Video from the Big Chill at the Big House

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Some video from during and after the Big Chill at the Big House on Saturday: Michigan goaltender Shawn Hunwick, part 1: httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGH-GhtvR3E Hunwick, part 2: httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LI9X-TybDI Michigan coach Red Berenson, part 1: httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DgQEMi717Q Berenson, part 2: httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tsxILuPG-Y Michigan’s Carl Hagelin, part 1: httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpY_DyVLcIY Michigan State coach Rick Comley: httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vOKtPu-074 The crowd … Read more

Paula's picks: Dec. 10

Clearly, I am not someone you can take to the bank, so to speak. My picks last week: 2-5-3 Overall this season: 54-27-15 And I thought Thanksgiving week was bad. I did call MSU-FSU, ND-Miami and OSU-UM to split. Unfortunately, only the Buckeyes and Wolverines won and lost on the predicted nights. Ouch. I’m now … Read more

Weekend work-up: Dec. 6, 2010

Welcome to the CCHA, a.k.a. Splitsville. Everyone split points this weekend in the CCHA, although not everyone did so evenly. In three series, teams split wins and losses. One series produced two tied games, and another a split and a tie. When the closest thing to a sweep in a given league weekend is the … Read more

Paula's picks: Dec. 3

Before I get to anything else, I have to say how deeply saddened by the death of Dave Faiella, Northern Michigan’s sports information director. Dave died Dec. 1, reportedly from heart and kidney trouble that had struck recently. He was only 49. I’d been acquainted with Dave for over a decade, longer than his nine … Read more

15 semi-random notes

Last week’s games brought us a week of notable firsts, and they make up the bulk of this week’s list of 15 things. Michigan State’s 5-2 win over Minnesota was the Spartans’ first in 10 games. In the last nine meetings, MSU had gone 0-4-5. The win was also the first on the road for … Read more

Weekend work-up: Nov. 29, 2010

What did the Thanksgiving tournaments teach us about the CCHA? As feared, parity doesn’t mean equally good. The top three teams – three of the best in the country, arguably – took hits in semi-predictable ways. Two of the three played nonconference opponents, and that provided a good barometer of where the league stands in … Read more

Paula's picks, Nov. 26

Greetings and Happy Thanksgiving from the Peach State, y’all, home of the University of Georgia Ice Dogs and Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, both of the ACHA. Would I love D-I hockey in these here parts, where the club-level sport is so well supported. Closer to home, this is how I’m doing: Last week: 7-1-2 Overall: … Read more

Weekend work-up: Nov. 22, 2010

I had to laugh when I read USCHO’s front page after Friday night’s games. “Freaky Friday,” the headline proclaimed, because there were upsets all over the place in College Hockeyland. Except for in the CCHA. Friday was, in fact, the least freakiest night of the CCHA season, I thought, as the top teams beat the … Read more

Paula's Picks, Nov. 19

Thank goodness there were no tied games this week. Why, you ask? Because I’ve been calculating my win percentage wrong … and I knew that I had to have been doing so all season. I am surprised that no one wrote to correct me until this week. Frankly, I’m just as surprised that someone claiming … Read more

15 really small things

After Notre Dame lost to Michigan, 5-3, Saturday night, ND head coach Jeff Jackson said, “They scored three goals that must have bounced off 15 things.” That got me thinking about all the little things that make a difference — or don’t — in college hockey. Keep in mind that small is a relative term. … Read more

Paula's picks, Nov. 12

I knew last weekend’s play — and my picks — would kill me. It wasn’t as bad as I thought. Last week’s picks: 6-3-1 Season: 32-11-7 Straight wins, that’s .640 so far for the season. Factoring in ties, it’s .710 and not completely honest, as I haven’t called any. This weekend, there’s a full slate … Read more

15 things they said this week

The games of this past weekend were very interesting, in many ways. Not surprisingly, the quotes that came in the aftermath were, too. I find the distinction between expectations of winning and overlooking one’s opponent to be very interesting — and a theme common to some recent series. “We were focused and intense, but last … Read more

Weekend work-up: Nov. 8, 2010

What’s the bigger story, that Miami left Big Rapids with one point to its credit — or that the Bulldogs took five from the No. 1 team in the country? Michigan State left Kalamazoo empty-handed, or the unranked (and formerly lowly) Broncos swept a ranked (and formerly undefeated) team? Notre Dame emerges at the top … Read more

Paula's Picks, Nov. 5

No preamble, just picks. I will say this, though: I can’t believe it’s November already. Last week’s picks: 7-1-4 Season: 26-8-6 Straight wins, that’s .583. Factoring in ties (and I’d love to), it’s .750. Any way I look at it, I see a better start to the season than I’ve had in years — and, … Read more

15 quasi-random notes

This week, I noticed two players who contributed noteworthy performances in losing efforts. That got me thinking about other such performances this season. Here’s what I found. Chase Balisy, Oct. 30 vs. Notre Dame. Balisy, a freshman forward, scored the only two goals in regulation in WMU’s 2-2 tie to cap a one-point weekend for … Read more

Weekend work-up: Nov. 1, 2010

The Runaway RedHawks? There’s some chatter around the league that Miami is poised to run away with the regular-season championship again this year as the RedHawks did last season, and it sure looked that way Friday night when Miami beat Lake Superior State 6-2. That was the RedHawks’ third consecutive CCHA win to begin league … Read more

Paula's Picks, Oct. 29

It’s a quick and dirty picks blog this week. I do have to gloat one more time, however, for having picked Notre Dame to beat Boston College. Last week’s picks: 11-3-1 Season: 19-7-2 I’m lousy with the math but adding ties in as draws, I believe that’s a .750 success rate. Being honest and just … Read more