Things are just not going well in Minnesota athletics, as far as academics are concerned. Less than a week after the report documenting improprieties in the Gopher men’s basketball program was released, hockey coach Don Lucia has suspended freshman forward Shawn Roed for missing classes and falling behind in course work, the Star Tribune of … Read more
In the second piece of bad news to strike Vermont hockey this week, the Burlington (Vt.) Free Press reported yesterday that Vermont sophomore Don Richardson has left the team and withdrawn from the university. Richardson said that he did not feel the school and the team were the “right fit” for him. Richardson had not … Read more
The University of Vermont is investigating a possible hazing incident involving one of its athletic teams. WCAX-TV in Burlington, Vt., is reporting that it has confirmed that the incident, which involves the men’s ice hockey team, relates to the consumption of alcohol, and that students were forced to perform “degrading” acts. No students were reported … Read more
Local police were summoned to the site of Saturday night’s game between Elmira and Wisconsin-Superior after a brawl broke out between Elmira players and non-playing members of the Superior squad. Superior, Wis., police named Jeff Wells, a Wisconsin-Superior freshman from Toronto as the instigator of the fight, which took place after the second period. Wells … Read more
Wednesday the ECAC named assistant commissioner of public relations Steve Hagwell as the new head of ECAC ice hockey. Hagwell, hired this past summer from the NCAA to oversee the public-relations arm of the ECAC, takes over for Jeff Fanter, who resigned Oct. 4. In his new position, Hagwell becomes assistant ECAC commissioner, and will … Read more
The ECAC will name a new person to head up the league’s ice hockey operations sometime within the next few days, conference officials say. “With respect to the position, we’ll probably have an announcement on Monday or Tuesday of this week,” confirmed ECAC Commissioner Phil Buttafuoco. “We needed to make a decision quickly and we … Read more
Wisconsin blueliner Dave Tanabe has turned down the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes’ contract offer, the Raleigh-Durham News & Observer reported Tuesday. Tanabe, the team’s first-round (16th overall) draft pick this year, rejected a three-year deal including a $500,000 signing bonus, which was reportedly roughly half the value of the contract signed by 17th pick Barret Jackman … Read more
Archrivals Michigan and Michigan State split the favorite’s role in the CCHA’s preseason polls, announced Tuesday. League coaches favored the Wolverines, while the media anointed the Spartans as the league’s best coming into the year. In the coaches’ poll, Michigan received 10 of 12 first-place votes and 140 points to edge Michigan State, which garnered … Read more
For the second year in a row, the Golden Knights of Clarkson were chosen as preseason favorites in the ECAC by the head coaches of the league. Clarkson, with six of 12 first-place votes, gathered 138 points in the balloting. The Knights were also picked to finish first last season, and went on to prove … Read more
In a series of coaching moves, Northeastern University extended the contract of head coach Bruce Crowder through the 2002-2003 season, promoted Paul Cannata to primary assistant and recruiting coordinator and hired Jamie Rice as an assistant. Crowder earned Hockey East Coach of the Year honors in 1993-94 and 1995-96, leading UMass-Lowell to second-place finishes in … Read more
The Michigan Wolverines will be short another defender for at least part of the 1999-2000 season after rookie Matt Bannon was declared academically ineligible by the NCAA. The ruling came one day after junior-to-be Mike Van Ryn announced his plans to leave Michigan for the Canadian national team. The Wolverines also lost blueliner Scott Crawford, … Read more
Michigan defenseman Mike Van Ryn announced Tuesday that he will forego his final two years of collegiate eligibility to join the Canadian national team this fall. “I am disappointed in his decision,” said head coach Red Berenson, “but hope he does well in his hockey future. I am also disappointed academically, since he will not … Read more
Bowling Green coach Buddy Powers announced Tuesday that Eric Hoffberg, former head coach at RIT, has accepted an assistant coaching position with the Falcon hockey program. Hoffberg’s move reunites him with Powers, under whom he served as an assistant coach when Powers was head man at RIT. Ironically, Hoffberg replaces Wayne Wilson, who left to … Read more
Following a freshman season in which he was named to the WCHA’s all-rookie team, Wisconsin defenseman Dave Tanabe has opted to sign with the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes, the school announced. In doing so, Tanabe becomes the first true freshman to leave the Wisconsin program and the second to leave after one year of play. The … Read more
Merrimack College has announced a three-phase, $7 million renovation of its S. Peter Volpe Physical Education Center, originally constructed in 1972. The project, slated for completion in late 2001, includes a major overhaul of the rink portion of the facility. Describing the renovation as part of a $40 million expenditure to improve and construct buildings … Read more
Rensselaer head coach Dan Fridgen has signed a three-year contract extension which will keep him at his current post through the 2002-03 season, athletic director Bob Ducatte announced Tuesday. “Dan has done an outstanding job during his five years as our head coach,” Ducatte said. “His coaching style, personality and recruiting experience fits in well … Read more
Junior forward Alex Kim and freshman netminder David Bowen will take a year off from hockey with the Miami RedHawks, assistant coach Dave Smith announced. Fullerton, Calif., native Kim, a former CCHA all-rookie honorable mention and the team’s fourth-leading scorer a year ago with 11-9–20, cited personal reasons for his absence, after which a decision … Read more
Denver assistant coach Enrico Blasi will return to his alma mater as the fifth head coach of the Miami RedHawks. Blasi is a 1994 graduate of Miami, where he was a two-time captain. As a junior, the former center (55-68-123) captained the team to its first-ever NCAA tournament appearance. After his career at Miami, he … Read more
If there’s a glow coming from Grand Forks, N.D., it’s probably from the smiles of everyone connected to the University of North Dakota and its hockey team as the university released plans for the new Ralph Engelstad arena, an 11,406-seat complex scheduled to be completed for the 2002-03 season. The arena will replace the current … Read more
Providence College assistant vice president for athletics John Marinatto has announced the appointment of Bob Deraney as head coach for the women’s ice hockey team. Deraney replaces Tom Sheehan, who had served as interim coach since January. Deraney, a 1987 graduate of Boston University, played hockey for four seasons at BU, helping the Terriers capture … Read more