This Week in Hockey East: March 19, 2009

The 25th edition of the Hockey East championship tournament is upon us and within the next couple of days, a champion will be crowned. If the final four is anything like the quarterfinals, expect plenty of shock and awe. Assuming that the regular-season standings dictated a “script,” last weekend’s quarterfinals simply ripped that script in … Read more

Preparing For The Playoffs

National columnist Dave Starman checks in with college hockey coaches who have been to the title game about what’s involved in getting their squads ready for the postseason.

This Week in Hockey East: March 12, 2009

The Second Season Begins It’s been five years since a lower seed advanced in the Hockey East quarterfinals. Will the home teams once again all move on to the Garden? If you look at the PairWise, you’d say that the identities of next Friday’s semifinal contestants are already known. Boston University, Northeastern, New Hampshire, and … Read more

All In Perspective

Matt Ferreira appreciates everything a little more than most of us. That’s because the Massachusetts-Lowell freshman has come closer than most to losing it all. Melissa Parrelli reports.

This Week in Hockey East: March 5, 2009

Going Into The Ark, Two By Two The final week comes down to a pairing of teams two by two (barring a hard-to-conceive sweep of Boston University by Providence). BU and Northeastern will finish one-two in some order. In the event of a tie, the two teams share the regular season title but BU gets … Read more

This Week in Hockey East: Feb. 26, 2009

Breaking Down the Final Two Weeks The finish line, my friends, is almost in sight. Hockey East has two weekends of play remaining with each team playing a pair of two-game sets between now and March 8. But even with the end in sight, what is visible is still pretty murky. There’s a two-horse race … Read more

Won’t Take No For An Answer

When it came to playing college hockey, Matt Gilroy wouldn’t listen to the naysayers. And when the NHL came courting last season, Gilroy chose to return to Boston University. Terrier fans can be glad for both of those facts, Mike Scandura finds.

This Week in Hockey East: Feb. 19, 2009

The Quiet Conquerors “Quiet” is a word that is pleasant to the ears of Vermont head coach Kevin Sneddon. He himself is relatively soft-spoken. A Harvard graduate, Sneddon speaks authoritatively but with little pomp and circumstance. Behind the bench you’ll see a stoic yet focused coach. His team, in a way, has assumed their coach’s … Read more

This Week in Hockey East: Feb. 12, 2009

Not A Word About “That Tournament in Boston” College hockey fans outside of Route 128 often get exasperated this time of year. It seems to them that an inordinate amount of attention goes to That Tournament in Boston, the allure of which escapes them. “Why not write about my team?” they either say or imply. … Read more

The Glass Slipper Shatters

Having the third-ranked team in the nation as a Cinderella candidate seems an unlikely scenario. But that’s just where Northeastern found itself Monday night, with untoward results for the Huskies. Dave Hendrickson reports.

Jason On The Spot

Boston University’s Jason Lawrence has the proverbial nose for the net, something he showed yet again in Monday’s Beanpot final. Scott Weighart reports.

This Week in Hockey East: Feb. 5, 2009

Beanpotters Hold Serve For the past decade or so, the Beanpot has been lacking its fair share of upsets. Aside from Boston University winning a handful of games as underdogs (but it’s the Beanpot, that’s expected) and Harvard’s upset of Northeastern in last year’s opening round (but NU’s futility is often expected, as well), “Boston’s … Read more

Uneasy Favorites

The Northeastern Huskies came into their Beanpot semifinal game ostensibly as favorites against Boston College but would have been forgiven if they’d considered themselves underdogs. Forget their number three ranking in the country or their perch atop Hockey East, nine points ahead of the Eagles. Forget their 17-6-2 overall record compared to BC’s pedestrian 11-8-4 … Read more

Groundhog Day

It was a narrow escape for Boston University, but in the end the Terriers repeated the victories of seasons past in the Beanpot, Melissa Parrelli notes.

Walter Brown Award Semifinalists Announced

Semifinalists for the Walter Brown Award, presented each year to the best American-born college hockey player from New England, were announced by the Gridiron Club of Greater Boston, the presenter of the award. Sixteen players were nominated as semifinalists, including three from Northeastern and two from Boston University. Nominees included 12 forwards, three defensemen, and … Read more

The Weight Of Expectations

It’s been two decades since Northeastern’s last Beanpot title, but with this year’s edition of the tournament set to begin, head coach Greg Cronin’s Huskies are looking at a different landscape. Jim Connelly reports.

Bradford Leads BC

During their recent rough stretch, the Boston College Eagles looked to captain Brock Bradford. As they go into the upcoming tournament season, the Eagles will call on Bradford even more, Candace Horgan reports.

This Week in Hockey East: Jan. 29, 2009

Beanpot Heavy Hitters The Beanpot sure is coming along at the right time. As Jim Connelly noted recently, if Michigan sweeps Notre Dame this weekend, Boston University and Northeastern could rank number one and number two in the country. Should both win their semifinal contests this Monday, what a championship game that would set up! … Read more

Atlantic Hockey Approves Expansion: Niagara and Robert Morris To Join

Sources within Atlantic Hockey have confirmed to USCHO.com that Niagara and Robert Morris will join the league as full members beginning with the 2010-2011 season. The schools will be affiliate members of Atlantic Hockey next season, using league officiating crews. An official announcement from the league detailing the decision will be released within the next … Read more

Unsung No Longer

The scion of a hockey-playing family, Brett Watson is a positive force both on the ice and in the community. Mike Scandura profiles the Massachusetts junior.