Season previews for teams
In the past decade, the Western Michigan Broncos have finished higher than sixth place exactly once, in 2000-01, when they tied with Northern Michigan for fifth — and NMU won the tiebreaker that year for the higher playoff slot. So, it’s a bit strange to think of last year’s seventh-place finish as an accomplishment, but … Read more
In 2007-08, the Northern Michigan Wildcats began regular-season CCHA play with seven straight losses, six of them against three of the league’s top teams. By the end of that campaign, the ‘Cats had climbed to sixth place on the strength of a good second half, won a first-round home CCHA playoff series, and played their … Read more
Except for the last few games of the season, last year seemingly panned out the way the last few have for North Dakota: struggle early, surge in the second half, end up in the top half in the league (maybe or maybe not winning the MacNaughton Cup). The difference is that each first-half struggle is … Read more
Although Alaska-Anchorage remained at the bottom of the league last year, it fought tooth and nail until the end to stay in the mix. Think of it this way: with the way the league ended up, points-wise, UAA was just six points out of fifth place and a home-ice berth, something the team has never … Read more
You know what they say about a two-goal lead: it’s the hardest lead to keep. The 2008-09 Miami RedHawks proved true that old cliché on the most public of college hockey stages. Having netted two goals less than three minutes apart late in the third period of the 2009 NCAA championship game, the RedHawks played … Read more
If there was any team last year that stuck to its preseason expectations last year, it was Michigan Tech. The Huskies were picked to finish in the bottom of the WCHA basement and finish there they did, mustering 11 league points and only two conference wins all season. The bright spots seen from their basement … Read more
Coming into last season, it seemed as if the Colorado College Tigers were on top of the WCHA. They were the defending MacNaughton Cup holders and lost two games at home all season. The Tigers were hosting the West Regional and they wanted to snatch hold of that No. 1 seed to ensure the best … Read more
Last year, Vermont finished in third place for the second straight season, this time tied with New Hampshire. Although Massachusetts-Lowell swept the Catamounts in the opening round of the Hockey East playoffs, they still qualified for the NCAA tournament and bounced back to make the most of that opportunity. Vermont advanced to its first Frozen … Read more
Sure, the Ferris State Bulldogs ended their 2008-09 season with seven straight losses, including two to Nebraska-Omaha in the first round of the CCHA playoffs, a series in which FSU scored just a pair of goals. And sure, the Bulldogs had three total wins in the entire second half last year and averaged a hair … Read more
Boston University enjoyed a magical season last year, winning everything but the Stanley Cup. Whether dominating teams or needing a miracle in the closing minutes, such as in the national championship game, the Terriers came through every time. Repeating may be another story. In addition to graduating a ton of talent, they also lost Colin … Read more
After Boston College’s national championship in 2001, the Eagles struggled through the 2001-02 campaign and missed the NCAA tournament. Last year, coming off another NCAA title, coach Jerry York’s team followed in the footsteps of the 01-02 club, much to his dismay, and struggle to find consistency, ultimately missing the NCAA tournament. Though York likely … Read more
Over the past few years, St. Cloud State has managed to put together some decent seasons, but nothing spectacular. Each year, there has been a different reason; last year’s was arguably inconsistency. The Huskies would go on either mini-winning streaks or mini-losing streaks with hardly any variation. Just as you’d think they were going to … Read more
Minnesota State has a tendency to be a very confusing club. Two years ago, the outlook for the team was bleak, yet it turned in an impressive performance, finishing fourth in the league and just outside the NCAA tournament bubble. Last year, the Mavericks returned much of the same squad and with that, had expectations … Read more
The ending for the 2008-09 season for the Massachusetts-Lowell River Hawks was, to say the least, bittersweet. After advancing to the Hockey East Championship game for the first time since 1994 and only the second time in school history, Blaise MacDonald’s club dropped a heartbreaking — if not controversial — 1-0 decision to the ultimate … Read more
Last year, Northeastern came within one game of its first Hockey East regular season title. Although the Huskies fell short of that goal, their second-place finish matched the school’s best, a mark they hadn’t achieved since 1987-88. If Hockey East player of the year Brad Thiessen had returned for his senior year, the Huskies would … Read more
Possibly the biggest question mark in Hockey East this season is the Providence Friars. Last season, to say the team struggled would be an understatement. An early-season injury to top goaltender Ryan Simpson left the club in the lurch early. That translated to a 3-12-1 record at the break and a hill that seemingly could … Read more
Last year, Massachusetts experienced the typical regular season ups and downs before almost catching fire in the Hockey East quarterfinals. The Minutemen nearly pulled off a fourth trip to the Garden in seven years, losing to Northeastern in overtime of the third game. They bring back 21 lettermen and would seemingly be poised to make … Read more
Coming into this season, coach George Gwozdecky is optimistic about his team’s chances, and with good reason. While several of his peers lost key components of their teams, Gwozdecky didn’t lose all that much, comparatively. His team is stocked and loaded with depth he hasn’t seen in years. “Our seniors will give us the luxury … Read more
If the Michigan Wolverines weren’t so much fun to watch, college hockey fans who are not among the Maize and Blue faithful might tire of UM’s same old, same old: excellence, year after year after year. It’s been nearly 20 years since Michigan finished lower than third place in league standings; in that span the … Read more
Last Year The Bobcats just couldn’t keep the wheels on the track last year. First, the typically explosive offense went AWOL as the Q suffered through nearly 195 minutes without a goal in three consecutive shutouts … all in league play. Then, standout freshman goalie Nick Pisellini (.948 save percentage) had to leave the team … Read more