CCHA announces pair of all-conference teams, all-rookie team for 2023-24 college hockey season

The CCHA has announced its two all-conference teams and one all-rookie team for the 2023-24 season. ALL-CCHA FIRST TEAM Forward: Sam Morton, Sr., Minnesota State Forward: Lleyton Roed, So., Bemidji State Forward: Jared Westcott, Sr., Lake Superior State Defenseman: Kyle Looft, 5th, Bemidji State Defenseman: Eric Pohlkamp, Fr., Bemidji State Goaltender: Mattias Sholl, Jr., Bemidji … Read more

Lacher, who won 1994 national championship with Lake Superior State, set NCAA hockey shutout streak record, passes away at 53

Lake Superior State has announced the passing of former NCAA national champion goaltender Blaine Lacher, who died earlier this week in Medicine Hat, Alb., at the age of 53. Cause of death was not immediately released. Lacher was a member of LSSU’s 1994 national championship team, named to the 1994 NCAA all-tournament team. During the … Read more

Denver’s Buium, Lake Superior State’s Westcott, Penn State’s Fink, AIC’s Wallstrom take home November monthly honors from HCA

The Hockey Commissioners Association has announced its national men’s monthly award winners for November. Denver freshman defenseman Zeev Buium and Lake Superior State senior forward Jared Westcott are co-players of the month, while Penn State forward Aiden Fink is the rookie of the month and AIC freshman goalie Nils Wallstrom is the goaltender of the … Read more

2023-24 CCHA Season Preview: With Minnesota State no longer MacNaughton Cup favorite, league looks tight as ever

It was an unusually active offseason, at least by CCHA standards. A coaching change at Minnesota State kicked off the summer, with Mike Hastings leaving for Wisconsin and taking four players and most of his coaching staff with him. Then the summer ended with the situation in Bowling Green that saw head coach Ty Eigner … Read more

CCHA announces results of coaches, media preseason polls, individual awards ahead of 2023-24 hockey season

The CCHA has announced the results of the 2023-24 coaches and media polls and preseason awards chosen by the coaches and media. 2023-24 CCHA Preseason Coaches Poll Michigan Tech – 67 (4 first-place votes) Northern Michigan – 66 (3) Bowling Green – 55 Bemidji State – 49 St. Thomas – 45 (1) Minnesota State – … Read more

After two seasons as Arcadia men’s hockey head coach, Pietrangelo takes assistant coaching job with Lake Superior State

The Lake Superior State hockey team has added Vincent Pietrangelo as an assistant coach. Pietrangelo has spent the past two seasons as the head coach of Arcadia, where he led the Knights to an 11-37-3 overall record. “We want to welcome Vinny to Laker hockey,” said LSSU head coach Damon Whitten in a statement. “We … Read more

CCHA announces all-conference first, second teams for 2022-23 campaign with Michigan Tech, Minnesota State each boasting three players each

The CCHA has announced the 2022-23 all-CCHA first and second teams. Six players from four different programs have been recognized on the first team, while six players from six different programs have been recognized in the second team. Forwards Ryland Mosley (Michigan Tech), David Silye (Minnesota State) and Austen Swankler (Bowling Green) are joined by … Read more

Six players from four different schools named to 2022-23 CCHA all-rookie team

The CCHA has announced the 2022-23 all-rookie team with six players from four different programs recognized. Forwards Kyle Kukkonen (Michigan Tech), Joey Larson (Northern Michigan) and Lleyton Roed (Bemidji State) were joined by defensemen Dalton Norris (Bowling Green) and Josh Zinger (Northern Michigan), as well as goaltender Beni Halasz (Northern Michigan). All year-end awards were … Read more

This Week in CCHA Hockey: With Mason Cup playoffs on tap, teams want conference postseason win to get NCAA tournament bid

After a CCHA campaign unlike any other came down to, quite literally, the final minute and a half of the regular season, it’s almost hard to believe the playoffs are starting this weekend. Minnesota State ended up winning the MacNaughton Cup – their sixth in a row – with just a tiny bit of drama … Read more

This Week in CCHA Hockey: With most playoff spots still up for grabs, ‘there’s just so much on the line right now’

It always feels like this. In the 10 years I’ve spent covering the old WCHA, then the new WCHA, and now finally the new CCHA, it can often feel like I’m writing the same story every year at the season’s end: Nothing is decided, and everyone is pretty close. Michigan Tech leads Minnesota State by … Read more

This Week in CCHA Hockey: Lake Superior State finding positives, making progress in what has become trying 2022-23 season

By most measures, it’s been a tough winter in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. A team that was predicted to be in the mix for home ice advantage and potentially competing for a CCHA title before the season started, Lake Superior State has found itself in a place it never would have expected: In the basement. … Read more

This Week in CCHA Hockey: Dissecting conference’s contenders, pretenders with ’22-23 second half approaching

It’s that time of year again. I’m not talking about the holidays. I’m talking about the end of the first half of the college hockey season, when my editors generously let me write a thousand or so words where I get to pretend like I’m Nostradamus. And, if you’ve been following the CCHA at all … Read more

CCHA Hockey 2022-23 Season Preview: After successful return in 2021-22, conference teams ready to take next step

The first season of the CCHA’s return to competition was nearly perfect. We’ll stress the word “nearly” there. Minnesota State came within a period of winning its first-ever national title, leading Denver 1-0 going into the third period of the NCAA championship game before ultimately losing 5-1. That, of course, wasn’t the way the Mavericks … Read more

Former NHL netminder Roloson joins Lake Superior State staff as goaltending coach, director of player development

Lake Superior State has named former NHL All-Star goaltender Dwayne Roloson the team’s goaltending coach and director of player development. Roloson brings an extensive hockey background, including playing over 600 games for six teams over the course of a 14-year career in the NHL. “We are thrilled to add Dwayne to our coaching staff,” said … Read more

Minnesota State first in 2022-23 CCHA coaches poll; Mavericks’ Furry preseason player of year, NMU’s Larson preseason top rookie

Minnesota State has been selected by the CCHA head coaches to win the MacNaughton Cup, which is awarded to the regular-season champion, in the 2022-23 preseason coaches poll. The defending champions and Frozen Four finalists also won the 2022 Mason Cup as the league’s tournament winners. The Mavericks collected six first-place votes and totaled 69 … Read more

Lake Superior State associate coach, former Miami graduate assistant Cisek takes assistant coach role with RedHawks

Miami has announced the hiring of assistant coach Zack Cisek to the RedHawks’ staff. Cisek spent the past four seasons at Lake Superior State, first as an assistant coach and most recently as associate head coach. He returns to Oxford after serving as a Miami graduate assistant from 2015 to 2017. “Miami hockey is really … Read more

Lake Superior State’s Mucha, Rensselaer’s Dubinsky transfer to Michigan State ahead of ’22-23 season

Michigan State has added graduate student Miroslav Mucha and junior forward Zach Dubinsky to the Spartan hockey roster for the 2022-23 season. Mucha played four years at Lake Superior State and will join the Spartan roster for his fifth year of eligibility as a graduate transfer. He had 35 points (10 goals, 25 assists) in … Read more

Minnesota State, Michigan Tech have four players each among 13 players honored on 2022 all-CCHA first, second teams

The CCHA has announced its two all-CCHA teams for the 2021-22 season. 2021-22 All-CCHA First Team F – Nathan Smith, Minnesota State – 41 points F – Brian Halonen, Michigan Tech – (35) F – Julian Napravnik, Minnesota State (26) D – Jake Livingstone, Minnesota State (22) D – Elias Rosén, Bemidji State (18) G … Read more