On Friday, Quinnipiac president John L. Lahey and athletic director Jack McDonald announced extensive plans to upgrade the Braves’ hockey program. Quinnipiac’s commitment comes in the form of a new hockey arena, implementation of women’s ice hockey at the varsity level, promotion of part-time men’s coach Rand Pecknold to full-time status, the addition of U.S. … Read more
Former Maine defenseman Jeff Libby had his right eye accidentally lanced by a skate Saturday night while playing for the Lowell Lock Monsters in an American Hockey League game against the St. John’s Maple Leafs. Despite a five-hour operation late Saturday night, Libby is likely to lose the affected eye. The injury occurred when Maple … 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
UMass-Dartmouth, RIT and Middlebury have been tabbed the preseason favorites by coaches in their ECAC leagues in polling released by the league office. UMass-Dartmouth took the inaugural coaches’ preseason poll in the revamped Northeast, earning 13 of 18 first-place votes and amassing 318 points. Rival Fitchburg State finished second, earning 306 points and four first-place … 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 first ever Division III Women’s Poll has the Panthers of Middlebury atop the rankings. The Panthers have won the first three ECAC Division III Championships, and has never lost a conference game. They have won 48 straight conference games, and a total of 54 straight games. They earned 15 of the 16 first place … Read more
The defending American Women’s College Hockey Alliance’s National Champion and the defending ECAC Champions, the Wildcats of New Hampshire, were picked to finish first in the ECAC Women’s Division I Coaches Preseason Poll. The Wildcats received six of the 14 first place votes and amassed a total of 185 points. “I think that our team … 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
St. Cloud State has named Kerry Brodt the Huskies’ first-ever women’s ice hockey coach. Brodt, a 1995 graduate of St. Cloud State, has coached girls’ ice hockey since 1994, currently with North St. Paul (Minn.) High School. She is also a coach for the U.S. Community Olympic Development Program for girls’ hockey, and is 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