This Week in … columns; weekly columns on a league, region or gender-division
With only two conference matchups remaining in the 1998 calendar year, the Western Collegiate Hockey Association still features the two top teams in the latest U.S. College Hockey Online Division I Poll. The Fighting Sioux of North Dakota claimed all 30 first-place votes after sweeping Denver on the road last weekend. Despite only splitting at … Read more
With just a couple of shopping weeks left until Christmas, perhaps the smart CCHA shopper should be considering what to give to his or her favorite team. After consulting statistics, game performances, and Santa’s little helpers, the CCHA Gift-Giving Committee has come up with these helpful suggestions. The No. 4 Michigan Wolverines sit atop the … Read more
With the recent weather in the Northeast, one would think that March, the playoffs and Lake Placid were just around the corner. They’re not — there are still a few months to go, and with the first part of the hectic schedule in the books, we can report on highs and lows. The young season’s … Read more
So you want to go to the New Hampshire vs. UMass-Amherst games this weekend? Good idea, since the Wildcats are one of the top teams in the country and the Minutemen have been a very pleasant surprise to date. When are the games? Well, you go to the USCHO schedules first, of course, but until … Read more
As the Western Collegiate Hockey Association schedule enters December, teams start to look at their positioning in the conference — and what they can do about it before the end of the year. With only a couple weeks of play before teams break the conference schedule for the holidays, the WCHA standings are shaking out … Read more
After watching the Governor’s Cup this past weekend, I’ve decided to institute the Hendrickson Forget-The-Box-Scores Player of the Week Award to be given to the player whose contributions other than goals and assists I found particularly impressive. Unfortunately, not everyone will have an equal chance at this award. After seeing all the teams at least … Read more
CCHA fans, you have spoken–and I have heard. Ever since taking a puck to the head, my predictions have been terrible. I admit it. Now, I’m not saying there is any kind of cause-and-effect going on here, but the timing is interesting, n’est-ce pas? So, I’ve decided to seek professional help. I’ve consulted a Web … Read more
This is it — the final set of ECAC league games until the new year is upon us. There are eight games on tap for this coming weekend, and all may shake the standings heading into exams and the holidays. Last weekend there were only two ECAC matchups on the slate. Harvard got its first … Read more
The email came first in a trickle, then in waves. “What do you have against UConn?” demanded angry Huskies fans. “Why do you keep picking them to lose?” Several pointed out that I had picked UConn to be swept three weekends in a row. And for the record, the stretch in which I predicted UConn … Read more
It’s that holiday time of the season once again. Colgate will enter it with the lead in the ECAC as the only undefeated and untied team in the league at 4-0-0. Princeton is also undefeated, but its record is 3-0-1. It’s way too early to judge the standings, so let’s just wait until sometime in … Read more
The good name of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association is on the line this weekend as Minnesota and Wisconsin square off with Big Ten rivals Michigan and Michigan State in the College Hockey Showcase. Make a note of this, ladies and gentlemen: For once, Minnesota and Wisconsin and Michigan and Michigan State will not be … Read more
In late-breaking news, Hockey East Commissioner Joe Bertagna has outlawed midweek nonconference games after the league went 0-for-3 against the ECAC on Tuesday. And not that anybody really cares, but should it be the Governor’s Cup or Governors’ Cup? Singular or plural? It is, after all, a competition between four state universities. There are, therefore, … Read more
It’s the most wonderful time of the year. As chestnuts roast, turkeys baste, and everyone avoids Aunt Almira’s Jello mold, it’s time to take a look around to ponder blessings and be thankful for what we all have. The laughter of children, the warmth of a smile, that special glow you get whe– Oh, forget … Read more
Have the first few weeks of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association schedule just been a little bit of a tease? Some big matchups, but always pointing to this weekend in November when No. 1 North Dakota faces No. 3 Colorado College in a struggle for control of the conference? If so, it sure was worth … Read more
The human skull can be shattered by an impact at 7-10 kilometers per hour. When stationary, however, it can apparently survive blows from faster-moving objects with such little consequence as a bump, loss of blood, and a couple of staples to the scalp. It’s estimated that head injuries occur with the frequency of 610 per … Read more
After three weekends of Metro Atlantic play, it’s clear there are two major surprises in the conference. The first is Canisius, predicted to finish second in the MAAC preseason poll. Despite the hype, the Ice Griffins are on an 0-7-1 skid and find themselves in sixth place. The second is Iona. The freshman-laden Gaels, a … Read more
Maybe there is something about that Friday the 13th hooey after all. Check out how the USCHO Top 10 fared that night. Playing 10 unranked opponents, the group won only four games. And the Hockey East contingent — Boston College, Maine and New Hampshire — didn’t manage a single victory. Unlike BC and UNH, Maine … Read more
College hockey is at its best when it comes down to rivalries. And the Western Collegiate Hockey Association features two such matchups this weekend as the top-ranked team in the country, North Dakota, travels to Minneapolis to face the Gophers and No. 3 Colorado College plays a home-and-home series with Denver. What makes these rivalries … Read more
Well, the MAAC made headlines last weekend, but probably not the type the conference’s head honchos envisioned when this venture was founded. Saturday’s tilt between Quinnipiac and Fairfield was suspended after the second period when 14 players were sent to Bridgeport Hospital complaining of dizziness and nausea. The culprit? Carbon monoxide from the Zamboni at … Read more
On the bright side, Maine and Merrimack had great weekends, sweeping series with other Hockey East foes. On the sobering side, Black Bear alum Jeff Libby sustained a terrible eye injury in a recent Lowell Lock Monsters (AHL) game. Our thoughts are certainly with him. Hockey East Player of the Month: Mike Mottau (D, Boston … Read more