Men’s D-I in general
Three ECAC teams have gotten their seasons underway already, and this weekend, three more begin the march towards Lake Placid. Last weekend the conference earned a split with its Hockey East foes. Vermont’s late comeback was not enough to down New Hampshire, but Rensselaer shocked Boston University with an overtime win. In the process, the … Read more
The human skull can be shattered by an impact at 7-10 kilometers per hour. When stationary, however, it can apparently survive blows from faster-moving objects with such little consequence as a bump, loss of blood, and a couple of staples to the scalp. It’s estimated that head injuries occur with the frequency of 610 per … Read more
In most collegiate sports, teams get a couple non-conference games to get themselves acquainted with each other and get ready for the conference season. Just another reason why college hockey does not fall within the realm of "most collegiate sports." Eight of the nine WCHA teams see action this weekend, and for four of them … Read more
Boston College gave credence to its number-one national ranking by taking the Ice Breaker Cup with an overtime 4-3 win over then-fourth-ranked Ohio State, followed by a 3-2 victory over upstart St. Lawrence. Brian Gionta earned Hockey East Player of the Week honors for his hat trick and game-winner over OSU. In the four exhibition … Read more
The word of the week for the CCHA is cautious, as in cautiously optimistic. It was the first week of regular-season play for some teams, while others have yet to see league or even NCAA play. Several winning coaches are happy with what they saw–to a point. "We played well for this early in the … Read more
It’s time to get underway in the ECAC, though surprisingly there are only two games on the conference’s docket for this weekend, as two ECAC schools will host two Hockey East schools. That means there really isn’t much to say except: DROP THE PUCK! Last week: 0-0-0 Season to date: 0-0-0 Boston University (0-0-0) at … Read more
North Dakota is favored to three-peat as WCHA regular-season champion this year, according to the 28th annual Grand Forks (N.D.) Herald WCHA Coaches’ Poll, released Tuesday. The Fighting Sioux, who finished last season 30-8-1 overall and 21-6-1 in the conference, received eight of the nine first-place votes in the poll. Coaches do not rank their … Read more
Holy Cross narrowly edged out Canisius and Connecticut in the inaugural preseason poll in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference’s newly-formed ice hockey league. All eight of the MAAC’s head hockey coaches participated in the poll. Holy Cross returns 22 letterwinners from last year’s squad, which finished with a 16-8-2 record, its best in 15 years. … Read more
Last season’s NCAA runner-up, Boston College, was tabbed as the overwhelming favorite in the Hockey East Preseason Coaches’ Poll, announced today at Boston’s FleetCenter during the league’s annual Media Day. The Eagles, defending Hockey East tournament champions, received eight of nine possible first-place votes. League runner-up Maine was voted second and received the other first-place … Read more
In the aftermath of a team party which resulted in the arrests and suspensions of sophomores Mark Wilkinson and Steven Rymsha, Western Michigan has suspended its entire hockey team for one game for secondary NCAA violations. The suspensions will be served by all team members in staggered fashion over six games, preventing the need for … Read more
Defending NCAA champion Michigan has been anointed the favorite in the 1998-99 Central Collegiate Hockey Association race, according to preseason polls released as part of media-day activities Friday. Both the CCHA coaches’ and media polls placed the Wolverines first, followed by Ohio State and Michigan State. Northern Michigan was fourth and Notre Dame fifth in … Read more
In the wake of their arrests at a house party Saturday night, Western Michigan hockey players Mark Wilkinson and Steven Rymsha have been placed on indefinite suspension, WMU athletic director Kathy Beauregard announced today. Additionally, head coach Bill Wilkinson, Mark Wilkinson’s father, has been temporarily suspended while the matter is under investigation. The arrests took … Read more
The Clarkson Golden Knights were tabbed the preseason favorites by the 12 ECAC Division I head coaches in the conference’s annual preseason poll, which will be released today. The Golden Knights garnered eight of the 12 first-place votes after finishing second in the regular season last year, and then second in the ECAC championships. Since … Read more
The ECAC announced its television package for the upcoming 1998-99 season today. The ECAC will once again partner with NESN and Empire Sports Network to showcase the league’s teams. “Destination Lake Placid,” as the Game of the Week pacakge will be entitled, will include 11 games beginning on Jan. 8 and ending with the ECAC … Read more
Bill Watson, for the last three seasons an assistant hockey coach at Western Michigan, is departing his position, the school announced. “At this time, I feel it’s best to explore other options around hockey and outside the sport. The time I’ve spent here at Western has been invaluable and I look forward to putting the … Read more
Wayne State University has announced plans to add both men’s and women’s hockey as part of an overall upgrade in the school’s athletic department. Under the proposal put forth by unversity president Irvin Reid, WSU’s entire sports program would move up to Division I from its current Division II membership. A new, 7,000-seat multipurpose arena … Read more
Sherry Skalko, a sportswriter who has covered college hockey for the last nine seasons, has been named director of communications for the CCHA, the league announced today. Skalko, 28, a native of Cranston, R.I., will officially take the post Sept. 10, replacing Jeff Weiss, who departed to become hockey sports information director for CCHA member … Read more
The Grand Forks (N.D.) Herald reported Friday that goaltender Aaron Schweitzer, who anchored North Dakota’s 1997 NCAA championship run, will not return for his junior season this year, opting instead to try out for the Canadian national team. “We’ve heard rumblings in the past regarding Aaron moving on,” North Dakota assistant Jeff Bowen told the … Read more
The first collegiate all-star team ever to participate in an overseas tournament finished with a modicum of success Sunday, as the WCHA All-Stars tied Germany’s Krefeld Penguins 3-3 at the Kolin Cup in Zug, Switzerland. The draw was reached on the strength of two goals by Minnesota forward Wyatt Smith — whose five tallies overall … Read more
Minnesota’s defense sustained a major loss this week, as the Minnesota Daily reported Wednesday that Gopher defenseman Ben Clymer is set to sign with the National Hockey League’s Boston Bruins, forgoing his final three years of eligibility. Clymer, a WCHA All-Rookie pick two years ago when he scored seven goals and 20 points 29 games, … Read more