Season previews for teams
Logjams, Lurkers and Longshots “Any one of the top four teams in Hockey East could win the national championship.” — UMass-Lowell coach Blaise MacDonald Who’ll win Hockey East this year? New Hampshire. It’s got to be the Wildcats. Goaltending, scoring, defense. They’ve got it all. It’s gotta be them. Martin Kariya and Maine are back … Read more
Last year’s woulda-coulda-shoulda season (if only the three French players hadn’t left for the Olympics… if only the NCAA selection criteria had eliminated the “last 16 games” category one year earlier… if only there had been a 16-team tournament) gives way to a new season. In this one, however, the 11 River Hawks who’d been … Read more
If not for the early departure of defenseman Regan Kelly, the Friars would rival Boston College for the least attrition in the league. With a talented, senior-dominated lineup, there’s the potential for a big move upward in the standings. “You win with your upperclassmen and they certainly are going to lead the way for us,” … Read more
The Ferris State Bulldogs had a surprising 2001-02 season. The last-minute departure of stalwart goaltender Phil Osaer appeared to leave FSU in a tight spot, but two rookie goaltenders, Mike Brown and John DeCaro, picked up the slack nicely. Then there were Rob Collins and Chris Kunitz. Collins led the league in scoring, and Kunitz … Read more
In all seriousness, Michigan’s loss is the CCHA’s loss. When a player the caliber of Mike Cammalleri leaves a program early, the entire league feels the absence. Yes, some folks may be happy about the departures of Cammalleri, Mike Komisarek and Michigan State’s Ryan Miller, thinking that this somehow levels the playing field for the … Read more
No one is looking forward to the start of the 2002-03 season more than Mike Kemp. When the season begins, after all, the offseason is officially over. “It’s been an interesting summer for us in Omaha,” said Kemp. “We started out the summer with seven surgeries — four knees, three shoulders — added two new … Read more
With more or less typical losses to graduation, this was going to be the season for Merrimack to take a step forward in the standings. No more battling it out to the end for the final playoff spot. That is, until early departures ripped extra holes in the depth chart. Count ’em: Anthony Aquino, a … Read more
If you’re a glass-empty BU fan, you bemoan the graduation of Mike Pandolfo and Jack Baker, the only two players who scored more than 26 points last year, and also point to the losses of offensively-gifted defensemen Chris Dyment and Pat Aufiero. Where is the offense going to come from? The matchups with Hemingway-Collins-Gare (UNH), … Read more
If you’re a college hockey coach and your only significant question mark is your backup goaltender, then life is good. For UNH coach Dick Umile, life is indeed very good. In this writer’s eyes, New Hampshire enters the season as the number one team in the country. Depth and skill abound on the roster. It’ll … Read more
Patience will be the watchword for Massachusetts fans this year. With 26 of the 31 rostered players being freshmen or sophomores, instant gratification will be in short supply. The key will be long-term improvement and maintaining a positive outlook. “We’re still a work in progress,” says coach Don Cahoon. “We’ve got two years under our … Read more
The Huskies appeared poised to take home ice last year until dropping four of the last five games in the regular season, falling to fifth. Even with significant graduation losses, Northeastern remains within striking range of achieving that goal this time. Unlike the past few years, the goaltending looks solid and could even be among … Read more
The Western Michigan Broncos continue to be a league enigma. During the 2001-02 season, Lawson Arena was one of the fiercest places to play in the CCHA, and the Broncos defeated six nationally ranked teams at home last year. But early in January, WMU was swept by Ohio State at home — and then the … Read more
The Black Bears could face a different set of emotional hurdles compared to last year when many of them felt that the spirit of “old SW” gave them a seventh player on the ice. Shawn Walsh’s death struck the team down early last year, but provided a unifying theme that it could rally around on … Read more
Rick Comley is gone, but Walt Kyle has returned. And make no mistake about it: Northern Michigan is still the hardest-working team in college hockey. One-Step Success How do you replace the man who built your hockey program from scratch, the only coach in the team’s 29-year history? Well, you don’t. You can’t. But you … Read more
Columbus, Ohio, may be in for a treat this fall. There just may be a team — or two — playing good hockey in Cow-lumbus. Heresy, you say? Blasphemy, you cry? No, really, it could happen. Honest. In the CCHA’s only NHL-Division I college hockey city, both the Blue Jackets and the Buckeyes could be … Read more
Here’s a riddle for you. What happens when the winningest coach in college hockey history steps aside, and you lose the best goaltender the CCHA has ever seen? Why, continued success, of course — if the new head coach has a track record like Rick Comley’s. Denial: Not Just A River In Egypt If you’re … Read more
Thanks to key losses — some expected, others not so much — some are expecting Michigan and Michigan State to retreat, making the CCHA a free-for-all. Not so fast, says Paula C. Weston, who runs down the year that will be in her 2002-03 season preview.
What do you do when your team perennially underperforms while your fanbase grows increasingly restless? Hire a dynamic alumnus of your program who, as an assistant coach with another successful program, made four straight trips to the Frozen Four which culminated in a national championship. Good work, Bowling Green. Very good indeed. A former All-American … Read more
There is nothing like a little recognition to make you feel good. So for that, my sincere thanks to Guy Gadowsky. “This is the first time ever that UAF has not been picked by the media to finish dead-last,” said Gadowsky at CCHA media day. “So with the exception of Paula Weston and Eric Olsen, … Read more
In Oxford, Ohio, the first RedHawk (nee Redskin) alumnus to return as head coach is preaching a sermon he’s justifiably perfected during his brief tenure. “I think for us consistency has got to be number one,” said Enrico Blasi. “In this league, you can’t go three to four games without winning. It just puts you … Read more