Season previews for teams
Head coach Bob Gaudet continues to build a successful and consistently solid program at his alma mater, capturing 20 wins last season for the first time since 1947-48. With each campaign, Dartmouth gets one step closer to its goal of winning the ECAC championship and advancing to the NCAA Tournament. An impressive collection of talent, … Read more
One of the more experienced teams in Atlantic Hockey this season is Army. Having lost only three players, only one of whom was in the top five in scoring, and returning a defense that ranked fourth in the MAAC a year ago, it’s no surprise that head coach Rob Riley is optimistic for his club’s … Read more
A year ago, the voices say, Bentley simply overachieved. Having finished in or near the cellar of the MAAC for three straight years, a fifth-place finish, a first-round upset of Sacred Heart and a berth in the MAAC final four was a dream come true. Overachieving? Maybe, though not in the eyes of head coach … Read more
As the Holy Cross seniors return to the ice for their final season as Crusaders, there’s no doubt that the last two years were memorable. Top-four finishes in MAAC play, home ice in the playoffs and a berth in the final four last year: these players have plenty to be proud of. But when memories … Read more
Last year, it was boys against men. A lineup filled with freshmen and sophomores meant growing pains from day one. Add to that the fact that Canisius put together one of the toughest nonleague schedules in the MAAC and you had the recipe for disaster. [The Griffs] are no longer wet behind the ears. The … Read more
Many in Atlantic Hockey feel that Quinnipiac suffered the least in terms of losses to graduation. Head coach Rand Pecknold disagrees. “I’m a little concerned about losing three defensemen,” said Pecknold of the departed Dan Ennis, Wade Winkler and Matt Erhart, along with forward Brian Herbert, from last season’s roster. “I thought they were three … Read more
Mercyhurst head coach Rick Gotkin has gotten used to having a bullseye on his chest. Having won the last three regular-season titles in the MAAC and two of the last three tournaments, his team can’t be overlooked. “Everyone asks about the bullseye, but that’s the way it’s been for 10 years,” said Gotkin, who has … Read more
After five years of living under someone else’s rule, the nine remaining members of the MAAC hockey league became independent this summer. The resulting conference — Atlantic Hockey — is set to take its first leap as its inaugural season commences. No venture of this sort comes without headaches. Even the simple stuff, such as … Read more
Many thought that if Sacred Heart ever could make a run at a title, last year was the year. That was until the Pioneers ran into a postseason steamroller named Bentley College, bowing in the first round for the fourth time in five seasons. Then graduation took its toll on Sacred Heart, and even home … Read more
There has to be a point at which things get frustrating. Despite constantly improving from year to year, it seems American International and head coach Gary Wright can’t make a move up the standings. The Yellow Jackets have, over the past three seasons, added solid players at all positions. Unfortunately for AIC, though, the skill … Read more
A year after posting an 8-23-3 record and missing the MAAC playoffs for the first time ever, Connecticut head coach Bruce Marshall knew it was time for a change. The Huskies mentor did what he called an “evaluation,” but what most call “housecleaning.” The result: 12 of the 24 players scheduled to return to the … Read more
The promising start North Dakota put together a year ago ended up amounting only to an appearance at the WCHA Final Five and an appearance in the NCAA tournament, not the victories in each of those competitions that seemed plausible. Things like that happen. Often, there’s a scapegoat — for the Sioux last season, it … Read more
The NCAA legislation on the table that could strip Colorado College and other Division III schools playing at the Division I level of the ability to award scholarships served as something of a wake-up call, a notice that life sometimes drops changes on unsuspecting parties. The lesson, then: Enjoy success while you have it. The … Read more
In the moments before each game, Don Lucia is “scared to death” wondering whether his team will win. But the Minnesota coach will counter claims that his team has to be feeling extraordinary pressure as the first two-time defending national champion in 31 years. “I think winning it doesn’t put any extra pressure on our … Read more
Did Mike Eaves and the rest of the Wisconsin coaching staff know what they were getting themselves into last season? No, Eaves said. “In so many different ways.” It may not have been a reflection of the coaching staff, but the Badgers proved they were in over their heads most nights, winding up with the … Read more
George Gwozdecky looked into the eyes of his players and saw shock and disbelief. Looking back six months later, he’s glad he did. The Denver players never suspected their 2002-03 season would end the way it did — with them falling short of their goals. So when the Pioneers were ousted from the first round … Read more
The refrain is familiar: How is Minnesota State going to deal with losing two big-name scorers? A year ago, it was Tim Jackman and Jerry Cunningham. The Mavericks got along just fine, thank you. Went 17 games without a loss. Tied for second in the WCHA. Made the school’s first trip to the NCAA Division … Read more
The risk a team runs after a successful season is the misguided notion that the next season’s success will be easy to come by. Offseason conditioning and preseason training usually are fueled more by bad memories than good ones. So Minnesota-Duluth coach Scott Sandelin, fresh off the Bulldogs’ first trip to the WCHA Final Five … Read more
Amid the ruin that was the 2002-03 season for Alaska-Anchorage, John Hill offered a bit of perspective. The second-year coach mentioned last year that he thinks the 2004-05 season is when the Seawolves finally will be able to pull it all together. It might have been hard to see that through the destruction of a … Read more
The cyclical nature of mid-major college hockey programs might be coming around to disrupt St. Cloud State’s standing as one of the recent fixtures in the NCAA tournament. Only Michigan and Maine have longer current streaks in the NCAA field, but the Huskies’ four-year run is in danger unless they can: Reverse the downward trend … Read more