Momentum can be a funny thing in college hockey. You get a crop of young, eager players who snare a win at long last, and you never know where it might lead. Johnson and Wales hopes it leads to bigger and better things. Who knows; the Wildcats may already be on their way. After a … Read more
Did I mention look out for the Owls? Westfield State continues to roll, improving its overall record to 6-1-0, and sits atop the MASCAC at 3-0-0. Bob Miele’s club netted 12 goals in its last two games, before being shutout by No. 8 Amherst, 6-0. Plymouth State grabbed a big victory on Monday night, defeating … Read more
Marian and Lawrence will be traveling to De Pere, Wis., this weekend to compete in the NCHA/MCHA Thanksgiving Classic. St. Norbert will be hosting, and the fourth team competing is St. Scholastica. Both NCHA teams will be joining the MCHA next season, so this should be a fun weekend for all teams involved. Milwaukee School … Read more
It is Thanksgiving week, and I am hungry for success in my predictions on games in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. I haven’t been bad up to this point. Through 27 games, I am 14-11. But I would like to stretch out that gap a little more, and so with a lighter schedule on tap … Read more
The Thanksgiving holiday comes a tough time, both for turkeys and fans of SUNYAC rivalries. Only four of the league’s nine teams will see any action at all during the long weekend, and none of those will face each other. Still, anytime teams take to the ice, there is always the possibility of something interesting … Read more
This week, I have to give kudos to the Wisconsin-Eau Claire men’s hockey team for proving me wrong. For my Nov. 16 picks, I tabbed the Blugolds to lose both games to St. Norbert. I was banking on the fact that the Green Knights rarely lose at home. Not only did Wis.-Eau Claire claim one … Read more
In the opening week, I went 3-2-2 (.571) on my picks, so hopefully we can improve with some interesting games against nontraditional opponents. Just one weekend of games in the books and the stakes get raised for many teams focused on opportunities to host hardware in some of the best four-team, weekend tournaments anywhere in … Read more
I went 6-0 last week and am now 15-2-2 (.842) for the season so far. We’ll see what happens when ECAC West schools venture back out into nonconference play this weekend. Nov. 23-24 Cortland at Neumann Neumann (3-2-0 overall) shutout Utica last weekend, and has been in every one of its games so far this … Read more
Well after really picking poorly two weeks ago, I rallied last week to go 6-0-1 (.929) for the weekend, which brings the season total to 10-4-3 (.676). Lightning can strike about anywhere, so I am looking for a little consistency in trying to match last week’s performance with some interesting post-Thanksgiving tournament action. There’s lots … Read more
The D-III landscape has felt nary an upset-induced shudder through the early weeks of the 2012-13 season. That is, until this past week. Stubbed toes — ties, losses, or both — were sustained by nine entries in USCHO’s Top 15, all of them to lesser or even unranked teams. Tops among the upended elite were … Read more
It appears that Western New England means business this season. While other programs have garnered headlines for hiring new coaches, and some others have made noise by snagging preseason accolades, the Golden Bears are letting their play do the talking. After dropping the season opener to Westfield State, 4-3, in nonconference play on Nov. 2, … Read more
I feel as if momentum is on my side as I enter the third week of making picks for men’s hockey games in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. Through two weeks, I am 10-8. The trick now is to keep momentum on my side, which is never easy in a league where any team can … Read more
I didn’t do quite as well last week, so here’s my shot at redemption. There are several crucial NCHA games on tap this weekend, starting with the Wisconsin-Eau Claire vs. St. Norbert showdown in De Pere, Wis. Can the Blugolds keep their undefeated streak going against the third-best team in the NCAA Division III? Friday-Saturday, … Read more
If it hadn’t have been for Massachusetts-Boston, I wouldn’t have picked one winner last week, as I went 1-2-2 (.400), to move to 4-4-2 on the year (.500). Let’s see if I can improve. Here are my picks for the upcoming weekend and Tuesday bonus games heading into the Thanksgiving holidays: Friday, November 16, 2012 … Read more
Well, after one week, I am 1-2 (.333) for the year. Not the most auspicious start. Let’s see if I can do any better this week. Friday, Nov. 16 Fredonia at Cortland Both teams are goal-scoring challenged, but the Red Dragons are one tally better at home. Cortland 3-2 Potsdam at Brockport High flying Bears … Read more
Finally we have all D-III leagues playing, with the NESCAC opening up the season this weekend. There are great match-ups and rivalries from the first drop of the puck on Friday night, and some interesting nonconference match-ups heading into vacation week that will be good indicators for the presence of any gaps between teams. This … Read more
My selections went 6-1-1 (.812) last week, which leaves me at 9-2-2 (.833) so far for the season. Then again, it’s a long season. Friday, Nov. 16-17 Hobart at Nazareth The Statesmen (4-0-2 overall, 1-0-1 ECAC West) are probably still a little too strong for the nascent Golden Flyers (2-5, 0-3), who have lost four … Read more
Look out for the Owls from Westfield State. Picked to finish near the bottom in the MASCAC, Bob Miele’s club is off to one of its best starts in program history with a 4-0-0 record. The Owls notched a huge 3-2 overtime victory this week over the defending MASCAC champs, Plymouth State, and look to … Read more
There are three conference series this go-round, with Milwaukee School of Engineering and Concordia getting the weekend off. Lawrence and Marian will get the play started Thursday evening with a home-and-home series. Adrian is venturing west to visit Lake Forest, while Northland is looking to get its first win at Finlandia. Last weekend, I went … Read more
For those who are fans of the hero types who vanquish the bad guys with an assortment of skill, perseverance and some cool gadgets, this past weekend saw the releases of the latest installments of two such characters who just know how to get things done and restore “world order:” The latest James Bond (“Skyfall”) … Read more