Season previews for teams
An offseason of tumult that included two assistant coaching changes, the departure of two of the top three returning scorers and a prized recruit’s decision to head to Canada prompted the coaches and WCHA media to pick Nebraska-Omaha to finish eighth in the 12-team league. UNO assistant Mike Hastings left to take charge of the … Read more
A strong group of underclassmen and seniors give North Dakota the puzzle pieces it needs to make a run at the MacNaughton Cup and Broadmoor Trophy during its final season in the WCHA. “We have an attractive group of seniors,” North Dakota coach Dave Hakstol said. “We have guys there who we have relied on. … Read more
Denver will rely on a strong defense, anchored by three good goalies, to build a possible league championship foundation this season. “We are a very different team this year,” Pioneers coach George Gwozdecky said. “We lost three big-time scorers in Beau Bennett, Drew Shore and Jason Zucker. Our strength this year is our depth in … Read more
Colorado College will look for some of its offensive players to step up while relying on a solid defensive base in its pursuit of home playoff ice in its final season in the WCHA. Standout Jaden Schwartz, now making AHL goalies’ lives difficult, will not be replaced but there is hope that his older brother … Read more
Alaska-Anchorage coach Dave Shyiak points to an influx of speed at forward and defense as good reason Seawolves fans should be hopeful their team can climb out of the WCHA basement. “Our team will have more speed than in years past,” he said. “This should help us in both our attack on the rush and … Read more
The surge St. Cloud State made at the end of the regular season and into the WCHA playoffs last season had people who follow the league wondering how good the Huskies could be if they had a full and healthy lineup. But the injury bug took just one hour into the first official day of … Read more
Welcome to year No. 2, Mel Pearson. Michigan Tech surprised everyone last season when it went from a 26-game winless streak and a 4-30-4 finish in 2010-11 to a spot in the WCHA Final Five last season under first-year coach Pearson. The vast improvement landed Pearson the WCHA coach of the year award but the … Read more
Bemidji State coach Tom Serratore said it best: “I don’t know who our goalie is going to be and we’re going to need secondary scoring.” Those are the issues the Beavers face heading into this season off an eighth-place finish in 2011-12. Jordan George, a senior with 101 career points who hasn’t notched fewer than … Read more
There were skeptics before the 2011-12 season started who doubted that Minnesota-Duluth could come close to the success it had a year earlier. The Bulldogs won the national title in 2011 but Jack Connolly lost the wings of his high-scoring top line. Still, Connolly won the Hobey Baker Award, UMD managed to take second in … Read more
A new coach and a crop of talented underclassmen have Minnesota State excited to take a big step in 2012-13. Mike Hastings was hired in April to replace long-time coach Troy Jutting, who was fired after the worst season (12-24-2) in his 12 years leading the Mavericks. “It’s a privilege to be back with a … Read more
Last season was one of resurgence and a return to relevance for Minnesota. Considering what the Gophers have coming back at forward and defense, Minnesota is built for another run to the Frozen Four. Minnesota’s win against Boston University in the regional semifinals was the first career NCAA tournament game for last season’s seniors. The … Read more
When asked what he would consider to be a successful season, first-year Alabama-Huntsville head coach Kurt Kleinendorst was succinct. “Progress,” said Kleinendorst, who takes over a program that, as the cliche goes, has nowhere to go but up. “To what degree [we make progress], I don’t know,” Kleinendorst said. “For me to sit here and … Read more
Last year, New Hampshire failed to secure playoff home ice for the first time since 1996, a span during which the Wildcats finished first six times. That sustained excellence went by the wayside when they got off to a bad start fueled by poor goaltending and continued with an uncharacteristic inability to finish scoring chances. … Read more
Providence coach Nate Leaman inherited a team last year that had missed the playoffs the previous two seasons. However, he turned things around much faster than anyone expected, guiding the Friars not only to the playoffs but to a semifinal appearance at the Garden. Whether the Friars take another step forward rides to a significant … Read more
Merrimack will be hard pressed to match its success of the last two years when it posted 16-8-3 and 13-9-5 league records. The Warriors flourished last season despite losing Stephane Da Costa, but the attrition strikes hard this time at all three positions. The loss of All-Hockey East goaltender Joe Cannata hurts most of all. … Read more
Last season, Maine ranked seventh in the country in team offense and featured since-departed stars Spencer Abbott, Bryan Flynn, Matt Mangene and, on the blue line, Will O’Neill. It’s not as though the cupboard has been left bare, but don’t expect another top-10 offense. “Like coaches often say, we have to replace those elite players … Read more
It isn’t possible to discuss Boston University hockey without first addressing the elephant in the room, namely the sexual assault charges against two Terriers players last year and the resulting task force report that found a celebrity culture among players. “Every kid on every campus who’s an athlete should have the idea that they’re looked … Read more
The movie “Hoosiers” gave us one of the best lines in sports movie history when the crotchety old Hickory fan Opal Fleener said to coach Norman Dale, “Sun don’t shine on the same dog’s [behind] every day, but mister, you ain’t seen a ray of light since you got here.” For Vermont coach Kevin Sneddon, … Read more
A year ago at this time, Northeastern bench boss Jim Madigan had barely unpacked his office when he was forced to be thinking about serving as head coach for the first time in his career. Hired in August, Madigan had just two weeks before players arrived on campus and a short six-week window before the … Read more
Few Massachusetts-Lowell fans will forget the season of 2011-12. Entering with low expectations and a new head coach in Norm Bazin, many fans would’ve been satisfied just making the playoffs. Bazin and his team, though, took things a major step further. The River Hawks finished second in Hockey East, tying the best finish in program … Read more