Season previews for teams
It’s been a while. That’s the best way of summing up last year for Mass.-Dartmouth, as the Corsairs posted their first losing record since 1976-77, finishing with an overall record of 11-15-1. Despite that, they were still able to win a playoff game, knocking off fourth-seed Westfield State in opening round playoff action before narrowly … Read more
After a 20-year hiatus, Westfield State will look to continue its success entering its third year since returning as a varsity program. The Owls have posted a 24-19-7 record the last two seasons and are poised to continue their success this season. “First and foremost, Jerry Keefe did a great job the first year back,” … Read more
It’s not often a new coach takes over with a team locked and loaded and ready to go, but that’s the situation first year head coach Craig Russell finds himself in at Plymouth State. After serving as an assistant coach under Brett Tryder for seven years, following a four year playing career at Plymouth State, … Read more
Last year’s MASCAC runner-ups return will a veteran core that’s looking to get back to the championship game. “This team returns a great group of athletes,” coach Dean Fuller said. “Last year’s loss in the championship has motivated us to work harder in the off-season so we can get back into that game.” In net, … Read more
It’s an axiom that’s repeated all throughout sports: Good teams don’t rebuild, they reload. Sure, Salem State lost four key seniors, but they gained three transfers, two of whom have already proven themselves in MASCAC play. “They’re just quality players,” said Salem coach Bill O’Neill, who is entering his 30th season in charge of the … Read more
The Raiders’ sheer depth puts them among the Midwest Collegiate Hockey League’s elite contenders this season. MSOE is well-stocked at all positions, with 12 sophomores returning after dazzling freshmen campaigns and where upperclassmen still hold considerable rank. Four of last season’s point-grabbing freshmen — most notably team-leading scorer Bradley Tierney (nine goals and 17 points … Read more
Lawrence is banking on an austerity plan, which means the Vikings will have to pare their goals-against to reach the Midwest College Hockey Association’s upper tier. The team surrendered 111 goals last season while only scoring 95. The clampdown starts with senior netminder Evan Johnson, whose performance slipped last season (7-8-1, 3.79 GAA, .877 save-percentage) … Read more
With a new coach and 32 underclassmen, the Foresters are a team in transition. The infusion of newcomers is expected to pay dividends sooner rather than later. The youth movement starts behind the bench, where Seamus Gregory, 29, replaces 32-year coaching veteran Tony Fritz, who retired. Seamus served two season as an assistant under Fritz, … Read more
The Lumberjacks have nearly an equal amount of returning players and newcomers, which makes the team something of an uncertain quantity. Returning up front are sophomore Kraig Wright, whose team leading 31 points on 12 goals and 19 assists earned All-MCHA Rookie recognition, and senior Chad Moore, who scored 12 goals and 18 assists as … Read more
Marian’s fortunes are on an upward trajectory, having posted a school-best record last season that earned Jasen Wise MCHA Coach of the Year honors. The Sabres’ goal is to parlay that short-term success into some post-season revelry. Last season’s 3-2 loss to Adrian in the MCHA championship tilt underscored the frustration of toppling the league’s … Read more
John McCabe takes over as coach after serving as an assistant at Alabama-Huntsville for six years, where the weather is a bit more hospitable than in Michigan Upper Peninsula’s Hancock, where up to 250 inches snow falls annually. However, the native of Espanola, Ont., sees his move as a “homecoming,” since his hometown is in … Read more
Coach Tony Hrkac is counting on depth this season to get his team out of a 30-plus winless mire. “Last couple of years, we only had six or seven guys upfront that you could really rely on,” Hrkac says. “This year, we have a little more depth, so those guys won’t get as tired.” The … Read more
In only its fourth season, Adrian has made amazing strides. The Bulldogs have a 77-8-1 combined record, which includes three Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association titles. Despite those remarkable achievements, Adrian only has one NCAA tournament appearance, and that ended abruptly in a loss to St. Norbert in the first round last March. For Adrian’s 17 … Read more
Despite going 1-24-1 and not winning a conference game last season, first year head coach Andy Boschetto was pleasantly surprised with what he found upon taking over at Salve Regina. “We’re not in a bad spot,” he said. “I like what I see. I thought their psyche would be down, but they’re ready to go … Read more
It’s a process, but second year head coach Greg Heffernan is working toward bringing the Golden Bears to marks they haven’t reached in years. Western New England hasn’t broken the 10-win mark since 1999-2000, or posting a winning record since 1993-94, but with an infusion of new players, there’s hope for the coming years. “I’m … Read more
If they can continue what they started, the Wildcats should be in good shape this season. Johnson and Wales got off to a 2-8 start, but got hot when it counted, knocking off number three seed Suffolk and top-seeded Wentworth to reach the championship game. A five-goal second period was all that kept the Wildcats … Read more
The Hawks have enjoyed a steady ascension since joining the ECAC Northeast. Now in its fifth season of Division III play, Becker has made the playoffs three straight years and will look to build on a program-best 13 wins last season, including eight in conference play. “We want to play with intensity, fire, grit, and … Read more
There’s no disabled list in college hockey, but if there was, it’s a good bet Nichols would have logged the most days on it last season. The Bisons were decimated by injuries in the 2009-10 campaign, as eight players missed a combined 58 games. There was an understandable dropoff from the program’s historic run two … Read more
The Leopards lost the schools all-time winningest goalie, Justin Marriot, to graduation. Also gone is Jeff Olitch (21-21), but Wentworth returns a cache of talent led by Skylur Jameson (18-25), the ECAC Northeast Player of the Year. Shaun Jameson returns on the blue line after a freshman season that saw him earn First Team All-ECAC … Read more
The Rams enter the season with a young roster, but that hasn’t dampened the hopes of coach Chris Glionna, the conference’s coach of the year in 2009-10. “We are hoping to take the next step,” Glionna said of his team, which used a five-game winning streak at the end of last season to grab home … Read more