Well now, this is a little more like it! After romping to a darned near 67 percent accuracy rate with my predictions, I was beginning to wonder if the league was becoming … well, predictable. Good to see that ECAC Hockey is still as schizophrenic as ever. This is the last column of 2008, though … Read more
Unlike your fridge, this column isn’t packed with leftovers from last week. This column won’t start turning yellow or dripping on your floor or absorbing neighboring columns, it hasn’t been declared a federal biohazard and it doesn’t smell like feet. It doesn’t have any tryptophan, either, so hopefully it won’t put you to sleep. Freshly … Read more
New Hampshire’s James van Riemsdyk highlights a list of 13 American college players who will be playing for Team USA at this year’s World Junior Championship, taking place in Ottawa from December 26 through January 5. This is the third time that van Riemsdyk will represent the U.S. in this tournament becoming only the 18th … Read more
With Princeton off to a fast start, it’s only a matter of time before returning All-America forward Lee Jubinville throws it into high gear as well, says Roman J. Uschak.
One of the underappreciated rules of good writing is, as one professor said, to “avoid clichés like the plague.” Common phrases — usually similes or metaphors — are such an easy out, and can instantaneously turn a quality piece of work into hackneyed garbage. But some clichés go beyond a simple snippet or a sentence, … Read more
This has been an enjoyably baffling couple of weeks so far, with a number of bipolar teams making solid assessment practically impossible. Harvard is 4-2-1 and atop the standings, but has played more games than anyone else, and lost back-to-back games at RPI and Union two weeks ago. Princeton and Cornell reside in the third … Read more
Despite being ranked number one for much of last season, the Harvard Crimson women’s hockey team couldn’t win when it mattered most, in the NCAA tournament. This year’s team is looking to regain their stride amid increased competition from conference rivals, a competition they feel will help them in the long run, Candace Horgan reports..
Playing Dumb “We’re early in the season, and we have to do a better job of being a smarter road team,” began Crimson coach Ted Donato. Harvard dropped both Capital District games for the first time ever last weekend, falling 3-2 at Rensselaer and 3-1 at Union. Donato isn’t sweating the scoring, the special teams, … Read more
This is an awkward time of year, when there’s a lot of hockey being played but few reasonable assessments to be made. So let’s go with some less team-specific material this time, and give the league another weekend to clean itself up a bit before we pass any judgments. The Rookie Report Whether you’re a … Read more
Ready or not, here they come! No, I’m not talking about the ECAC regular season games. I’m talking about all the dreadfully punny and ubiquitous headlines you’ll be seeing over the next seven days. Halloween and Election Day? These are the events that make editors’ lives worth living. If any of them could write, they’d … Read more
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..
Deja Vu Rand Pecknold is hoping he’s not an unwitting protagonist in a Groundhog Day sequel. The veteran coach will remember only too vividly how his vaunted offense went into the tank early last season, and the team defensive scheme didn’t gel to the necessary extent to win those games. To wit, he was quoted … Read more
Welcome back everybody to another season of utterly inept and pointless predictions, complemented by brutally misleading statistics and a smattering of predictable coach-speak and clichés. Oh, I guess there’s some skating-stick-ball thing going down, too. And just like the teams, I’m going to ease my way into the new year with a few pithy observations … Read more
Whereas 2006-07 was a season of unparalleled parity, last season was a year of surprises. Princeton finished six points better than it had since the spring of ’99, and finished a tight second to Clarkson in the regular season — the Tigers’ best-ever league finish. Clarkson may have lived up to its preseason poll position, … Read more
Offense Bruno finished second-to-last in the league in goals scored last year with 50, and saying goodbye to Prough (7-19-26), Hurley (3-16-19) and Poli (6-12-18) isn’t likely to help matters. In total, the Bears parted ways with 20 of their 67 overall goals, and all five seniors ranked among the team’s top 11 scorers. Coach … Read more
Offense The Crimson parted ways with eight seniors over the summer, six of whom were forwards taking frequent and regular shifts. Overall, the Cantab roster (short for Cantabridgian, a.k.a. Cambridge native, somehow) is 52 goals and 68 assists short of where it wrapped up last year. That’s more than half its goal production out the … Read more
Offense The Dutch tied for tenth in the league in both overall and in-conference scoring, but fortunately Union only said goodbye to Coyle (7-10-17) among its top scorers. “There’s a good deal of familiarity with this team,” said coach Nate Leaman. “It’s going to be a fun group; we’re excited to get going.” The surprise … Read more
Offense The Red lost some spunk and some spark in Scott (10-20-30) and Sawada (10-16-26), but returns three of its top five scorers and eight of 10 double-digit producers from last year. Greening (14-19-33) led the team in goals and points, and lined up with Riley Nash (12-20-32) and, by the end of the season, … Read more
Offense The Bulldog offense was middling-to-poor last season, scoring four or more goals eight times but scoring fewer than two 11 times — including four shutouts. Fortunately for coach Keith Allain and his charges, the Eli’s top half-dozen scorers are back on Ingalls’ ice this season. They’re led by junior Backman (18-9-27) and sophomore Little … Read more
Offense Rand Pecknold’s Bobcats have never been hesitant to embarrass a goalie, and last year was just the most recent edition of the QU goal march. Seven players finished in double-digits for goals-scored, and four players — Wong (13-24-37), Nelson (14-21-35), Bates (11-23-34) and Leitch (15-18-33) — topped the 30-point mark over the ‘Cats’ 39-game … Read more