Men’s D-I in general
For the Holy Cross Crusaders, it’s all about looking forward. Paul Pearl’s team will try to put last season behind it, and focus on what on paper looks to be the makings of a successful 2009-10 season. Coming off a seventh-place finish, the Crusaders are picked to finish fourth in this year’s preseason poll. It’s … Read more
When Air Force coach Frank Serratore took the podium at Rochester’s Blue Cross Arena for this year’s Atlantic Hockey media day, he expressed his love for the rink that’s hosted the last three AHA championships: “I’m glad to be back in the greatest hockey arena in the world,” he said. One can understand why Serratore … Read more
Former Canisius hockey coach Brian Cavanaugh once said that the Jesuit way is to gradually but continually improve. Current Golden Griffins coach Dave Smith has his team along that path. For a few years, his better players have been his younger ones, and as those classes have matured, the wins have started to come — … Read more
Success for the Bentley Falcons has come in cycles. In 2006, Bentley reached the Atlantic Hockey championship game, but then fell out of contention the next two years. Last season saw a resurgence that resulted in the team recording its best record in school history and reaching the league semifinals. But the Falcons might be … Read more
Have you caught your breath yet? Ready for more? It’s certainly going to be difficult to top the 2008-09 college hockey season, which included the most intense, exciting postseason in history. Atlantic Hockey contributed to the madness, with Air Force claiming its third consecutive league title and then knocking off Michigan in the first round … Read more
This season was already looking like a challenging one for the Sacred Heart Pioneers. After posting consecutive 21-win seasons in 2005-06 and 2006-07, Sacred Heart’s win totals dropped to 16 the following year and then just 11 last season. After claiming the top seed in the 2007 playoffs, the Pioneers are picked to finish eighth … Read more
Last season was a roller coaster ride for the Mercyhurst Lakers. Things started off with high expectations thanks to the return of a healthy Matt Lundin in net. Lundin had was one of the top goalies in the league in 2007-08 despite playing through a serious shoulder injury most of the season. “He literally played … Read more
Two seasons ago, RIT was outclassed by Air Force 5-0 in the Atlantic Hockey semifinals, in the school’s first Division I postseason experience. Wayne Wilson’s team used that game as motivation all last season as the team went on to win 23 games, the best ever as a D-I program. But the Tigers season ended … Read more
Connecticut is celebrating its 50th season of hockey, and Bruce Marshall’s current squad would like to make some history of its own. It’s a tall order for a young team that skated 20 underclassmen last season. “It’s time for the junior class to step up,” said Marshall, whose team has just two seniors on the … Read more
Northeastern’s Matthews Arena has a new look after a renovation. Katy Fitzpatrick reports.
The CCHA’s coaches and media both picked Michigan to win the league championship this season, but both polls had Notre Dame and Miami nipping at the Wolverines’ heels. Michigan got five of the 12 first-place votes in the coaches poll. Second-place Notre Dame had four, third-place Miami had two and fifth-place Northern Michigan got one. … Read more
Defending league and national champion Boston University is the favorite in this year’s race for the Hockey East championship, a vote of league coaches shows. The Terriers, coming off a school-record 36-win season that ended with an overtime win over Miami in the national championship game, earned six of the 10 first-place votes. UMass-Lowell and … Read more
Denver is the runaway favorite to win the WCHA this season according to both the league’s coaches and media. The Pioneers took eight of the 10 first-place votes in the Grand Forks Herald coaches poll, while 23 of the 25 voters in the madison.com media poll put Denver first. North Dakota, Wisconsin, Minnesota and St. … Read more
The ECAC Hockey Tournament is moving from Albany, N.Y., to Atlantic City, N.J., starting in 2011. The league has agreed to a three-year contract with the Atlantic City Convention & Visitors Authority and SMG Management Group to hold the playoff championship at Boardwalk Hall, a 10,300-seat venue. The 2010 tournament will be the last held … Read more
The CCHA is changing its standings point structure to allot the same number of points for each conference game. That means regulation and overtime victories will be worth three points. If a game goes to a shootout after the NCAA-mandated five-minute overtime, the winning team will get two points in the standings and the losing … Read more
The coaches and media agree: Yale is the team to beat in ECAC Hockey this season. The Bulldogs, who won the league’s regular season and playoff titles last season, picked up seven of 12 first-place votes from the coaches and 15 of 25 top spots in balloting by the ECAC Hockey Writers and Broadcasters Association. … Read more
The first-place votes were split between Bemidji State and Niagara in the final CHA preseason coaches poll, but the Beavers earned more points to take the top spot. Bemidji State and Niagara each earned two first-place votes, but the Beavers had eight overall points while the Purple Eagles had seven. Robert Morris came in third, … Read more
NCAA President Myles Brand died Wednesday at his Indianapolis home following a nine-month battle with pancreatic cancer, the national body announced. He was 67. After serving as president at Indiana and Oregon, Brand took his position atop the NCAA in January 2003. Last December, he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and later said the long-term … Read more
Three-time defending champion Air Force has been picked to again repeat as champions in the Atlantic Hockey coaches poll, announced Tuesday at the league’s media day, held at Blue Cross Arena, site of the 2010 league championships. Mercyhurst, which lost to Air Force in the AHA finals last season, is picked to finish second. RIT, … Read more
Two incoming Clarkson freshman and a recruit face charges of sexual misconduct and child endangerment, both misdemeanors, the Watertown Daily Times reported. Jordan Ciccarello, 18, entered a not guilty plea Wednesday in Potsdam, N.Y., to the charge of having sexual contact with a 16-year-old girl without her consent during the school’s summer hockey camp in … Read more