Hockey East stays tight, Atlantic Hockey only regular season clinched, PairWise bubble: Weekend Review college hockey podcast Season 2 Episode 20

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

With only one or two weekends left in conference play, all but Atlantic Hockey – clinched by American International – remain up for grabs for regular season titles. Hosts Jim Connelly and Ed Trefzger look back at a wild weekend of college hockey.

In Hockey East, No. 8 UMass and No. 14 UMass Lowell split their home-and-home weekend, while No. 6 Boston College won both halves against No. 10 Northeastern, including a thumping at home. Merrimack ended its season with a home-and-home upset of No. 15 Providence, while No. 17 Maine picked up three home points against Vermont.

In the NCHC, No. 1 North Dakota managed just a tie at St. Cloud State, while No. 4 Minnesota Duluth split with host No. 19 Western Michigan, and No. 7 Denver won in big fashion over Miami at home.

No. 11 Penn State ended its Big Ten season with 5-of-6 points at home against No. 18 Minnesota, but the conference race remains wide open, with No. 12 Ohio State controlling its own destiny.

In ECAC Hockey, No. 20 Harvard upset No. 5 Clarkson, giving No. 2 Cornell a two-point lead in the standings, but the Crimson stumbled Saturday at St. Lawrence. Meanwhile the race for a first-round bye and first-round home ice is tight heading into the league’s last weekend.

No. 3 Minnesota State kept up its winning ways with big wins over Alabama Huntsville, but it was Bowling Green’s two home wins that were most significant in the WCHA as the Falcons look to gain home ice for the first round of the playoffs.

In Atlantic Hockey, AIC’s 11-game winning streak and 20 league wins have sewn up first place, while Sacred Heart has at least a share of second place and the second playoff seed sown up. Rochester Institute of Technology and Army West Point each will finish either third or fourth, but a battle remains for the fifth-place first-round bye and home ice in the first round this coming weekend.

Plus, Wisconsin’s sweep of No. 9 Arizona State kept the Sun Devils from clinching an NCAA berth and put ASU near the PairWise bubble.

And Jim and Ed share some Miracle on Ice 40th anniversary remembrances and thoughts.

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

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Pickin’ the Big Ten: Feb. 21-22

With seven conference points separating co-leaders Minnesota and Penn State and sixth-place Notre Dame, the Big Ten seems destined to remain interesting as ever heading into the last two weekends of the regular season. Paula and I ended up with the exact same picks last week so let’s check on how those turned out before … Read more

NCHC pick: Feb. 21-22

Well, last week Matthew and I were a middling 3-2-1 (.583), falling back to Earth after a strong showing the week before. On the year, I am now 79-51-21 (.592), while Matthew is 74-56-21 (.559). We’ve got three weekends left in the regular season; can I hold off Matthew and win the picks race? I’d … Read more

Hockey East picks: Feb. 20-22

Well, it’s just about time to wave the white flag as the odds of me making my picks with any integrity and still finding a way to beat Dave have passed me by. With Dave gaining yet another game last weekend, I’m eight games back. And unless I take the contrarian approach and pick opposite … Read more

Atlantic Hockey Picks: February 20-22

Last Week: Dan: 9-3 Chris: 11-1 On The Season: Dan: 129-51-20 (.695) Chris: 121-59-20 (.655) This Week’s Picks: Thursday, February 20 and Saturday, February 22 Holy Cross at American International Chris: The Yellow Jackets can clinch their second consecutive regular season title with a sweep, a pair of Sacred Heart losses, or a split and … Read more

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

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

With both Massachusetts state schools having successful seasons at the same time, the battles between No. 8 UMass and No. 14 UMass Lowell are becoming quite a rivalry. Minutemen head coach Greg Carvel joins hosts Jim Connelly and Ed Trefzger for a preview of that weekend home-and-home series.

Also in this episode:

Hockey East also features a Thursday-Friday home-and-home between No. 6 Boston College and No. 10 Northeastern with conference and PairWise positioning on the line.

In the Big Ten, all three weekend series are critical for league standings, including No. 18 Minnesota at No. 11 Penn State. The two teams are tied for first with this weekend the last of the regular season for the Nittany Lions.

In ECAC Hockey, No. 20 Harvard is at No. 5 Clarkson on Friday in the only matchup between ranked teams in that conference.

The NCHC’s premier series has No. 4 Minnesota Duluth at No. 19 Western Michigan, while No. 1 North Dakota can’t look past their weekend hosts, St. Cloud State.

Bowling Green is battling for home ice in the WCHA at home this weekend against Ferris State, while No. 3 Minnesota State hosts Alabama Huntsville and No. 13 Bemidji State visits Alaska Anchorage.

Three teams in Atlantic Hockey have clinched first round byes – American International, Sacred Heart and Army – but AIC can claim a regular season title in a Thursday-Saturday home-and-home series with Holy Cross. Meanwhile Rochester Institute of Technology and Robert Morris look to nail down a first-round bye – and the Tigers home ice – this weekend.

And in the lone non-conference series, No. 9 Arizona State visits Wisconsin to end the regular season for the Sun Devils. A weekend sweep would virtually guarantee an NCAA berth for ASU.

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

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

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

On Monday, Hockey East announced New Hampshire deputy athletic director Steve Metcalf as its fifth commissioner. Metcalf, who begins his job in the conference in April, brings experience to the position as an administrator familiar with the teams in the league and as a member of the NCAA D-I men’s ice hockey committee for several years, the past two as its chair.

Metcalf joins hosts Jim Connelly and Ed Trefzger in a wide-ranging discussion including what led him to apply for the position, what sorts of initiatives he hopes to take, working with other conferences, his views on the national scene in college hockey, and what’s in store for the Frozen Four.

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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