On the face of it, the Warriors lost a lot of players at key positions. No doubt that led to their distant dead-last position in the Hockey East Coaches’ Preseason Poll. Nonetheless, there’s still room for optimism. Countering a lack of experience — particularly on defense — will be an upgrade in team speed as … Read more
The Friars displayed pronounced schizo tendencies last year. They opened with only two wins in their first eight games, then won nine out of 10. They followed that hot streak with a 1-6-1 stretch only to turn things around yet again and win six of eight. “It was a roller coaster year for us emotionally,” … Read more
Is the glass half empty or half full? Do BC fans torture themselves with woulda-coulda-shoulda possibilities involving national championships the last three years? Or do they draw pride and satisfaction in the fact that during that stretch their team is the only one in the country to have reached the Frozen Four each time? Do … Read more
Hockey East’s only new coach, Don Cahoon, arrives from Princeton, where he took a difficult recruiting situation and brought that program to heights never before achieved. (Among other notable accomplishments, Princeton won its first-ever ECAC title and made its inaugural NCAA tournament appearance in 1997-98.) UMass-Amherst fans are hoping that Cahoon can work that same … Read more
If the Tin Man only had a heart… if the Scarecrow only had a brain… if the Cowardly Lion only had courage… And if Ricky DiPietro had only stayed at BU for one more year. It was a proud moment for college hockey when DiPietro became the first goaltender and the first collegian to be … Read more
Even though UMass-Lowell finished in the cellar last year, it was only by a single point. It won’t take much to make a significant move in the standings. “We recognize Hockey East is the strongest league in the country right now,” says coach Tim Whitehead. “For anyone that finished in the bottom half last year, … Read more
After years of explosive offensive firepower and defensive stinginess, New Hampshire had to rely primarily on the latter last season. The Wildcats totaled only a modest 122 overall goals, a far cry from their 204 in 1996-97 or even the 171 the year before last. This finally caught up with them when they finished 4-5-1 … Read more
Last year proved to be a Jekyll-and-Hyde one for Northeastern. After breaking out to an 11-8-5 record, culminating in an undefeated January, the Huskies were looking like an NCAA bubble team. Then they lost seven of eight games in February and finished with nine straight losses and 11 out of 12. They won’t have an … Read more
The Black Bears returned to the Frozen Four last year, but were foiled in the semifinal game by North Dakota in their attempt to repeat as national champions. All of which moved to the background during the offseason when coach Shawn Walsh was diagnosed with kidney cancer. He’ll miss the season opener against North Dakota … Read more
“We recognize Hockey East is the strongest league in the country right now. For anyone that finished in the bottom half last year, something special has to happen to get into that top half of the league.”— UMass Lowell coach Tim Whitehead Last year, Boston University, New Hampshire, Boston College and Maine all spent virtually … Read more
It was almost fitting, looking around the room at MAAC media day, to see UConn coach Bruce Marshall sitting close to Holy Cross benchman Paul Pearl. The two have something in common — they’ve guided their teams to MAAC tournament championships, Pearl in 1999, and Marshall last year. And both coaches face similar challenges one … Read more
Last season’s NCAA tournament runner-up, Boston College, has been tabbed by Hockey East coaches as the preseason favorite to capture the league’s regular season championship. The voting was one of the closest in league history, with four teams receiving first-place votes from the coaches.
The last nine months will not easily be forgotten in the State of Vermont, or around college hockey, or around the nation. In a nearly unprecedented move, the Catamounts suspended their men’s hockey season after an internal investigation into hazing allegations brought by walk-on goaltender Corey LaTulippe. Nine months later, the Catamounts are back on … Read more
Former UMass-Amherst coach Joe Mallen has been named head coach at UMass-Boston. Mallen, who coached the Beacons in the early ’80s, returns to where his collegiate head coaching career began.
Maine coach Shawn Walsh has always been a winner. But his current opponent is not easily intimidated. Between stages of immunotherapy treatments, Walsh spoke recently to USCHO’s Dave Hendrickson about hockey, cancer and family.
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
Maine coach Shawn Walsh, who was diagnosed with kidney cancer in June, has gone back to work following the first of two 20-day treatment cycles at the Johnson Comprehensive Cancer Center at UCLA.
Mark Taylor, a long-time Division I assistant at Mass.-Lowell and Cornell, has been named the new head coach at Division-III Hobart. Taylor moves to Division III Hobart after spending the last four seasons as the top assistant at Lowell. “It is a tough time to leave UMass-Lowell,” Taylor said. “I was really looking forward to … Read more
Maine head coach Shawn Walsh returned home Wednesday evening, five days after surgery to remove a cancerous kidney.
The University of New Hampshire is recognizing a legendary figure and helping college hockey at the same time, announcing the development of the Charles E. Holt Archives of American Hockey. The Holt Archives — named after UNH’s legendary, Hall of Fame coach who passed away earlier this year — will be a repository of materials … Read more