This Week in … columns; weekly columns on a league, region or gender-division
It’s already February, which I understand seems strange to everyone (if there’s anything the pandemic has taught us, it’s that time is essentially meaningless). But it’s true. It’s February, which means there’s just one month of CCHA regular season left until the playoffs. And because it’s almost the postseason, it’s about time that we start … Read more
Where is the line between enough rest for a hockey team, and too much? Western Michigan seems to have found it, albeit in less-than-ideal circumstances. The Broncos jumped up one spot to No. 3 in the latest DCU/USCHO Division I Men’s Poll, following a home sweep last weekend against then-No. 9 North Dakota. Two Ronnie … Read more
Rochester Institute of Technology coach Wayne Wilson got some good news on Saturday, when the NCAA Division III membership passed a resolution to allow multi-divisional institutions, including RIT and Union, to offer scholarships for their men’s and women’s hockey programs. The schools had been competing in Division I without the benefit of scholarships since 2005 … Read more
If you’re looking for an example of growth from one season to another in college hockey, take a gander at Notre Dame’s stat chart. The Irish, who hope to avenge the only time they’ve been swept so far this season when Minnesota comes to town this weekend, have had a more consistent offense this season. … Read more
With the exception of Harvard and the Beanpot, it’s not often that ECAC Hockey teams get the chance to compete in a late-season multigame tournament. But that’s what Quinnipiac and Yale will take part in this weekend, when the two schools join UConn and Sacred Heart in the second annual Connecticut Ice Collegiate Hockey tournament … Read more
The 2021-22 Hockey East season has unfolded so far in ways both expected and unexpected. Expected: NCAA champion Massachusetts, picked first in the league’s preseason coaches’ poll, currently sits one point out of the top spot. Northeastern and Providence, picked fourth and fifth, respectively, have been in the top half of the standings for most … Read more
Don’t sleep on Ferris State. Following a disastrous one-win 2020-21 season and a shaky start to this one, the Bulldogs are finally finding their stride. They’ve won five of their last 10 games and, aside from a rough weekend on the road at Minnesota State in which they gave up 14 goals, have managed to … Read more
After COVID-19 conditions last season saw Denver split its players into cohorts in three different locker rooms, David Carle now feels more like a regular hockey coach. His fourth season with the Pioneers hasn’t been normal, though. Another reminder of that arrived last Wednesday afternoon, when Denver learned it wouldn’t be hosting St. Cloud State … Read more
With just over 50 percent (54.6 percent to be exact) of the Atlantic Hockey schedule in the books, and nonconference play completed (with the exception of Sacred Heart defending its Connecticut Ice title on Jan. 29-30), it’s now a sprint to the finish. How’s the race shaping up? If you aren’t a subscriber to the … Read more
The goaltender position may be in a state of flux at his former school, but Jared Moe seems to have settled in at Wisconsin. The junior goalie, who transferred from Minnesota during the offseason, has started the last eight contests for the Badgers and has backstopped the team to a 4-2-2 record in those games. … Read more
There’s been a lot of talk about the “curse” of the top-ranked team this college hockey season, but after this past weekend, I’m thinking we should amend this “curse” to something else: If you’re the No. 1 team in the country, you might not want to play Northern Michigan. The Wildcats, who beat Minnesota State … Read more
The UMass Lowell men’s hockey team could soon be the delight of frugal hockey fans everywhere. Thanks to a promotion called “pay the rank,” for a cool $12 a fan could enjoy Lowell’s thrilling 4-3 win over Maine last Saturday night, since the River Hawks were ranked No. 12 in that week’s DCU/USCHO.com poll. The … Read more
Sean Farrell and Nick Abruzzese have been at the center of Harvard’s potent offense all season. Now the Crimson teammates will get a chance to shine on a bigger stage. The duo was named the U.S. Olympic team last week and will represent the United States at the 2022 Olympic Games in Beijing, China next … Read more
There’s a saying in sports (and life): “You get what you deserve”. In hockey, that means points in the standings after a hard-fought victory, as well as a loss resulting from a disappointing effort. But there’s another saying: “Life isn’t fair.” Sometimes, you have the effort and the correct game plan, but the puck doesn’t … Read more
We’re not yet waking up to Sonny & Cher every morning, but college hockey teams might feel they’re living out “Groundhog Day” with the COVID-19 pandemic entering, to borrow an eligibility term, its junior year. St. Cloud State, ranked fifth in the latest DCU/USCHO Division I Men’s Poll, is fresh off an unexpected bye week. … Read more
It’s not exactly like an injury, but that’s how Bob Motzko wants to treat it. After opening up the second half of the season with exhibition wins over the U.S Under-18 Team and St. Thomas and a road sweep at Michigan State, Minnesota lost starting goaltender Jack LaFontaine on Sunday, not to an injury, but … Read more
Overshadowed (in this space, at least) by defending NCAA champion UMass in recent weeks, the Northeastern men’s hockey team has quietly made its case as not only the best team in Hockey East, but as a national contender to boot. Going into Tuesday night’s home game vs. independent Arizona State, the Huskies have won six … Read more
The journey is much shorter, and the crowd won’t be nearly as raucous, but Cornell hits the road looking for another successful weekend away from Lynah Rink. The Big Red swept North Dakota last weekend at Ralph Engelstad Arena, in the process becoming the first ECAC Hockey team ever to accomplish that feat. Cornell will … Read more
In the midst of one of their most dominant seasons in recent memory, the Minnesota State Mavericks last week found out they were going to be without their head coach for a fortnight in February. Under the circumstances, though, the Mavericks are just fine with this. MSU’s Mike Hastings was recently named an assistant coach … Read more
If there’s a downside of having an All-American goaltender, it’s that your other goalies might not get many chances to develop their in-game skills. That was the case last season for Army West Point, which rode Trevin Kozlowski to a second-place finish in Atlantic Hockey. The senior played 20 out of 23 games last season … Read more