This Week in Hockey East: Oct. 29, 2009

Terriers Make Much Needed Rebound Could everyone hear that collective sigh of relief coming from Commonwealth Avenue on Saturday evening? That was the Boston University Terrier faithful breathing once again after the defending national champions earned their first win of the season, 3-2, over Michigan. After opening the season with losses at Massachusetts two weekends … Read more

Lowell Jumps Into Top 10; Miami Maintains Lead

Massachusetts-Lowell vaulted into the top 10 of the USCHO.com/CBS College Sports Division I Men’s Poll on Monday, checking in at No. 9 after home wins last weekend over Colgate and Northeastern. That moved the River Hawks up four spots. Related: The full poll Miami kept the top spot in the poll despite a Saturday night … Read more

Freshman Ryan Leaves BC for Major Juniors

Freshman winger Kenny Ryan has left Boston College, coach Jerry York said Thursday. Kenny Ryan played in two exhibition games for Boston College before leaving school (photo: Melissa Wade). Ryan is expected to join the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League. The move comes after Ryan played in two exhibition games with BC. The … Read more

This Week in Hockey East: Oct. 15, 2009

One Last Satisfying Look For a while there, I was fielding the same question following one national championship game after another. “Why can’t your guys win it all? You guys always finish second.” The words invariably came from the mouth of a smug WCHA fan (pardon the redundancy), a drink in one hand and a … Read more

2009-10 Merrimack Season Preview

In coach Mark Dennehy’s four years at Merrimack, the one thing that has been certain and consistent for his team has been its improvement. After a six-win season in 2005-06 and a three-win campaign a year later, the Warriors posted 12 wins two seasons ago and another nine last year. The nine may not have … Read more

2009-10 Maine Season Preview

An aberration. That’s what Maine hockey fans hope that the past two seasons have been. After nine straight 20-plus win campaigns, nine straight trips to the NCAA tournament, six visits to the Frozen Four and, of course, a national championship, the Black Bears have posted two straight 13-win seasons. To say that the natives are … Read more

2009-10 Hockey East Season Preview

Hockey East has officially returned to its glory days. Back-to-back national championships by Boston College in 2008 and Boston University in 2009 coupled with all three of last season’s Hobey Baker “Hat Trick” finalists hailing from Hockey East certainly give the conference a reason to pound its collective chest. Not since the mid-to-late 1990s and … Read more

2009-10 New Hampshire Season Preview

Last year’s New Hampshire Wildcats dipped a bit after back-to-back regular season titles, having graduated too much talent to pull off a three-peat. They finished tied for third — not too shabby — and then came close to erasing any shred of disappointment with a near trip to the Frozen Four. Following an electrifying win … Read more

2009-10 Vermont Season Preview

Last year, Vermont finished in third place for the second straight season, this time tied with New Hampshire. Although Massachusetts-Lowell swept the Catamounts in the opening round of the Hockey East playoffs, they still qualified for the NCAA tournament and bounced back to make the most of that opportunity. Vermont advanced to its first Frozen … Read more

2009-10 Boston University Season Preview

Boston University enjoyed a magical season last year, winning everything but the Stanley Cup. Whether dominating teams or needing a miracle in the closing minutes, such as in the national championship game, the Terriers came through every time. Repeating may be another story. In addition to graduating a ton of talent, they also lost Colin … Read more

2009-10 Boston College Season Preview

After Boston College’s national championship in 2001, the Eagles struggled through the 2001-02 campaign and missed the NCAA tournament. Last year, coming off another NCAA title, coach Jerry York’s team followed in the footsteps of the 01-02 club, much to his dismay, and struggle to find consistency, ultimately missing the NCAA tournament. Though York likely … Read more

2009-10 Massachusetts-Lowell Season Preview

The ending for the 2008-09 season for the Massachusetts-Lowell River Hawks was, to say the least, bittersweet. After advancing to the Hockey East Championship game for the first time since 1994 and only the second time in school history, Blaise MacDonald’s club dropped a heartbreaking — if not controversial — 1-0 decision to the ultimate … Read more

2009-10 Northeastern Season Preview

Last year, Northeastern came within one game of its first Hockey East regular season title. Although the Huskies fell short of that goal, their second-place finish matched the school’s best, a mark they hadn’t achieved since 1987-88. If Hockey East player of the year Brad Thiessen had returned for his senior year, the Huskies would … Read more

2009-10 Providence Season Preview

Possibly the biggest question mark in Hockey East this season is the Providence Friars. Last season, to say the team struggled would be an understatement. An early-season injury to top goaltender Ryan Simpson left the club in the lurch early. That translated to a 3-12-1 record at the break and a hill that seemingly could … Read more

2009-10 Massachusetts Season Preview

Last year, Massachusetts experienced the typical regular season ups and downs before almost catching fire in the Hockey East quarterfinals. The Minutemen nearly pulled off a fourth trip to the Garden in seven years, losing to Northeastern in overtime of the third game. They bring back 21 lettermen and would seemingly be poised to make … Read more

2009-10 Connecticut Season Preview

Connecticut is celebrating its 50th season of hockey, and Bruce Marshall’s current squad would like to make some history of its own. It’s a tall order for a young team that skated 20 underclassmen last season. “It’s time for the junior class to step up,” said Marshall, whose team has just two seniors on the … Read more

Defending Champ Boston University Favored to Win Hockey East

Defending league and national champion Boston University is the favorite in this year’s race for the Hockey East championship, a vote of league coaches shows. The Terriers, coming off a school-record 36-win season that ended with an overtime win over Miami in the national championship game, earned six of the 10 first-place votes. UMass-Lowell and … Read more