MIAC Augsburg is hoping to win a third consecutive conference tournament championship when it hits the ice Saturday for the MIAC tournament crown. Gustavus Adolphus is looking for its first title since 2012 in this showdown on the road. Both teams are here after impressive road wins in the semifinal round, the Auggies topping Saint … Read more
It’s here –- championship weekend! The final games of the season that will largely determine the field for the national tournament are upon us, and there are some intriguing stories in every matchup. In my last full weekend of picks, I rallied with a 7-3-0 (.700) record. The season total now stands at 90-47-12 (.644), … Read more
The postseason is full of surprises. Just look at the MIAC playoffs. Augsburg and Gustavus, the third and four seeds in the tournament, will play for the MIAC championship next Saturday with a berth in the NCAA tournament on the line. The Auggies aren’t necessarily a huge surprise. At one point, they were 8-0 and … Read more
There were surprises everywhere as No. 1 seeds like Oswego and Salve Regina did not advance to their conference championship games. Trinity, Utica, Norwich, and St. Anselm all moved on to host title games, while Plymouth State will need a win on Tuesday to advance and host. Some No. 2 seeds like Stevenson and Endicott … Read more
The playoffs are here for everyone now with the MASCAC and NESCAC playing their quarterfinal round this weekend, while the SUNYAC, CCC, UCHC, and NE-10 are all entering the semifinal round of their tournaments. Including Wednesday’s midweek action, I finished a dreadful 5-9-0 (.555) combined from the prior weekend. That drops the season total to … Read more
Thursday, Feb. 22 Concordia at Gustavus Adolphus The winner moves on. The loser goes home. It’s that simple. Both teams will leave it all on the floor, that is for sure. The two teams are 1-1-1 against each other this season. Zach Doerring has been phenomenal for the Cobbers, racking up 28 points, including 14 … Read more
It’s playoff madness! The regular season is now officially done for every conference with the completion of the MASCAC schedule last night that didn’t alter the seeding for their quarterfinal action this weekend. The NEHC and CCC all completed their quarterfinal rounds last weekend and have some blockbuster semifinal matchups where at least one nationally … Read more
St. Thomas is the champion of the MIAC. The Tommies swept their weekend series against Hamline to clinch the title, their sixth in seven years and 33rd overall. It wasn’t easy, however. Both games against Hamline were close, with St. Thomas winning 4-3 on Friday and 6-5 Saturday to close the season with nine wins … Read more
Wow! Really, that is all I can say as the final week of the regular season unfolded with high drama that was only surpassed by several games in the first round of the conference tournaments. There were several 1-0 games to conclude the regular season in playoff fashion and a couple of double-overtime thrillers to … Read more
Friday, Feb. 16 Augsburg at Concordia The Auggies still have a shot to finish as the No. 1 seed in the MIAC tournament, but face a stern test on the road against a Cobbers team battling for its playoff life. The Cobbers are clinging to the fifth and final spot by a point at the … Read more
For some, it is now very simple –- win or go home. For others still battling for position in the final week of the regular season, it may as well be that mindset since you don’t want to head into the conference tournament on a downward trend. I enter this week on an upward trend, … Read more
Finally, there is some clarity. I did say some clarity, as a couple of conferences are done with the regular season and playoff qualification and seeding is done. Others still have another week to battle, and the leagues are so close that a single point won or lost might make the difference in playing at … Read more
There is a new team atop the MIAC. Saint John’s completed a sweep of rival St. Thomas over the weekend to skate to the top of the conference standings. A pair of 4-1 wins did the trick for the Johnnies, who are now 15-6-2 overall and 10-4 in the conference. They hold two-point lead over … Read more
Friday, Feb. 9 No. 13 St. Thomas at Saint John’s Few rivalries in sports compare to this one, and it’s only appropriate that a lot is riding on it. The Tommies, riding the high of a seven-game win streak, come in as the top team in the conference with 28 points. Saint John’s is third … Read more
It is absolutely go-time for every team looking to play in some playoff hockey, and many coaches would argue that the playoffs have already begun in contests between teams looking to assure qualification or improve their standing in the league. Last week, my 5-4-1 (.550) picks hardly qualified me for being playoff ready, but there … Read more
The BIG game is over, and as amazing and entertaining as the Eagles’ upset win was over the Patriots, the pigskin scene has nothing on the drama across the D-III conferences in the East. Yes, some favorites like Oswego, Trinity, Norwich, and Plymouth State are in great position with just a few games remaining on … Read more
After dropping three consecutive games, St. Norbert is back on track. The Green Knights nailed down a huge 4-1 win over St. Scholastica Friday night in an NCHA showdown. Three third-period goals propelled No. 3 St. Norbert to the win and home-ice advantage for the first two rounds of the league playoffs. T.J. Black made … Read more
The final month of the season has arrived. Here’s a look at some of the big games ahead this weekend and predictions on those matchups. Friday, Feb. 2 Saint John’s at Augsburg The Johnnies are within striking distance of the first-place Auggies in the conference standings and will square off one last time in the … Read more
Happy Groundhog Day! If I must relive a week, à la Bill Murray in the famous movie, I would prefer this week’s results over last week’s as I rebounded nicely from my most miserable of weeks to finish at 7-1-2 (.800) which is looking up entering the final month of the regular season. The season … Read more
Now is the time to make your run. Play your game and make sure you are doing all the little things on the ice to be successful. Points are all-important, and teams battling for playoff position and seeding are playing like it is already the playoffs. Some conference leaders like Plymouth State and Norwich ramped … Read more