It has been a wild winter weekend for ECAC Hockey, as we saw a little bit of everything over the past few days. Here’s what went down, and what it might signify. RIP, Engineers? I’m the last person who would want to prematurely eulogize a team, but I think I have seen enough to render … Read more
A little belated jump on the picks blog for this weekend as I sit in the lobby at Connecticut’s Freitas Ice Forum. Not a good start in holiday tournament play for the ECAC as Clarkson fell 6-1 to Maine in Florida, and RPI lost 7-2 to UMass-Lowell in a game that was just as bad … Read more
It’s the Final Four… of the first half review. Sexy. Here’s three things apiece on each of the league’s current vanguards. Yale • It’s a new year and a new team, so Yale is finding new ways to win. If the dominant Elis of the past few years were something akin to a multi-headed hydra, … Read more
Still with me? Great. Now that we’re through the “road trip quartet”, we move on to the middlers of the league. It’s a tight fit on the tables again this year, so remember: the teams are arranged by current position, not predicted playoff seed or any such nonsense. St. Lawrence • This has been a … Read more
We muddle together some form of a “three things we learned” update on the blog at the conclusion of each weekend’s action, but now that we’re halfway through the season (yes, really), I figured I’d kick it up a notch (bam) and dish out triple-portions of piping perspicacity for each of ECAC Hockey’s dozen denizens. … Read more
OK, so there were only two games played this weekend. But with wins against Merrimack and Vermont, the ECAC has pulled its record against Hockey East to an even 6-6. Not bad. Union took an impressive 3-1 win on the road against Merrimack Saturday. This has to be one of the best, if not the … Read more
Here’s the abbreviated picks for this weekend, as just two ECAC teams are in action, both against Hockey East opponents. Last Week: 5-2 Overall: 11-6 St. Lawrence at Vermont The last time I saw Vermont play in person, they were in the midst of their first of two straight NCAA tournament appearances. How things have … Read more
After going over a month without a conference win, Quinnipiac will start the post-exam portion of their schedule having not lost a conference game in a month. Including a pair of non-conference wins, the Bobcats have taken nine of a possible ten points to close out the first semester. Yes, they’ve beaten the likes of … Read more
I was 6-4 in my first week of ECAC picks. Not too bad, not too great. Here’s whats up for this weekend, when most teams wrap play up before the holiday break. Sacred Heart at Quinnipiac In-state opponent and Atlantic Hockey member Sacred Heart travels to Hamden as the Bobcats are the only ECAC team in action … Read more
Signs of life? To cut to the chase, Rensselaer is still at the bottom of the league, and isn’t looking like anything close to a contender at this time. That said, the Engineers have scored a modest yet significant seven goals in their last three games: a 2-0 win at RIT, and last Friday’s 5-3 … Read more
My first ECAC weekend picks come just as Yale wrapped up a win over Brown in some Thursday night college hockey action. Brown actually led 2-0 early, but the Bulldogs ripped off three goals in the third period to go ahead for good. Brian O’Neill led the way with two scores while Andrew Miller had … Read more
..myself First, thanks to Brian Sullivan for the kind words of introduction. I’d like to take this chance to offer a more personal greeting. I’m replacing Josh Boyd, who posted his last weekend recap right below me. I’m certainly stepping in after a hectic weekend, one filled with close finishes and a controversial goal in … Read more
Okay, Hockey East, you win this round. But just watch yourself. That was the message this week from ECAC teams all over the country, as the ECAC Hockey fell one game behind the Hockey East Association in inter-conference match-ups (3-4 this weekend, 4-5 overall). This was the most active weekend of the season thus far … Read more
A quick and friendly in-the-neighborhood visit by your favorite ECAC Hockey correspondent on this spectacular four-day weekend. Fresh meat First and foremost, please welcome Nate Owen to the USCHO/ECAC family. The Nutmeg Stater takes over for the short-lived Josh Boyd, who – despite being a consummate professional – simply couldn’t figure out how to extend … Read more
Josh last week: 6-3-1 Josh overall: 35-22-11 Brian last week: 10-3-1 Brian overall: 36-18-8 Josh: Zzzzzz. Oh, wait, it’s Thursday night. Time to wake up from my turkey coma and pass on my great wisdom about the next four days worth of games for ECAC teams. Great wisdom? I must be dreaming. Michigan … Read more
Red and Blue white hot A couple of Ivies are playing with hot biscuits ahead of the holiday, as both Cornell and Yale are riding four-game winning streaks entering Tuesday’s non-conference tilts. Each squad has a reasonable expectation to extend its winning streak to five before Turkey Day, as Cornell hosts Niagara and Yale plays … Read more
Yes, I’m here, I’ve posted! Records so far: Josh: 29-19-10 Brian: 26-15-7 Princeton at Cornell Josh: It looks pretty simple right off the bat. Cornell is a multi-faceted weapon that can rack up the goals and stop you dead the other way. Teams need to learn to take the point shot away from player of … Read more
The headscratchers of the world got no relief over the Nov. 11-12 weekend as the ECAC Hockey league’s two undefeated teams from the previous weekend (Union and Dartmouth) didn’t get a single win. Instead, previously struggling St. Lawrence joined preseason favorite Yale and rising force Cornell as the big winners on the weekend. The magic … Read more
It’s time for picks again, huh? Last week, the rookie Josh fell flat (my picks were on twitter, by the way) and yielded to the guy who’s been covering this league for five years. Kudos to Brian for nailing eight out of the 11 games he picked. I finished a notch under .500, and am … Read more
In Wednesday’s column, I took a moment to celebrate Colgate head coach Don Vaughan’s landmark 300th win, which came on Friday at Brown. I also made sure to acknowledge the other active 300-win mentors of ECAC Hockey, in St. Lawrence’s Joe Marsh (469 wins), Cornell’s Mike Schafer (314); and Dartmouth’s Bob Gaudet, who won No. … Read more