With victories Friday, Denver and Colorado College not only set up a clash of the two top-ranked teams in the nation Saturday in the WCHA championship game, they arranged an historic clash: the first time the Rocky Mountain rivals have met for the Broadmoor Trophy. That fact is especially poignant for the Tigers, who have … Read more
After struggling with a vast assortment of injuries during his junior year, Colgate senior defenseman Joey Mormina has rebounded this season, both as a player and as a team leader, on and off the ice. “He wasn’t able to do a whole lot last summer,” recalled Colgate head coach Don Vaughan. “He was dealing with … Read more
When Boston College coach Jerry York announced that freshman goaltender Cory Schneider would be starting the most important game of the season, it raised some eyebrows. Since injuring his knee in the Beanpot on Feb. 14, Schneider hadn’t played until last Saturday’s Hockey East quarterfinal clincher against Massachusetts. The alternative was senior Matti Kaltiainen, a … Read more
Ah, to be young in the springtime — in Detroit! Half of this year’s Super Six field is comprised of the three CCHA teams with the largest freshman classes. Two of those teams, Nebraska-Omaha and Ohio State, hosted a first-round playoff series, while Alaska-Fairbanks traveled to Joe Louis Arena by way of Bowling Green, Ohio. … Read more
This time of year, intense focus is turned towards the PairWise Rankings, that mystic, sometimes incomprehensible, source of wisdom daring us to guess the NCAA tournament field in advance. Ofttimes, the results work out like a game of craps. Sometimes, you’re better off letting others roll the dice, while at other times, you want to … Read more
Having to play three games in three days isn’t exactly a recipe for success. That’s the task that faces one WCHA team every year, once the No. 4 and No. 5 seeds meet in Thursday’s play-in game at the Final Five. For the winner, a semifinal matchup follows the next day, and then a game … Read more
For two years, Northern Michigan netminder Tuomas Tarkki was stuck behind a wall. More specifically, he was stuck behind a K-Wall. Craig Kowalski — K-Wall, for short — the four-year starting goalie for the Wildcats, was unflappable in net from 2000-2004. During his run in Marquette, Kowalski rewrote the NMU record book for goaltending stats. … Read more
Wisconsin provides us with a perfect case study for why a more pure ranking system is needed right now.
One year removed from an All-American performance that earned Jim Slater a spot as a Hobey Baker Finalist, Michigan State’s senior sniper couldn’t even crack the All-CCHA team. For many around the league, the numbers just don’t add up. Blame it on unrealistic expectations or strong competition, but Slater’s 16-28–44 line is only four points … Read more
The Division I men’s ice hockey committee can avoid some common sense pitfalls in creating the NCAA tournament bracket if it decides to give itself room to maneuver.
In the days following the University of Denver’s 2004 NCAA Championship victory over Maine, writers and pundits attributed the success of Denver’s hockey program to a variety of factors. Words like “goaltending,” “grit,” a “loosey-goosey attitude” and “senior leadership” were tossed around in abundance. Some even called it a “Cinderella story” after the lowest-seeded team … Read more
Two frantic minutes placed this year’s championship game in the elite of NCAA tournament lore.
There has been such an outpouring of support for the Denver Pioneers recently that coach George Gwozdecky estimates it’ll take two weeks — two weeks he doesn’t have at the moment — to get back to everyone who has called or e-mailed or wrote a letter. The Pioneers are keeping a busy schedule these days. … Read more
• I guess it’s safe to say the replay rule will be under review at the upcoming coaches convention in Naples, Fla. It’s the type of thing that doesn’t become an issue unless it happens in the NCAAs, when every goal is automatically reviewed. If Maine’s goal in the NCAA final wasn’t automatically reviewed, no … Read more
Denver had kept Maine off the scoreboard for 58 minutes — but then came the final test of resolve.
Denver believed in netminder Adam Berkhoel — and vice versa.
Suspended senior reveled in Denver’s win regardless.
Never, perhaps, have the differences between East and West been so sharp.
College hockey fans are a breed apart — and never is that more obvious than at the Frozen Four.
Maine had done it all season from the blue line, but on Saturday, the Black Bears were out-defended by Denver.