Ouch – I didn’t pick the right favorites, nor any upsets. The picks last week were not playoff-worthy, as I finished at 6-6-0 (.500) which brings the season total to 79-40-9 (.652). It is down to the final games for me to shine. Here are the picks for Tuesday and Wednesday semifinals in the CCC … Read more
The biggest weekend for D-II/III playoff hockey did not disappoint, with great action across all of the conferences. While many favorites advanced, there were several upsets that ousted defending champions or serious contenders for conference titles. All of that, and yes, there was a champion crowned on Saturday as well, and it took some bonus … Read more
Championship weekend is set in the west region. St. Thomas and Augsburg will square off in the MIAC final, while Wisconsin-Stevens Point and Wisconsin-Eau Claire will battle for the WIAC crown. Augsburg is back in the championship game of the conference tournament for a second consecutive season, but getting to the final was anything but … Read more
Wednesday’s playoff games saw home teams go 3-1-0, setting up a full slate of games for Saturday, including one championship game in the NE-10. The picks this week including the two make-up games picked previously. I finished at 5-1-0 (.833), which brings the season total to 78-35-9 (.676). Not much time left and after Saturday, … Read more
It’s playoff time in NCAA Division III hockey. Here is a look at the matchups this coming weekend. Friday-Saturday, Feb. 24-25 Wisconsin-Superior at Wisconsin-Stevens Point The Pointers are determined to repeat as conference tourney champions and should have no problem taking the next step toward that goal. With 107 goals, their offense is the best … Read more
Wednesday, Feb. 22 Brockport at No. 10 Geneseo The Knights were on the wrong side of the tiebreaker that gave a bye to Plattsburgh and forces a first-round game at home against Brockport. Both regular season games went to Geneseo by 6-2 and 5-2 scores. This one will be closer, but the outcome is the … Read more
St. Thomas is the champion of the MIAC after blanking St. Olaf, 6-0, Saturday in the final game of the regular season. The Tommies went into the day tied with Augsburg atop the standings, but the Auggies lost 4-2 to Saint John’s Saturday. The Tommies clinch their fifth title in the last six year, finishing … Read more
The final weekend for most conferences provided yet again more excitement and drama as SUNYAC and NESCAC finalized their playoff positions, while the ECAC West, CCC, and MASCAC will play some early-week hockey to make up games postponed by winter weather and other causes. The games this past week created the final scenarios for teams … Read more
Friday-Saturday, Feb. 17-18 Augsburg (14-3-6, 8-1-5) vs. Saint John’s (11-9-3, 6-6-2) (home-and-home) Augsburg is looking to secure at least a share of the MIAC title when it battles the Johnnies this weekend. The Auggies are unbeaten in the month of February and haven’t lost a game since Jan. 14. The Auggies have the most dangerous … Read more
With Mother Nature providing a blizzard that postponed Thursday night’s action, it is a good thing I added a few more games to try and move my success rate higher on the penultimate weekend of the regular season. I will count the three postponed games when played so my record is complete. The theory clearly … Read more
It was an interesting weekend of action, with Wisconsin-Stevens Point clinching the WIAC championship. The Pointers did it by rolling to a 4-1 win over Wisconsin-Eau Claire in a pivotal showdown that closed out the regular season for both teams. Lawrence Cornellier scored his 19th goal of the year in the win. He also dished … Read more
The stretch run in every conference has been right down to the wire as teams are bunched tightly in the standings and literally every point is a significant one. In many conferences, just a couple of points separate the top four or five teams, so taking care of business and possibly at the same time … Read more
As the season winds down, the matchups become more important. St. Thomas and Augsburg square off in a crucial MIAC series while WIAC play wraps up this weekend and features a showdown between Wisconsin-Stevens Point and Wisconsin-Eau Claire. St. Scholastica is on the road for a key series with St. Norbert and Concordia is playing … Read more
As Sunday’s Super Bowl showed clearly, it’s not how you start the game, it’s how you finish that ultimately matters. While Thursday’s and Friday’s picks saw me pick correctly at 4-0-1, Saturday’s 0-3-0 day dropped me to 4-3-1 (.563), which brings the season total to 58-29-9 (.651). Time is running out, so I will add … Read more
St. Thomas stayed in first place in the MIAC, despite splitting a series with Concordia (Minn.). The Tommies lost 5-4 in overtime Friday, but bounced back with a dominating 5-0 win Saturday. St. Thomas scored four times in the final period to secure the win, including one by Johnny Panvica, who ended his night with … Read more
For many teams, these final weeks of the regular season are already feeling like playoff hockey. Some leagues are already decided at least for the top spot, while others, like the NESCAC, are going to be a clear battle right to the very end in determining playoff position and the top seed. Just two weeks … Read more
February has arrived and the conference races continue to heat up. St. Thomas will try to maintain its hold on first place in the MIAC and Wisconsin-Stevens Point faces two WIAC tests this weekend. Concordia looks to keep its momentum rolling in the NCHA and St. Norbert will try to bounce back. Friday, Feb. 3 … Read more
The sky is not falling, even for those teams, like me, that may not have had the best of weekends and lost a bit of momentum heading into the February stretch run. Redemption is as close as the next game away and there is still time to get on a streak and build confidence for … Read more
Concordia (Wis.) pulled off the biggest wins of the weekend, sweeping national powerhouse St. Norbert in a crucial NCHA weekend series. The Falcons topped the top-ranked Green Knights 4-2 Friday and then earned a stunning 3-0 victory Saturday to complete the sweep. Nick Malvin recorded the shutout in goal on Saturday while Connor Hogg scored … Read more
Holding down the fort. Keeping the puck out of your own net. Taking care of the defensive end. There are all coaching clichés heard every weekend of the season. However, at this time of the season, the need to take care of the puck and be smart in the defensive end is even more important … Read more