The government shutdown has caused the cancellation of all Air Force athletic events, including tonight’s Sacred Heart at Air Force game. Army West Point, which is currently funded under a different arrangement, is unaffected. The Black Knights play their annual exhibition tonight against Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston, Ontario. UPDATE: Atlantic Hockey has … Read more
Last week: Dan: 4-7-1 Chris: 6-5-1 On the season: Dan: 69-57-19 (.541) Chris: 78-48-19 (.603) This Week’s Picks Friday, January 19 and Saturday, January 20 Niagara at Holy Cross Chris: This should be a great battle between teams at the top of the standings – Holy Cross is tied with Canisius for first with Niagara … Read more
Three things from the weekend that was in Atlantic Hockey: Good goalies As is often the case, goaltending was the story in most of five series played this weekend. • Air Force’s Billy Christopolous allowed just one goal on 56 shots to lead The Falcons to a sweep of Rochester Institute of Technology. On Friday, … Read more
Last week: Dan: 4-4-3 Chris: 4-4-3 On the season: Dan: 65-50-18 (.556) Chris: 72-43-18 (.609) This Week’s Picks Friday, January 12 and Saturday, January 13 Bentley at Army West Point Chris: It’s that time of the season to start looking at the standings, and Bentley sits in ninth place, four points behind Army West Point, … Read more
It was AIC’s weekend against Holy Cross. The rest of us were just living in it. The Yellow Jackets earned their second weekend sweep of the season, beating the Crusaders in two predictably hard-fought games. On Friday night, AIC won at home, 2-1, in a goaltending showdown between Stefano Durante and Paul Berrafato. On Saturday, … Read more
Last week: Dan: 11-1-1 Chris: 12-0-1 On the season: Dan: 61-46-15 (.561) Chris: 68-39-15 (.619) This Week’s Picks Friday, January 5 and Saturday, January 6 Mercyhurst at Air Force Chris: These two traditional powerhouses have struggled recently, going a combined 3-7 for the month of December. I think home ice will help the Falcons right … Read more
Three things from the weekend that was in Atlantic Hockey: No threepeat It was close, but Robert Morris came up short in its bid to win its third consecutive Three Rivers Classic title. The Colonials easily handled Lake Superior State 5-0 in the semifinals, but were edged by No. 11 Providence, 2-1, in the championship … Read more
Last week: Dan: 1-1 Chris: 1-1 On the season: Dan: 50-45-14 (.522) Chris: 56-39-14 (.578) This Week’s Picks Friday, December 29 and Saturday, December 30 Holy Cross vs. Sacred Heart Chris: With the RIT at Mercyhurst series postponed due to a ridiculous amount of snow in Erie, PA, these are the only conference series on … Read more
Bouncing back If there’s a best time to pull out of a slump in college hockey, doing it right before the holiday break is right up there. Coaches will tell you any time is right to snap a losing streak, but ending the first semester on a high note certainly helps. Another great time to … Read more
Last week: Dan: 8-5 Chris: 8-5 On the season: Dan: 57-49-14 (.533) Chris: 63-43-14 (.583) This Week’s Picks Saturday, December 16 and Sunday, December 17 Mercyhurst vs. Robert Morris Chris: We just have this series to watch this weekend, and it’s a pretty good one. RMU will host on Saturday, and Mercyhurst will host on … Read more
Does everyone remember NBA Jam? It’s the old arcade game that came out in the 1990s and revolutionized sports games at the time. Each team played two guys, one of which could usually dunk out of the gym and one who could hit a three from everywhere on the basketball court. The commentary was electric; if … Read more
Last week: Dan: 6-4 Chris: 5-5 On the season: Dan: 49-44-14 (.523) Chris: 55-38-14 (.579) This Week’s Picks Friday, December 8 and Saturday, December 9 Mercyhurst at American International Chris: Mercyhust won three of four meetings last season, including a sweep in the first round of the Atlantic Hockey tournament last season. I’m tempted to … Read more
For real Since the first week of the season, Niagara has continued to be one of the biggest surprises in college hockey. After being picked to finish last by coaches and media after winning just five games last season (and six the season before last), Niagara has consistently exceeded expectations. After a weekend sweep of … Read more
Last week: Dan: 4-8-2 Chris: 5-7-2 On the season: Dan: 43-40-14 (.515) Chris: 50-33-14 (.588) This Week’s Picks Friday, December 1 and Saturday, December 2 Niagara at Air Force Chris: I could see Air Force struggling in this series – its games with Niagara are usually close regardless of records. Throw in the fact that … Read more
It seemed like each week featured some other team breaking out of its shell. Someone had the perfect weekend of hockey and banked four points while providing glimpses into a program’s identity. Everyone had their day, except, it seemed, Bentley. Until now. Bentley swept Robert Morris this weekend by playing a complete weekend of hockey. … Read more
Last week: Dan: 6-3-2 Chris: 7-2-2 On the season: Dan: 39-32-12 (.542) Chris: 45-26-12 (.614) This Week’s Picks Friday, November 24 and Saturday, November 25 Niagara at American International Chris: This looks to be an exciting series between teams on the rise, although both are coming off setbacks. Niagara lost a heartbreaker at Cornell on … Read more
Three (actually four) things from the weekend that was in Atlantic Hockey: Meeting expectations Last week, Rochester Institute of Technology coach Wayne Wilson told me what to expect from his team’s upcoming series with Air Force: “We’re not expecting to start the third period down by any more than a goal or up by any … Read more
Last week: Dan: 5-5-1 Chris: 5-5-1 On the season: Dan: 33-29-10 (.528) Chris: 38-24-10 (.597) This Week’s Picks Friday, November 17 and Saturday, November 18 Rochester Institute of Technology at Air Force Chris: I’ve done a lousy job picking RIT results so far, and this series doesn’t make it any easier. Air Force is off … Read more
In our preseason conference preview, Chris Lerch and I tabbed AIC and Niagara as two of our bottom three teams. A little over one month into the season, we’re being proven, once again, to know virtually to absolutely nothing. Such is life in Atlantic Hockey. AIC swept Sacred Heart one weekend after the Pioneers played … Read more
Last week: Dan: 5-5-2 Chris: 6-4-2 On the season: Dan: 28-24-9 (.533) Chris: 33-19-9 (.615) This Week’s Picks Friday, November 10 and Saturday, November 11 Sacred Heart at American International Chris: Both teams have shown flashes of brilliance and determination this season, and if both show up at that level, it’s going to be a … Read more