This Week in … columns; weekly columns on a league, region or gender-division
There are positive signs a plenty in Storrs, Conn. In their third season in the league, the Connecticut Huskies are poised to have their best season since joining Hockey East. Following back-to-back shutout victories at home over Alabama-Huntsville to open the season, UConn earned two road ties last weekend at Colgate and RIT. The second … Read more
Getting through the first three games of the season with a 1-0-2 record may not exactly qualify as setting the world on fire but comparatively speaking, Ohio State is off to a great start. Considering the Buckeyes lost their first seven games last season, started 1-4 the season before that and dropped their first three … Read more
What’s new in the world of Atlantic Hockey? We’ve got you covered… A little biased Recently, there’s been a national conversation on “media bias” — whether it exists and how it can affect the political landscape. I’m here to tell you that when it comes to college hockey, media bias definitely exists, and I’m exhibit … Read more
The groaning started in many arenas by 7:30 p.m. local time, and grew into a firestorm of frustration soon after. A monsoon of penalties was turning five-on-five play into an endangered species. “This is awful!” “Let ’em play!” “Put away the whistles!” Have patience, folks. There’s a method to the madness. The next month or … Read more
When Northern Michigan coach Walt Kyle thinks about the WCHA, he thinks about quality goaltenders. “I think everyone has a guy that is a real go-to guy, really we have six or seven that could be first-team all-league in any league,” Kyle said. “I really think whichever guys stays healthy and consistent will really be … Read more
Checking in with the latest from the NCHC: Minnesota-Duluth’s tough opening Last weekend, No. 6 Minnesota-Duluth traveled to Lowell to play No. 8 Massachusetts-Lowell. It’s part of a tough schedule that sees the Bulldogs start their season with five consecutive weekends against ranked teams, four of whom are currently in the top 10. “I enjoy … Read more
When the Union Dutchwomen left the ice on Saturday afternoon, it was as winners for the first time since December 12, 2014. The first win in 56 games was a big moment for the players and the program, but new coach Josh Sciba has never highlighted “win games” as a goal for the team or … Read more
It was a good opening week for Big Ten Hockey. It could have been better. Minnesota swept, Ohio State won and tied, and three other teams split their series in the first weekend of Division I play, giving the Big Ten a 6-3-1 first-weekend, nonconference record and the highest win percentage (.650) in nonconference play … Read more
Every coach always spends time evaluating. There’s evaluating in-game performances, practice situations, and case studies. They have to look at who plays in what situations with who, against who, and who can follow who. There’s no scientific formula to a judgment, but there’s reasonable expectations for how their decisions impact how a team plays. That’s … Read more
Moving from Boston to Duluth, Minnesota, to take over a storied women’s hockey program that had gone through some turmoil was a daunting task for Maura Crowell. The former associate head coach at Harvard is just the second head coach in Bulldogs women’s hockey history, taking the reins after the university did not renew the … Read more
Just three games remain in the Division III men’s season – the NCAA tournament semifinals and finals, both this weekend in Lake Placid, N.Y. Geneseo, Massachusetts-Boston, St. Norbert and Wisconsin-Stevens Point remain in the hunt and our columnists preview each team on the eve of the semifinals Friday. Geneseo, with 23, has a good reason … Read more
Michigan Tech, Minnesota State, Bowling Green and Ferris State make up the league’s final four teams for the second straight year.
Providence and UMass-Lowell meet again at the TD Garden, while Boston College plays red-hot Northeastern.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day to all and especially to the eight D-III teams looking for a “little extra puck luck of the Irish” to help advance them to next weekend’s Frozen Four and the final weekend of play to determine the national champion. There are four great games on tap this weekend. Here are the … Read more
The league’s top four teams advanced to the championship weekend via sweeps.
The Wolverines thumped Penn State twice last weekend and are the second seed in the Big Ten tournament.
The goaltender missed more than two months with a lower-body injury but returned to help the Tigers sweep Mercyhurst.
Goaltender Charles Grant backstopped the Big Green’s road sweep of Yale in the quarterfinals. Next up: a semifinal game against top seed Quinnipiac.
The Minutemen fired coach John Micheletto after a fourth straight losing season, and a turnaround will take a special coach and considerable support from the school.
Four teams from the West region are in the NCAA tournament, including top-ranked Adrian, which opens the postseason March 19 in a showdown against two-time national runner-up Wisconsin-Stevens Point. St. Norbert takes on MIAC champion Augsburg in a quarterfinal game March 19 as well. Stevens Point (21-5-2) vs. Adrian (24-3-1) The Pointers are in the … Read more