In downtown Boston’s historic Faneuil Hall, in front of an adoring home crowd, Boston University senior center Chris Drury was named the 1998 Hobey Baker Memorial Award winner. With 28 goals and 27 assists in his final collegiate year, the native of Trumbull, Conn., is the 18th recipient of the award given annually to college … Read more
Quinnipiac director of athletics and recreation Jack McDonald has been named by the NCAA Championship Cabinet to the Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Committee for a four-year term beginning Sept. 1, 1998. He replaces outgoing committee member Bob DeGregorio, the athletic director at Merrimack. McDonald, who spearheaded the formation of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference’s … Read more
New Hampshire forward Brandy Fisher has been named the recipient of the inaugural Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, given to women’s hockey’s top player. Fisher, the 1997-98 ECAC Player of the Year, set ECAC single-season records for goals (41) and points (81) as New Hampshire claimed the first American Women’s College Hockey Alliance championship. She beat … Read more
New Hampshire won the first-ever American Women’s College Hockey Alliance tournament final Saturday at Boston’s FleetCenter, and with it the title of unofficial Division I champion. The Wildcats topped the Brown Bears 4-1, avenging a defeat in the ECAC playoff championship. Melissa Renison scored first for Brown just over two minutes into the game, but … Read more
In a mind-boggling upset that has rivaled the Beanpot in the mass media attention it has garnered, the Warriors pulled off the biggest David-over-Goliath upset since, well, they beat Northeastern in the NCAA Division I tournament 10 years ago. Although a number-eight seed has knocked off number one before — Northeastern over Boston College in … Read more
They’re the little waterbugs that drive an opposing defenseman nuts, darting elusively this way and that, always staying out of arm’s reach, posing the ultimate threat to his dignity. You let that midget beat you? Put a puck on their sticks and you can hear the extra buzz of anticipation in the crowd. Something exciting … Read more
Boston University senior captain Chris Drury, who was named the Koho Player of the Year and Best Defensive Forward, highlighted the 1997-98 Hockey East Awards Banquet, held tonight at the Royal Sonesta Hotel. The Terrier captain led his team in scoring with 24 goals and 26 assists as he won the league’s top award for … Read more
In this space three weeks ago, I promised Wildcat followers an unconditional trip to the Final Four in April. Since then, the team that seemingly had everything has appeared hexed. UNH now has lost four of its last five games. Like a character with special powers in a Stephen King novel, I should have known … Read more
The title doesn’t quite have the same ring as taxation without representation, and you won’t be finding Hockey East Commissioner Joe Bertagna dumping tea, or its equivalent, into the Boston harbor. Nonetheless, Hockey East will next year become the first major conference without a member on the NCAA tournament selection committee, and Bertagna is none … Read more
I don’t have anything to complain about this week. Neither does Northeastern coach Bruce Crowder, whose team swept UNH in yet another Husky stunner. Everyone keeps waiting for the NU Cinderella season to turn midnight, but it seems these kids can’t tell time. Their own Roger Holeczy took the KOHO Player of the Week award … Read more
Maine junior winger Steve Kariya remained hospitalized Monday with a collapsed lung suffered early in Maine’s Feb. 28 game against Nebraska-Omaha. Kariya, the nation’s 11th-leading scorer with 23-23-46 in 30 games, was hit while holding his breath, resulting in the puncture. He is expected to be out for this week’s action, but is probable for … Read more
From 1984 through 1989, the two leagues played games against each member of the opposing conference, with the games counting in both leagues’ standings. In those days, wags in Hockey East press boxes would announce, "WCHA rules tonight. Two assists for every goal." I find myself wondering sometimes if we’re back to "WCHA rules" again. … Read more
Well how about Hockey East’s Deadbeat President, Merrimack College’s Richard Santagati? Smilin’ Santagati flashes his pearly whites at the front of every Merrimack media guide, but flashes nothing but a stiletto into the underbelly of the hockey program all year long. In case you missed it, Smilin’ Santagati chose not to look in the mirror … Read more
Northeastern sophomore defenseman A.J. Toews, who has been out since sustaining an injury against New Hampshire on Jan. 30, has been diagnosed with a congenital spinal condition which has ended his collegiate career. The condition — which is not related to the injury — was discovered during treatment, at which point Toews was advised to … Read more
Merrimack College has announced that it will not renew the contract of head coach Ron Anderson, the winningest coach in the school’s history. Anderson will remain until the end of the season. Anderson’s teams recorded a 244-223-23 record in the 14 years prior to this season, with their greatest moments occurring while the Warriors were … Read more
UMass-Amherst co-captain Tim Lovell has been suspended indefinitely by head coach Joe Mallen, the Bangor (Maine) Daily News reported Friday. Lovell, the Minutemen’s leading scorer with 20 points in 22 games, was punished for an unspecified violation of team rules. “He violated a team policy,” said Mallen. “When I came here five years ago, I … Read more
BC and Northeastern were the week’s runners-up, and not just because they faced each other in the Beanpot consolation. The Eagles’ win in the early game on Monday positioned them nicely for an NCAA at-large bid, moving them up to eighth in the Pairwise Rankings. The Huskies, despite their loss in the consolation game, went … Read more
Speaking of which, BU has advanced to its 14th championship game in 15 years in the annual battle for Boston bragging rights. Only a dramatic Harvard comeback over BC avoided another Battle for Comm Ave. The league pecking order is starting to take form now. It’s always dangerous to try handicapping such a race, but … Read more
Had a bad day? I can top it. For starters, a tape recorder malfunction destroyed three interviews. After that came all the trivial little disasters that by themselves don’t amount to a hill of beans, but put together make you afraid to go near sharp objects. And the piece de resistance to top it all … Read more
A live turkey tied to a goalpost … the famous “zip code” speech and the infamous money on the table … a geyser in the visitors’ locker room during a national championship game … If you look at the nondescript exterior of UMass-Lowell’s Tully Forum, you’d never guess the oft-bizarre history that lurks within. On … Read more