Men’s D-I: Hockey East

Tolan Improving After Throat Surgery

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UMass-Lowell senior defenseman R.J. Tolan returned home from St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Brighton after treatment following a throat injury in Friday night’s game at Boston College. Tolan Contrary to earlier reports, Tolan did not suffer a cracked larynx, but rather excessive swelling in the throat and blood blisters on his vocal cords. A tracheotomy was … Read more

Merrimack’s Rink Renovation Enters New Phase

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It’s been a long time coming, but slowly but surely, the three-phase renovation to Merrimack’s S. Peter Volpe Athletic Center ice rink is taking shape. Fans who attended the team’s home opener Oct. 18 against Hockey East rival New Hampshire got a glimpse of what the future holds, and if the work done so far … Read more

This Week In Hockey East: Oct. 18, 2001

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It was an up-and-down start to the season for Hockey East teams, but fighting a different battle is Merrimack coach Chris Serino, who remains in good spirits trying to fight cancer. Dave Hendrickson gives his take on this and other matters.

Something Old, Something New

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Blaise MacDonald returns to Hockey East and to Lowell, bringing with him a set of standards and goals that are new for River Hawk hockey, but tried and true for MacDonald himself.

This Week in Hockey East: Oct. 11, 2001

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Given recent events in college hockey and around the world, Dave Hendrickson holds out hope that the new season can provide a much-needed concept: fun. Also: good news for PC’s Matt Curran; tidbits around the league; and Dave offers further anecdotes on the life of Shawn Walsh.

Newly-Named Women’s Leagues Produce 1st Coaches’ Polls

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Last year’s defending ECAC Champion, Dartmouth, was chosen as the favorite in the ECAC Women’s Hockey League – North Coaches’ Preseason Poll. The Big Green received six of the nine first place votes. The Big Green captured the ECAC Championship last season and lost in the semifinals of the NCAA tournament. The national runners-up, St. … Read more

A Wide-Open Field

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Last April, a lot of coaches and fans could probably have filled in Boston College as Hockey East’s favorite for 2001-2. But that was before massive losses of underclassmen added to the sting of graduation for the Eagles, leaving Maine and Providence as contenders on at least an equal footing.

2001-02 Boston University Season Preview

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Over the last 12 years, BU hockey has experienced only two losing seasons. Unfortunately, those have come in two of the last three years. Has the Terriers’ reign of dominance come to an end or only hit a couple bumps in the road? Or something in between? Most likely something in between. It’s hard to … Read more

2001-02 UMass-Amherst Season Preview

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When you finish in last place and then graduate your top goaltender, one of your top two scorers and four other forwards, you’d better have a vision for where the program is going because there may not be a lot of instant gratification in the offing. Fortunately for UMass-Amherst, second-year coach Don “Toot” Cahoon has … Read more

2001-02 Maine Season Preview

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It’s anyone’s guess how well the Maine team will cope with the death of its long-time leader, Shawn Walsh. “It’s a huge impact,” says assistant coach Grant Standbrook. “We loved the guy. [Anyone who] saw the team at the funeral would know what I was referring to. They were all in tears and devastated by … Read more

2001-02 Merrimack Season Preview

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Amidst all the preseason focus on expected wins and losses, the one W the entire league hopes for is in coach Chris Serino’s battle with throat cancer. If Serino defeats the disease, it will be a successful season no matter what the standings say. That said, Merrimack fans can hope for a huge victory off … Read more

2001-02 UMass-Lowell Season Preview

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The biggest change in Lowell, of course, isn’t the usual departure of graduating players and influx of freshmen, but rather the arrival last spring of new coach Blaise MacDonald. Arguably, former coach Tim Whitehead should have been treated better and still be at the River Hawk helm. He was, after all, a finalist for national … Read more

2001-02 Boston College Season Preview

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BC coach Jerry York had planned on trying to replace Brian Gionta, Bobby Allen and the rest of the graduated senior class, but what he hadn’t counted on was also losing Brooks Orpik, Chuck Kobasew and Krys Kolanos to either the pros or junior leagues. Nonetheless, the Eagles have hardly gone from the penthouse to … Read more

2001-02 Northeastern Season Preview

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Northeastern finished a disappointing 13-19-4 last year, making it three straight losing seasons on Huntington Avenue. The Huskies defeated NCAA tournament-bound St. Lawrence and Wisconsin, not to mention New Hampshire, BU, Rensselaer and Harvard, but overall the wins were too few and far between. The Huskies then lost their top scorer and two key defensemen … Read more

2001-02 Providence Season Preview

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The Friars broke through last season to finish higher than ever before in Hockey East, a tie for second. The expected rebuilding year instead turned into what might become a steppingstone to PC’s first-ever regular season title. That’s what the Hockey East preseason coaches’ poll predicted… sort of… in its first-place-but-no-first-place result. “In the past … Read more

2001-02 New Hampshire Season Preview

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For most teams, a myriad of unknown variables will decide their fate this upcoming season. Although that’s also true for New Hampshire, a single unknown dominates all others. Hobey Baker finalist, All-American and First-Team All-Hockey East goaltender Ty Conklin was The Man who kept Wildcat hopes alive even during prolonged scoring droughts last season. His … Read more