This morning, the NCAA announced the eight-team field for the 2012 NCAA Division III Tournament, and I can honestly say I’m a little surprised with the outcome. The five automatic qualifiers into the tournament were defending national champion Norwich (ECAC East), 2011 runner-up RIT (ECAC West), Gustavus Adolphus (MIAC), Wisconsin-River Falls (NCHA), and Middlebury (NESCAC). … Read more
Over the next three days, we will crown five league champions and start to put the first pieces of the puzzle together on who will be competing for the 2012 NCAA Division III championship. On Monday, we’ll find out who the final three teams are that secured the at-large bids when the NCAA holds its … Read more
For the second straight year the Elmira College Soaring Eagles have been ousted in the ECAC West Play-In round. Last year Utica knocked off EC 2-1 and this year it was Potsdam that downed the Soaring Eagles by the same score. Last year Marissa Hotaling stopped 52 shots to lead Utica to the upset win … Read more
The playoffs are officially upon us for four out the five conferences. Every league outside of the NCHA has a one and done format. However, the NCHA plays a unique two-game series format that is a race to three points. You get two points for a win and one for a tie. If two teams … Read more
Every conference but the MIAC wrapped up its respective regular season schedules this past weekend. RIT (ECAC West), Norwich (ECAC East), Wis.-River Falls (NCHA) and Middlebury (NESCAC) reigned surpeme as the conference regular season champions for the second straight season. Gustavus Adolphus has already clinched the MIAC as well giving us the same exact five … Read more
The ECAC West power struggle has taken more twists and turns this year than Patrick Kane dangling through a crowd of goons. First, Plattsburgh started behind the eight ball with an early-season tie to Neumann, then RIT was in the position of playing catch up after Plattsburgh took three of four points at home against … Read more
The focal point of D-III women’s hockey this weekend will be the home-and-home series between RIT and Elmira. RIT hosts round one tonight at the Frank Ritter Memorial Arena, while Elmira hosts tomorrow at the Murray Athletic Center in Pine Valley. N.Y. Elmira comes into the series needing just one win to put itself in … Read more
Last Tuesday, we lost our lone remaining unbeatean team in Division III women’s hockey, as the Gustavus Adolphus Gusties fell, 5-1, to Wisconsin-Superior. That started a string of surprising results out west this week, as Superior went and tied Marian 3-3 in its very next game. Gustavus also struggled in its next two games, but … Read more
Weekend picks are back this week after a far too long absence! Although there are no games between two top-10 ranked teams this weekend, there are some interesting matchups that should lead to some good games and some tough games to predict. Friday, Feb. 2nd – Salve Regina/UMass-Boston Here’s an interesting game between two ECAC … Read more
Another week down, and based on the results, the point continues to be hammered down that the difference between the top eight or nine teams this year in D-III women’s hockey is only the slimmest of margins. On Tuesday, No. 7 Amherst handed top-ranked Norwich its first loss since Oct. 29 with a 2-0 shutout over the defending … Read more
RIT held another overwhelmingly successful charity weekend on Friday and Saturday night against Buffalo State at the Frank Ritter Memorial Arena. After holding the “Tigers Black Out Heart Disease” weekend against Plattsburgh, which included a sellout crowd of 2100 the first night, the Tigers held a “Salute the Troops” and a tribute to the US … Read more
Just when you think you’re about to figure it all out, this past weekend happens. Plattsburgh looked like it might be a step behind the perennial powers this season and then the Cardinals go and take three points from previously unbeaten and top-ranked RIT. That’s the beauty of college sports though and that’s why we … Read more
January and February have become common months for college hockey squads to hold benefit games and once again this year two perennial powers will be holding awareness nights. For the fourth straight year Norwich will be holding a pink night at Krietzberg Arena. The Cadets will done special edition pink jerseys that were purchased last … Read more
RIT: 6 Adrian: 2 RIT too tough for Adrian in rematch of last year’s NCAA Quarterfinals. Elmira: 4 Manhattanville: 1 Lots of history between these two schools including back-to-back appearances against each other in the 2002 and 2003 national championship games with Elmira taking both. EC keeps rolling in this one. Gustavus Adolphus: 5 Stevens Point: … Read more
Two Division III teams were in action this past weekend in South Burlington, Vt. to kick off 2012 at the St. Michael’s Holiday Classic. Division I Sacred Heart stole the tournament title however with a 5-2 win over Nichols and then a 3-1 victory over the host Purple Knights. Colby split the weekend with a 3-1 … Read more
The first half of the 2011-12 Division III women’s hockey season officially comes to a close tomorrow night when Wis.-Superior travels to Gustavus Adolphus and wraps up an interesting last seven days that featured plenty of top 10 teams in action in tough games. RIT wrapped up a perfect first half with two one-goal road wins … Read more
Two top-10 teams had slip ups in the road this past weekend with Wis.-River Falls falling for the first time this year with a loss to Wis.-Superior and Norwich tying Salve Regina 1-1 for the second straight year. Wis.-River Falls got the monkey off its back a lot earlier this season after the Falcons finished … Read more
Now that all the dust has settled from this past weekend’s four colossal matchups at the Cardinal-Panther Classic, what have we learned? Well truthfully…not all that much. While these early season tournaments like the East/West Hockey Classic and the Panther-Cardinal Classic are important games, it’s tough to completely predict who is necessarily better than who … Read more
This past weekend marked the first time that all 49 Division III women’s hockey teams had played a game in the 2011-12 season, with the NESCAC schools finally getting underway. Middlebury and Amherst both held serve with two sweeps, and Bowdoin had a tough loss at Plattsburgh State. We are now on to Thanksgiving week, … Read more
This past weekend didn’t really feature any marquee matchups across the country. There were no top 10 matchups and every single one of the top 10 teams in the latest USCHO.com Poll rolled to victories. Since it was a rather predictable weekend, let’s take a look at the early returns on conference races. ECAC East: Defending … Read more