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NCHC picks: March 6-7

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It’s hard to believe we are at the end point of the NCHC’s seventh season. I’ve covered the league with Matthew every year since it’s inception, and I love doing so. Last week, Matthew and I went 6-2 (.750). On the year, I am now 90-55-22 (.604), while Matthew is 85-60-22 (.574). Amazingly, I’ve won … Read more

D-I men’s hockey playoff preview, including Canisius at Bentley with Falcons’ Ryan Soderquist: Game of the Week college hockey podcast Season 2 Episode 22

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No. 8 UMass home-and-home vs. No. 14 UMass Lowell preview with Minutemen head coach Greg Carvel: Game of the Week college hockey podcast Season 2 Episode 20

Our first Game of the Week this season between two Atlantic Hockey teams features a first-round match up sending Canisius to Bentley for a best-of-three series. Falcons head coach Ryan Soderquist joins hosts Jim Connelly and Ed Trefzger for a preview.

We also look at every other playoff matchup in D-I men’s hockey, taking note of Wisconsin at No. 11 Ohio State – especially after the Badgers took five of six points from the Buckeyes last weekend – in the Big Ten and which series may lead to an upset in ECAC Hockey. Plus No. 3 Minnesota State and No. 10 Bemidji State and their home series in the WCHA vs. Alaska Anchorage and Lake Superior State respectively, as well as Michigan Tech and Northern Michigan and Bowling Green at Alaska.

Meanwhile, it’s still the regular season in two conferences. St. Cloud State, No. 6 Denver, and No. 17 Western Michigan all look to sew up home ice in the NCHC, though it’s a tall order for the Huskies at No. 5 Minnesota Duluth. And in Hockey East, Boston University, Providence, Northeastern, and New Hampshire are four teams trying to find one of three chairs when the music stops playing.

This episode is sponsored by the 2020 NCAA Frozen Four, April 9 and 11 in Detroit. Visit ncaa.com/frozenfour for tickets.

Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes, in your favorite podcast app, or on Spreaker.

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Hockey East picks: Mar. 5-7

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The final weekend of the regular season with plenty of positioning on the line. My positioning against Dave? Well, it’s improved (how about calling one of those UVM wins last week!?), but time is so short a comeback seems highly unlikely. Jim last week: 6-2-1 Dave last week: 4-4-1 Jim to date: 122-81-26 Dave to … Read more

This Week in Big Ten Hockey: Playoffs set to kick off as all teams hope ‘good things are going to happen’ during postseason

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The semifinals will be single games March 13-14, with Penn State hosting the lowest seed to emerge from this weekend and the highest surviving seed hosting the other winner from the first round. The championship will be played on the home ice of the highest seed to advance from the semifinal round, March 20 or March 21 (photo: Jim Rosvold/University of Minnesota).

This Week in Hockey East: New Hampshire needs execution ‘where it needs to be’ if conference playoffs in the cards

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New Hampshire is not too far removed from a 7-3-1 stretch that took the Wildcats from a club with no postseason hopes up to a spot where earning home ice seemed realistic. But back-to-back losses to Boston University followed by a series a week ago against UMass Lowell where the Wildcats probably played well enough to take more than the single point that they did, and suddenly, it is the midnight hour for this UNH team (photo: Rich Gagnon).

Cornell’s Mike Schafer talks Big Red and ECAC Hockey: USCHO Spotlight college hockey podcast season 2 episode 22

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A conversation with incoming Hockey East commissioner Steve Metcalf: USCHO Spotlight college hockey podcast season 2 episode 20

Cornell completed its regular season with just two losses and won ECAC Hockey’s Cleary Cup for the regular season championship. Big Red head coach Mike Schafer joins hosts Jim Connelly and Ed Trefzger to look at this year’s season, the preparation for upcoming playoffs, historic Lynah Rink and Cornell’s great fan support, ECAC Hockey, the Ivy League, and his service on the NCAA men’s D-I Ice Hockey committee.

This episode of USCHO Spotlight is sponsored by the 2020 NCAA Frozen Four, April 9 and 11 in Detroit. Visit ncaa.com/frozenfour for tickets.

Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes, in your favorite podcast app, or on Spreaker.

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Hockey East, NCHC still have things to decide; other conference playoffs set: Weekend Review college hockey podcast Season 2 Episode 21

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Hockey East selects Metcalf, conference races stay hot, PairWise odds: Weekend Review college hockey podcast Season 2 Episode 19

Playoff fields are set in four conferences after last weekend, while two conferences still have a final week left in their regular season. Hosts Jim Connelly and Ed Trefzger look at the results of February 27-29, 2020.

In Hockey East, Boston College has clinched the regular season and UMass has locked up home ice, but four teams are still battling for the last three playoff spots.

In the NCHC, North Dakota has won a share of the regular-season Penrose Cup, but Minnesota Duluth could share that title, while St. Cloud still has a shot at home ice.

Cornell’s highly-anticipated Saturday contest with Clarkson was a bit anticlimactic after the Golden Knights’ tie with Colgate on Friday clinched the Cleary Cup for the Big Red, but the surprise team in ECAC Hockey is Rensselaer, which earned a first-round playoff bye.

With its season completed last week, Penn State had to await the results of the weekend to see whether it would hold onto first place in the Big Ten. The Nittany Lions won their first Big Ten regular-season title after Minnesota and Ohio State managed just one point each on the weekend.

In the WCHA, Minnesota State clinched sole possession of first place with a weekend split with Bemidji State, while Alaska’s sweep of Alaska Anchorage gave the Nanooks home ice in the first round of the playoffs.

Atlantic Hockey’s repeat regular season champion American International had already clinched the league, but three teams competed over the weekend for the first-round bye, which Niagara won with a sweep of Robert Morris.

And Arizona State’s PairWise position was shored up by the weekend’s results, with the Sun Devils at No. 12.

This episode is sponsored by the NCAA Frozen Four, April 9-11 in Detroit. Visit ncaa.com/frozenfour to get your tickets today.

Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes, in your favorite podcast app, or on Spreaker.

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