Season previews for teams
If a year can be dubbed important to the success of a veteran Army program, it is the present one. A club that showed plenty of bright lights a season ago, the Black Knights will have a little extra to play for this upcoming season — home ice in the playoffs. Though Army has never … Read more
Entering its fifth season, the MAAC looks to improve its national profile with aggressive nonconference scheduling. Foremost in carrying the banner for the league will be defending regular-season champion Mercyhurst and 2002 NCAA entrant Quinnipiac. Jim Connelly previews the new year.
The Wonderland of Ice arena in Bridgeport, Conn., isn’t the greatest of buildings for a college hockey team to call home. It’s a bit dark and plenty dingy, and in the last few years even had poor enough ice to halt a college game played there. Maybe that’s part of the reason that Fairfield had … Read more
The CHA takes its place alongside its five Division I brethren this year. With the advent of an NCAA autobid for the conference tournament champion, conference members now have something to play for on a national level, and don’t think they don’t know it. Geof F. Morris previews 2002-03.
Brockport had a season last year that Brian Dickinson would just as soon forget. “We were in such disarray with attitude problems. Last year was not what our coaching philosophy is about,” said the sixth-year coach. On top of that, a number of injuries depleted the Brockport roster, and still other players left the team … Read more
In his 14th season at Fredonia, coach Jeff Meredith is still having fun. “I’m really enjoying working with this bunch of guys. So I’m having a lot of fun and they’re having a lot of fun at practice every day,” said Meredith. MEREDITH A roster which includes 13 freshmen is making up for inexperience with … Read more
It has been a gradual process, but the plan put in place during his first season at Buffalo State is now paying off for coach Jim Fowler. FOWLER Fowler started 1996-97 without a recruiting class, and over the next couple of seasons had to concentrate on filling a roster. Those teams were not competitive, and … Read more
The league that boasts the defending NCAA Division III champion is back. Ed Trefzger profiles the SUNYAC, where more than ever before, the playoffs may be anyone’s guess.
A national championship and a No. 1 ranking in the preseason USCHO.com Division III poll put a bulls-eye on the backs of the Plattsburgh Cardinals. EMERY “We’re going to be everyone’s big game, especially in our rink. It seems it’s a tough place to play, but it’s an easy place to get ready to play,” … Read more
Potsdam is in a bit of a rebuilding mode this season, with 11 rookies on the roster. Coach Ed Seney’s Bears, who in game two of the SUNYAC championship were the only team to beat Plattsburgh in its last 15 games, lose five of their top seven scorers from last year. Those five accounted for … Read more
Oswego coach George Roll adds seven rookies to an already-young squad. This year’s Lakers are talented, but like the rest of the SUNYAC, just a notch or two below league-leading Plattsburgh. “We’re pretty much a freshman, sophomore team. I think in a couple years we will have closed that gap [with Plattsburgh] — not to … Read more
Geneseo started this season with an event that had never happened in the program’s history: a coaching change. Brian Hills, a former assistant coach and All-American at Bowling Green, takes over an Ice Knights squad from Paul Duffy, who retired after 26 seasons at the helm. HILLS Although last year’s Ice Knights had three of … Read more
Under new head coach Tom Cranfield, the Cortland Red Dragons are off to a 3-0 start. How did they get there? Hard work. After downing Potsdam and Fredonia in the SUNYAC Challenge, Cranfield said, “I don’t know if we’re as talented as those teams, but we worked very hard.” That work ethic is something Cranfield … Read more
The ECAC Northeast is bidding for national respect, thanks to traditional strengths and several programs on the rise. Ed Seero rounds up the league’s prospects for 2001-02.
For the first time in 14 years, Elmira finds itself with a new coach at the start of a season. Long time coach Glenn Thomaris resigned in March, and former assistant coach Tim Ceglarski was promoted to the top job. Ceglarski finds himself with a team that many feel underachieved last year, due in part … Read more
The Neumann Knights are entering their fourth season as a hockey team, all under coach Nick Russo, but this year is different. Neumann is no longer playing an independent schedule, no longer playing games against club teams and weaker D-III teams and no longer on the outside looking in. Neumann has joined the ECAC West … Read more
“How to Rebuild a Team in 15 Easy Steps.” That’s the title of the book that Hobart head coach Mark Taylor is going to write in a couple of years if he is successful at getting the Statesmen to the top of the ECAC West. Hobart lost fifteen players to graduation from last year’s team, … Read more
Manhattanville made a strong run at the end of last season, surprising Elmira in the first round of the ECAC West playoffs, before falling to RIT in the championship game. The Knights earned a lot of respect around college hockey by going so deep in to the league playoffs in only their second year. And … Read more
Fans may not recognize the ECAC West this year, what with the changes in personnel, league membership and even facilities. Even the league’s power structure could be in flux, as Manhattanville positions itself to challenge mighty RIT. Scott Biggar previews 2001-2002.
The first official practice hadn’t even started when the new Utica team got its first surprise. The ECAC West Coaches’ Preseason Poll found the Pioneers tied for fourth place, and the team hadn’t even stepped on the ice yet. “The poll was definitely surprising. We certainly anticipated being sixth,” said head coach Gary Heenan. “It’s … Read more