This Week in … columns; weekly columns on a league, region or gender-division
I Had That Feeling of Self-Pity I can’t take this anymore. Three correct picks two weeks ago. Four last week. I picked Michigan State to sweep in the College Hockey Showcase. I picked Ohio State to be swept in North Dakota. At least I picked Michigan to split. Is it too much to ask for … Read more
Knight Time Army opened the month of November with a 1-3 record, scoring just four goals in those four games. But things began to turn around offensively for the Black Knights two weeks ago at Bentley, when Army scored eight times in a series split with the Falcons. Last weekend, hosting a Canisius team that … Read more
I know there is a lot of Thanksgiving-related material these days, but don’t be a spoil-sport if you’re Canadian: You already had your Thanksgiving. Cut us a little slack; things move slower down here. Home Work We are all blessed, at least in some small way, to be part of a league that values the … Read more
First and foremost, Happy Thanksgiving! As is the norm for this space on this date every year since 2005, it’s time to look at the teams that make up College Hockey America and make note of what each team is thankful for on this Turkey Day Eve. First off, each team needs to look in … Read more
Your Typical Thanksgiving Column It’s time once again for a Thanksgiving Tradition (does four years make a tradition?): the Atlantic Hockey version of Thanks … and No Thanks. Let’s take a look at what each team is thankful for this year … and what each team could do without. Air Force Thanks: AFA’s penalty kill … Read more
Not as deep or as long this week, due to the Thanksgiving holiday. The point spread between first and last in the league is now down to nine (13 points for first; four for last). Red Baron WCHA Players of the Week Red Baron WCHA Co-Offensive Players of the Week: Joe Colborne, DU; Jerad Stewart, … Read more
From the Penthouse to the Outhouse Boston University fans lived charmed lives last season, watching their Terriers win championship after championship, including the big enchilada in dramatic fashion. So far this year, however, those fans are paying for it. After finishing in every first place possible one season ago, the Terriers now find themselves in … Read more
Thankful? You Betcha! As Wisconsin and Minnesota will be visiting the Wolverine State this week, that opening seems entirely appropriate. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! The holiday shortens the week, which shortens the column, so it seems the perfect time to take a look back on the early going this season and express gratitude for some of … Read more
I think I’m going to start using this area as the number of points which separate first and 10 in the league given this year is going to undoubtedly be as close as last year. Right now that number is 10. League leader Colorado College has 13 points while last place Minnesota State has only … Read more
Splitsville We’ve just about reached Thanksgiving, and amazingly every single league series in Hockey East has been split. And I mean split. No team has taken four points in a two-game series. Similarly, no team has taken three points from the same team. Granted, Hockey East plays less two-game series than, say, the WCHA and … Read more
Playoff Atmosphere It’s less than one third of the way into the Atlantic Hockey season, but there’s already a playoff intensity. Last weekend saw three ties and and five one-goal games — that’s eight out of 10 games decided by a goal or less. It’s said that defense and goaltending win championships, and there was … Read more
Brave New World Until 350 BC, everyone in Western culture who thought about such things knew that Earth was flat. Until 1543, everyone in Western culture who thought about such things knew that Earth was the center of the universe, and everything orbited around it. Until 1932, everyone who was anyone knew that there could … Read more
Niagara wishes all its games could be on Wednesday night at home. After putting an “0-fer” on the board through the first six weeks of the season, the Purple Eagles finally got in the win column with a 4-1 win over RPI at home on Wednesday. “To come out and play a full 60-minute game … Read more
‘Gate Crashing Colgate University. You remember it, right? Hamilton, N.Y., … the Raiders. They used to win stuff back in the day. Bulletin: The Raiders are back, and big-time. The Maroon & Gray are 5-2-4, but more pertinently, they’re 3-0-1 in ECAC Hockey and riding the nation’s second-longest unbeaten streak (six, one behind Michigan State). … Read more
Here’s an old tried-and-true column format: the hot-and-cold list. Join me as we narrow a big-picture view of ECAC Hockey down to a few noteworthy teams, units, and players. Who’s Hot … Colgate Specifically, the offense and Charles Long. The Raiders have scored 16 goals in their last four games, and eight in each of … Read more
Sweet Sweep Canisius swept Mercyhurst last weekend, 6-4 in Erie on Friday and 4-3 in Buffalo on Saturday. It was the first time ever in the 21-year history of the rivals that the Golden Grffins had defeated the Lakers on consecutive nights. The games were the 59th and 60th played between the two schools. “Our … Read more
And the beat goes on for Bemidji State. Honestly, this is a team that’s looking like it will not only keep up with the rest of the WCHA next year, but for the time being will be a team that looks unstoppable in CHA play. The facts don’t lie. The Beavers are one of three … Read more
Old Business Last week, I registered my discontent with the issues surrounding the Oct. 30 shootout in Omaha, when Bowling Green was awarded the extra shootout point despite an ineligible player scoring the deciding shootout goal. To refresh the memories of those unfamiliar with the case, BGSU freshman Jordan Samuels-Thomas was the only one to … Read more
Though a few of the usual suspects have been hanging around the top half of the league, we’ve still got more of the same like last year, as only seven points separate first and 10th place. Red Baron WCHA Players of the Week Red Baron WCHA Co-Offensive Players of the Week: Evan Trupp, UND; Sean … Read more
Up Is Down And Down Is Up It’s enough to make you cue up Diana Ross singing “Upside Down.” (I’m not going to infringe on the copyright of songwriters Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards by adding anything more than, “inside out and round and round.” Got the tune in your head now? OK, let’s roll.) … Read more