CHA coaches pick Mercyhurst to finish atop ’13-14 standings

Last year’s CHA tournament champion and NCAA tournament participant, Mercyhurst, collected five of six first-place votes to sit atop the league’s preseason coaches’ poll that was announced Thursday. Mercyhurst garnered 25 total points, with Robert Morris getting the other first-place nod and finishing third. 2013 CHA PRESEASON COACHES’ POLL

Wisconsin favored in Big Ten preseason poll; Minnesota’s Rau unanimous player to watch

Wisconsin is the preseason favorite for the inaugural season of the Big Ten, as voted on by the league’s coaches and announced Thursday. In addition, the coaches also selected a preseason Players to Watch list, highlighted by unanimous selection Kyle Rau from Minnesota. 2013 PRESEASON BIG TEN COACHES’ POLL 2013 PRESEASON BIG TEN PLAYERS TO … Read more

Maine women’s coach Lewis placed on paid leave as school investigates possible violations

Maine women’s head coach Maria Lewis has been placed on paid administrative leave pending an investigation of “potential personnel and NCAA compliance issues,” the school announced Tuesday. Lewis’ leave began on Sept. 16. The school is looking at whether Maine violated NCAA bylaws restricting the number of hours Maine players spent in activities directed or … Read more

Niagara picked to finish No. 1 in Atlantic Hockey preseason poll

Niagara has been picked to repeat as Atlantic Hockey regular-season champions by the league’s coaches in the 2013-14 preseason poll released Tuesday. The Purple Eagles edged out Mercyhurst and Air Force as the top pick in a tightly-packed ranking. The Lakers and Falcons tied for second place. Mercyhurst garnered the most first-place votes with four, … Read more

Clarkson heads up ECAC women’s preseason team, preseason poll

Clarkson is the ECAC women’s coaches’ pick to win the conference this season, as announced Tuesday in the annual preseason poll. The Golden Knights received seven of 12 first-place votes and also placed three players on the ECAC women’s preseason all-conference team. 2013 ECAC PRESEASON COACHES’ POLL 2013 ECAC PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM

Massachusetts freshman Vatrano to be eligible for 2014 Hockey East tournament

Massachusetts redshirt freshman forward Frank Vatrano, who enrolled at UMass in January 2013, will become eligible for competition beginning with the 2014 Hockey East tournament. This announcement comes as a result of an admissions documentation discrepancy at his previous academic institution, Boston College. Vatrano will continue to practice with the Minutemen throughout the 2013-14 regular … Read more

Former captain Evarts named new Saint Michael’s assistant coach

Former Saint Michael’s captain Dan Evarts has been hired as the program’s top assistant coach. Evarts replaces Adam Berger, who recently accepted a position with the San Antonio Rampage of the American Hockey League. “I feel very fortunate to have been given this opportunity by Coach (Damian) DiGiulian and the Saint Michael’s College athletic department,” … Read more

Notre Dame alum Sheahan named Irish volunteer assistant

Former Notre Dame defenseman Brock Sheahan has been added to the Irish staff as a volunteer assistant coach for the 2013-14 season. He replaces Jason Nightingale, who served as the team’s volunteer assistant coach the last two seasons, and was hired by the Buffalo Sabres in August as a hockey data analyst.

McInnis returns to Boston College as volunteer assistant coach

Boston College alum Marty McInnis has been named the new volunteer assistant coach for his alma mater. McInnis played nearly 800 regular-season games in the NHL after recording 142 points in just three varsity seasons at BC, where he was a member of BC’s famous “HEM Line” with Steve Heinze and David Emma. He played … Read more

Hackett takes athletic director position at Alaska-Anchorage

Keith Hackett has been named the new athletic director at Alaska-Anchorage. Hackett replaces Steve Cobb, who was fired in May. A university and administrative management executive with 36 years of higher education experience, Hackett comes to the Seawolves after working the past nine years as the senior associate AD for internal affairs at the University … Read more

Holy Cross tabs Toporowski as Crusaders’ new assistant coach

Holy Cross announced Wednesday that Shayne Toporowski has been named an assistant coach. Toporowski comes to Holy Cross after serving as an assistant captain and player-coach of the Central Hockey League’s Quad City Mallards during the 2012-2013 season. “We are very pleased to add someone with Shayne’s playing experience as well as coaching expertise,” said … Read more

Great Lakes Invitational goes with Michigan flavor through 2016

The next four Great Lakes Invitational tournament fields have been announced and the event will have a definite Michigan feel through 2016. Western Michigan will join tournament mainstays Michigan Tech, Michigan State and Michigan outdoors this December at Comerica Park. Back inside at Joe Louis Arena for the 2014 tournament, Ferris State will join the … Read more

Boston College promotes Clark, adds Majewski to athletics communications staff

Tim Clark has been promoted to associate director of athletics communications and Mark Majewski has been named assistant director of athletics communications at Boston College. In addition, the office has changed its name from Media Relations to Athletics Communications. Majewski, who will be the primary men’s hockey contact at BC, spent the past four years … Read more