This Week in … columns; weekly columns on a league, region or gender-division
David Nimmo has increased his scoring output each year he’s been with Alabama-Huntsville. This year, almost at the midway point, Nimmo is on pace to shatter his 21 points of 2005-06. But ask Nimmo about himself and he’d much rather talk about finishing his senior season on a high note with the Chargers. “We’ve been … Read more
Whether a college is on the semester or quarter academic system, everyone is receiving their grades this time of year. So perhaps it is appropriate that grades are also handed out to the teams of the ECAC West. Teams have completed between a third and a half of their schedule, so let’s see how they … Read more
Tigers Roar Picked to finish eighth in the Atlantic Hockey preseason poll, RIT is certainly exceeding expectations. The Tigers are currently tied for third in the standings on points, with the best winning percentage in the league. RIT boasts the top offense, defense and penalty kill in the conference, and is tied for first in … Read more
The Upsetters, Part 1 Who doesn’t love winning in Yost Arena? Of course, the Wolverines love their barn and they should; it’s the loudest in the league, with frenetic energy and a great deal of pride. And because Yost is such a brutal place for visitors, winning there when you’re the road team is that … Read more
Somebody get me a bottle of your finest Andre; the home teams have won! That’s right; for the first time all season, the Hosts claimed a weekend of league play with a 5-3-1 record over those upstart Visitors. Ohh, how we hate those Visitors. Colgate went 2-0-0 at Starr to lead the pack with wins … Read more
Though final exams loom for players in both leagues, the semester isn’t quite over yet and most teams, as well as myself, have one more weekend of games to focus on before being fully able to shift their attention to hitting the books. NCHA teams continue their impressive starts to the season, though the league … Read more
For many teams, this week will wind up the first part of the season as most schools are headed into exam periods and the holiday break. For some teams, the break comes at a time when they are on a roll and you would like to keep playing with momentum apparently on your side. For … Read more
The biggest thing to happen in the MIAC last weekend was St. John’s 2-1 loss to Hamline on Friday. It was the Pipers’ first win against the Johnnies since Jan. 26, 2001 when they won 2-1 in what turned out to be the last win of their season. They only had seven all year. “It … Read more
In Division II, the Southern New Hampshire Penmen have gotten off to a solid start, despite losing in the finals of the Police Athletic League “Stovepipe” Tournament by a score of 7-2 to Plymouth State. The Penmen won their first three games of the season, and have a record of 4-2. Coach Rene LeClerc is … Read more
The Thankgiving weekend saw a little bit of everything for teams from the two leagues. Four NCHA teams took part in conference play, two teams from each league hit the ice for holiday tournaments, while the rest stayed home enjoying leftovers all weekend. For the first time this season, a Western team grabs the top … Read more
The horses are at the post, and they’re off! Down the straight into the first turn and … The race called the 2006-2007 season is off and running and there are some teams who are off to a flying start coming into their second or third week of the season — if they were fortunate … Read more
Turkey Tourneys Five SUNYAC teams participated in Thanksgiving weekend tournaments, and though none of them won a championship, three did make it to the finals. The highlight, of course, was the Primelink Tournament, which Potsdam was participating in for the last time. They did not exactly go out in grand style, as they let up … Read more
Return to the Ice Just about this time last year in Utica, Jared Allison was forced to hang up his skates for good due to a back injury. In only the first eight games that year, Allison notched four goals and two assists and was near the top of the Pioneers team statistically. The heart … Read more
Go-To Guys Sacred Heart’s Pierre-Luc O’Brien and Air Force’s Eric Ehn came into this season expected to be near the top of the league in scoring. Last season, O’Brien had 50 points, good for fourth in Atlantic Hockey, while Ehn had 35 points, sixth best in College Hockey America. So far, neither has disappointed. Ehn … Read more
Defending the Realm? It’s really a good news-bad news kind of week for the CCHA. The good news is that … well … wait a minute … I know it’s here somewhere. Perhaps it’s my inherently perky nature that forced that lie from my fingertips. There is no good news. Last weekend had to be … Read more
Don’t let the numbers fool you. If there was a stat for heartbreaking losses, missed chances and shots off the post and cross bar, it’s a pretty safe bet Wayne State would be at the top of the charts. But there is no such stat kept in college hockey and the Warriors are at the … Read more
Off the Top of My Head • It’s a great time to be a fan of the WCHA. The league currently boasts three of the nation’s top five unbeaten streaks thanks to Minnesota (14), Denver (7) and St. Cloud State (7). • Speaking of which, how goofy is the College Hockey Showcase? Michigan and Michigan … Read more
Down in the valley, the valley so low… This week’s featured teams have recently hit the skids after enjoying exceptionally hot stretches, collectively going winless in their last 10 games after a stretch of 22 contests with only a single loss. That’s not to kick teams when they’re down. Longtime readers know that this column … Read more
For anyone who’s read any of my past columns, you know what’s leading off. That’s right, it’s time for my weekly rant about the crazy road wins in the ECACHL this year. Only four teams in action this weekend, but once again, home-ice advantage proved meaningless in a 1-1-2 weekend where Princeton and Quinnipiac visited … Read more
Happy Thanksgiving! The holidays are fast approaching, the malls (and bandwidth) are clogging up, yet hockey rolls on. Be thankful for that. College Hockey America should certainly look at itself from the outside in and realize this five-team conference has much to be grateful for during this special time of the year. First off, to … Read more