Season previews for teams
In March, after winning the CCHA 2002-03 regular-season title, the surprising Ferris State Bulldogs lost the Super Six Championship game to the Michigan Wolverines in a 5-3 decision. Assured of an NCAA berth with 31 wins, the Bulldogs were miserable. “We really wanted this,” said FSU head coach Bob Daniels. “For us, the NCAA tournament … Read more
“We are all in a situation where we control our own fates. The answer is simple: win.” So says Walt Kyle, NMU head coach and believer in the league title. In a time when many coaches begin checking their Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) and PairWise Rankings midseason to determine whether or not they may be … Read more
In 2002-03, Bob Daniels took the Ferris State Bulldogs to a place they’d only dreamed about — the top of the CCHA standings. The first 30-win coach in FSU history, Daniels says that things have changed a bit in Big Rapids, Mich., since April. There’s been “a little bit of a raise,” says Daniels, who … Read more
Entering the third season of his second stint as Lake Superior’s head coach, Frank Anzalone is enthusiastic, sincere, and intense. His Lakers, picked last in both the preseason coaches and media polls, are more stable, he says, and that may lead to improvement in this season’s performance. “I think that right now for the first … Read more
The 2002-03 season was something of a disappointment for the Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks. Picked to finish fifth in both the coaches and media preseason CCHA polls, the Mavs finished 10th and ended their season with two quick losses to Ohio State in the opening round of league playoffs. “Certainly, we underachieved last year tremendously,” says head … Read more
“It’s a huge, huge part of our game, probably a bigger part of hockey than any other sport, that chemistry in the locker room. This is a sport that if you have the right mix of people, you can compete at any level.” Notre Dame head coach Dave Poulin knows this as well as any … Read more
Two seasons ago, Alaska-Fairbanks head coach Guy Gadowsky publicly thanked two beat writers for being the only members of the media not to pick the Nanooks last in the CCHA preseason media poll. This year, UAF is picked ninth by the press, eighth by the coaches, and Gadowsky knows that this represents real progress. “We … Read more
It’s impossible to think of Rick Comley as a sophomore coach. After 26 years behind the bench as Northern Michigan’s first head coach, Comley is seventh on the NCAA’s all-time win list. As he follows in the footsteps of his mentor, the legendary Ron Mason, Comley is poised to add to his own legend at … Read more
As much of a surprise as Yale was last season in finishing third in the ECAC, the Bulldogs remain one of the mysteries of the upcoming 2003-04 campaign. The biggest question is: How will they make up for the loss of Chris Higgins, who left to sign with the Montreal Canadiens? Higgins’ 20 goals and … Read more
The bulk of the team that produced a 25-loss season in 2002-03 returns this season. That’s not exactly a good thing. Granted, the Engineers will look to build off the tough lessons of a year ago, but it’s hard to imagine them making much of a run in the standings. A continuation of Ben Barr’s … Read more
When the Saints decided to begin offering scholarships to recruits a few years ago, it seemed like a step that would position them for long-term success. They enjoyed back-to-back ECAC tournament titles in 2000 and 2001, but are coming off a pair of 21-loss seasons with little hope for a return to glory anytime soon. … Read more
With Brown another up-an-coming program, Roger Grillo has done a fine job assembling talent for a run deep into the postseason. First things first, of course, and that’s challenging for the top of the ECAC. It may sound far-fetched considering the strength of Harvard, Cornell and Dartmouth, but the Bears have the great equalizer … … Read more
They looked unbeatable for most of the season, having lost only five times, while winning 30. They were 19-2-1 in the ECAC and a perfect 15-0-0 at home. They captured their second consecutive ECAC Regular Season title, the Tournament championship and made it to the Frozen Four. All in all, it was very successful season … Read more
When you win only three games almost anything is an improvement. Unless, of course, you manage to win less often. That shouldn’t be an issue, however, for this Princeton squad. The Tigers are far from moving up the standings, but they should manage a few more wins and could be dangerous if taken lightly — … Read more
All signs point to this being the year the Crimson fulfill their potential. This is a loaded team full of veterans, as evidenced by the 16 juniors and seniors that will skate for the club each week. More importantly, though, is that there isn’t a glaring weakness on a team that features a whopping 12 … Read more
With Don Vaughan’s recent decision to accept the interim Athletic Director’s position, longtime assistant Stan Moore has been elevated to interim head coach. Moore, a very capable replacement, will have his work cut out for him if he plans on improving on last season’s 17-win campaign. [New coach Stan] Moore … will have his work … Read more
A new coach, another new era at Union. Nate Leaman takes over for Kevin Sneddon, who returned the program to respectability. It’ll be Leaman’s job to elevate it further — a task made more difficult because of the lack of support the college traditionally floats the way of the hockey program. The Dutchmen remain an … Read more
The structure of the ECAC is balanced. Six Ivy League programs. Six non-Ivies. Yet, last season, Cornell, Harvard, Dartmouth, Yale and Brown finished one through five. The best non-Ivy team was Union, and the Dutchmen were no better than .500 in the league. In fact, the aforementioned quintet were the only ECAC clubs to finish … Read more
With Clarkson coming off its first losing season since 1974-75, new head coach George Roll brings 14 recruits into a program desperate for new blood. Roll, an assistant during Clarkson’s dominating days in the early- and mid-1990s, may be the perfect choice to brush away the clouds of the last few years of Mark Morris’ … Read more
Picked to finish ninth in the ECAC Coaches’ Poll, there’s no time like the present for Kevin Sneddon’s new club as the Catamounts kick off the 2003-04 season with a home contest against Boston College on Oct. 4. Sneddon is a talented young coach who will help establish a much-needed new attitude and atmosphere in … Read more