This Week in … columns; weekly columns on a league, region or gender-division
With No. 2 St. Norbert’s vice-grip lock on the top spot, the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association may be mistakenly viewed as a one-horse race. The ongoing battles for the second through seventh spots continues to make for compelling viewing. The campaign’s roller-coaster ride is perhaps best illustrated by the fact that all seven NCHA teams … Read more
Nine ECAC West Titles. Four National Championships. 11 Frozen Fours. 33 All-Americans. Those are just some of the numbers that the Elmira and Plattsburgh women’s hockey programs have accumulated over the past nine seasons. The two programs have developed a fierce rivalry since they both began NCAA Division III play during the 2001-2002 season. Elmira … Read more
It wasn’t exactly freshman orientation, not the sort that all newcomers to Northeastern University undergo, anyway. It was more of a reorientation for NU coach Dave Flint. After all, a season away to help guide Team USA at the Vancouver Olympics did net Flint a silver medal, but it also left him feeling a little … Read more
Some quick thoughts that jump out at the midway point of the SUNYAC season: – Geneseo and especially Buffalo State recovered very well from their NCAA sanctions last year. – Oswego recovered very nicely from losing some key players last year. – Morrisville is doing well, but slightly better than some expected. – Plattsburgh is … Read more
The last time Utica defeated Manhattanville in league play was February 2, 2008. The Valiants have won seven straight since then but the streak was broken last Friday in a game dominated by special teams. The Pioneers won 5-3 by scoring three power-play goals, a four-on-four goal, and an empty-netter at the end. “It’s been … Read more
With the first semester rapidly coming to a close, college freshman are beginning to get a taste of the torturous process known as finals week. However, for a young Wentworth Institute of Technology hockey team, the first test has already come and gone. The Leopards started the year 1-3-1, but have since rattled off a … Read more
I started writing this week’s column with the following: Last week we talked about two teams that have been exceeding preseason expectations. This week, let’s sit down and discuss a team that hasn’t been doing quite as well as we all thought it would be, but perhaps we should have known better — the Bemidji … Read more
We’re near the midway point of the Atlantic Hockey season, and, with some minor surprises, the standings are shaping up close to the way the coaches expected in their preseason poll. Coaches thought the western scheduling “pod” would be best, picking all six teams above those in the eastern pod. While the standings are close, … Read more
This is the final column before the winter exam break for most Hockey East teams, so it’s time I roll out my mid-season report cards. And before you leave 100 comments below telling me this isn’t the middle of the season yet, trust me, I’m aware. But with every team taking at least one weekend … Read more
Haven’t felt like this, my dear, since I can’t remember when; it’s been a long, long time. Yale, and ECAC Hockey, are No. 1 once more. It’s been seven and a half years since the conference last boasted the nation’s top-ranked team, and it’s been an uphill struggle for respect for a lot longer than … Read more
As Christmas approaches and everything in the northern part of the country looks so much like it used to this time of year when I was a kid, when white Christmases and icy weather from November through March were routine, I’m also reminded of the dangers of looking at the past through misleading rosy glasses. … Read more
She was grafted by the marriage of her brother into North Dakota hockey royalty. Even so, there were still a few family secrets that Madison Kolls was not yet privy to. Such as the traditional games of shinny fought out by the six hockey-playing Lamoureux siblings out on the frozen pit behind the house in … Read more
On Friday night the No. 2 Plattsburgh State Cardinals make their first ever trip to Northfield, Vt. and Kreitzberg Arena to take on the team that ended their season so abruptly last March in the Norwich Cadets. Plattsburgh (5-0-0, 4-0-0 ECAC West) fell victim to the heroics of Norwich senior captain Sophie Leclerc, who scored … Read more
A pivotal battle for first place in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference features familiar foes who have a habit of crashing each other’s party. This weekend, No. 6 Gustavus Adolphus faces first-place St. Thomas, a team that upset Gustavus in last season’s MIAC championship game, only to see the Gusties beat the Tommies in the … Read more
Quick, name the three hottest teams in Division III hockey right now. Okay, Oswego and St. Norbert were the easy picks. How about the third … waiting … waiting … waiting … Give up? It’s Buffalo State. Oswego has a nine-game winning streak this year; St. Norbert has won their last eight. The Bengals, after … Read more
Whether looking at accomplishment or futility involving an athlete or a team, it’s become an all too common practice to compare the longevity since that event’s occurrence to a public figure or cultural reference. The Cleveland Indians haven’t won a World Series since a movie ticket cost sixty cents. Mark Recchi scored his first NHL … Read more
Most teams have played the first third of their season already and certain things are now becoming very clear. First is that the teams in the ECAC West are very evenly matched from top to bottom. So little separates the skill of the players and the preparation of the coaching staffs that the old proverb … Read more
One year ago this week, the Miami RedHawks were sitting atop the CCHA standings, two points ahead of second-place Michigan State, three ahead of third-place Alaska. What difference does a year make? Very little, unless you’re looking at second and third place. Entering December 2009 and with 10 league games to their credit, the RedHawks … Read more
After witnessing a couple of extraordinary hits last weekend — some impressive, some revolting — I conducted a straw poll to assemble a short list of the league’s most recognizably physical players. The specific question I posed was: Who are the most fearsome hitters/physical players in the league? To which I received the following nominees … Read more
For a good stretch this year, the Massachusetts Minutemen came close but got no cigar. They opened the season at Minnesota, where they lost two one-goal (plus an empty-netter) games. They continued with home-and-home series against first Boston University and then Providence with the same result: another one-goal loss and a tie. After a bad … Read more