskatchewan. Joel Laing came to Rensselaer from Maryfield, Saskatchewan, and has played his way into being one of the ten best players in Division I college hockey. Laing … Read more