This Week in … columns; weekly columns on a league, region or gender-division
With one weekend of play left, a stroke of scheduling genius — or simple good fortune, depending on your perspective — leaves BU, BC, UNH and Maine to battle it out to settle the top four seeds in the Hockey East playoffs. Also: Northeastern stays on the radar screen, and USCHO.com’s ads take an unintentionally humorous slant. Dave Hendrickson reports.
Four leagues choose their champion this weekend, with three autobids and one or two at-large bids on the line.
Wayne State keeps Niagara’s third-place finish in waiting; Alabama-Huntsville holds on to a chance at the CHA’s regular-season title; and Jared Ross cracks the top of yet another all-time scoring list. Brian Coe reports.
The road to the ECAC West regular season title wasn’t easy; but Utica prevailed. The Pioneers host the playoffs this weekend.
The Gold Pan, symbol of the Denver-Colorado College rivalry, may be missing, but Todd D. Milewski says DU and CC have even bigger fish to fry, in the form of the MacNaughton Cup. Also: Minnesota coach Don Lucia shelves the carrot for the stick, and Minnesota-Duluth rookie Ryan Carter makes waves late.
Every game — almost — is a big one in Hockey East this weekend, with the regular-season title and home ice well up for grabs. Dave Hendrickson sorts out the details. Also: Maine sits on the fence after an up-and-down season, and Massachusetts-Lowell seizes yet another opportunity.
Coming into the final two weeks, the WCHA race is tight at both ends, Todd D. Milewski notes. Also: Marty Sertich exhibits grace under pressure for CC, Alaska-Anchorage can still pull off home ice, and Wisconsin’s power play isn’t hitting on all cylinders these days.
All three, make that four, New England leagues are in playoffs this weekend. Tim Costello previews the matchups.
The Atlantic Hockey standings are a jumble tighter than any in recent memory; Ben Nelson helps Quinnipiac rise from the ashes of seventh place; and Frank Novello etches his name into the record books. Jim Connelly reports.
An unwelcome visit translates into CCHA musings for Paula C. Weston, who looks at which teams have made the most of their opportunities this season. Also: TV coverage is kind to Ohio for a change, and there’s a Bowling Green-Space Ghost — Space Ghost? — connection.
With only two contenders remaining for the CHA regular-season crown, Brian Coe breaks down the possibilities for Bemidji State and Alabama-Huntsville. Also: Niagara’s guaranteed third-place finish has a rosy CHA tournament history, and UAH takes aim at the tourney title — and the accompanying NCAA bid.
It’s down to the semis in the SUNYAC. Here’s a preview of the weekend’s matchups.
Three of four playoff positions will be decided this weekend. Scott Biggar notes his player, rookie, and coach of the year in the ECAC West.
It’s championship weekend in the MCHA and semifinal weekend in the NCHA. Ryan Mattingly previews the matchups.
As the ECACHL hits its final regular-season weekend, Juan Martinez runs down the possibilities for every team. Also: 20 is the magic number for several squads, and the league may return to NCAA tournament prominence given top teams’ performances.
With two teams left in the race for first in the CHA, Brian Coe has this weekend’s Bemidji State vs. Alabama-Huntsville series marked on his calendar. Also: Air Force, with its confidence meter up, may be on its way out of the league.
The NCHA and MCHA are in playoff mode; here’s a look at this weekend’s matchups.
This week, Paula C. Weston’s CCHA musings go strictly by the numbers — including a look at second-place Ohio State, the finish of the four-game NMU-MTU season series, the race for sixth place in the league, and the performance of Michigan’s 10-member senior class.
Coming off a stunning weekend at Minnesota, no one is liable to want Alaska-Anchorage in the playoffs, but someone’s going to get the Seawolves regardless. Also: North Dakota welcomes back Brady Murray, and St. Cloud State head coach Craig Dahl keeps his Huskies focused. Todd D. Milewski reports.
The last regular-season meeting between RIT and Elmira was a fitting, if weird, end to the rivalry. Scott also takes a look at the playoff picture and his picks for the all-league teams.