Hello conference championship weekend. This is what a lot of us have been waiting for, and it’s where NCAA tournament dreams are either going to come true or be dashed. The MIAC, WIAC and NCHA all have automatic bids on the line Saturday, and I expect all three championship games to be competitive as can … Read more
Championship week is upon us and while MASCAC and UCHC find a No.1 v. No.2 matchup for the title, all other conferences find lower seeds with a chance to claim a conference crown and D-III auto-bid to the national tournament. It really does not get better for scoreboard watching than this weekend! Relative to my … Read more
Following a 9-2-0 start to the season, Cortland came out of the semester break and struggled with some inconsistency to open the second half. Since the start of February that strong 200-foot game has returned along with the strong play of their leading players to reflect a four-game win streak that has them playing for … Read more
The penultimate week of play leading into the conference championships certainly delivered tremendous hockey highlighted by No. 1 seeds in the CCC and SUNYAC losing in semifinal action and overtime games deciding several other critical matchups. Two more No. 2 seeds also saw their championship hopes come to an end in Bowdoin and St. Michael’s … Read more
Nothing came easy for Bethel Saturday night. Not that it was expected to. Up against a tough and talented St. Scholastica squad, the second-seeded Royals knew if they were going to punch a ticket to the MIAC tourney final, they’d have to earn it. And they did. It just took a couple of overtime periods … Read more
It’s now totally a “Win-or-Go-Home” scenario as teams contend for conference championships either in quarterfinal action like NESCAC, or in most cases the semifinal round where you can almost see a championship trophy but best not look too far ahead. There is no margin for error from here on out. For me and my picks … Read more
By the end of the weekend we will know which teams out west in NCAA Division III hockey are playing for conference titles next weekend. The MIAC, NCHA and WIAC are all hosting their semifinal rounds, and keep in mind, for all three tournaments, not only is a title on the line, but an automatic … Read more
The season to date has seen several ups and downs for St. Michael’s in the NE-10, but with this weekend’s sweep of games with Post, the Purple Knights earned a quarterfinal round bye which means hosting a semifinal round game and a chance to play for the league championship for the second time in two … Read more
Mathew Rehding never had a chance to make an official visit to Adrian because of the pandemic. But the senior forward knew what he was getting into as the Bulldogs boast one of NCAA Division III hockey’s elite programs. “A former teammate of mine, Chase Spencer, told me about the program, and he said this … Read more
Augsburg is playing its best hockey at the right time of the year, adding up to a regular-season MIAC championship and ninth consecutive appearance in the conference tournament. The Auggies clinched their latest title with a 3-2 win over St. Scholastica, Kyler Yeo scored the game winner with 4:24 left in the final period. Samuel … Read more
There was a lot to play for this past week as final regular season games were pivotal in determining playoff qualifiers, home-ice seeding, first round byes, and for the NEHC, which teams advanced to the semifinals of the conference tournament. As has been the case for the entire season, there were several surprises with an … Read more
A quick look at the UCHC standings finds an unbeaten Utica squad entering the final week of the regular season and prepping for another conference title run beginning next week. While the results are not necessarily unusual, the way coach Gary Heenan’s team has achieved them has been different than recent past rosters. A look … Read more
It’s the final week of the regular season in the MIAC while conference tournament action gets underway in the WiAC and NCHA. Expect some exciting matchup, especially in the MIAC where Bethel and Augsburg are both vying for the right to win the regular season title and secure the top seed for the tournament. MIAC … Read more
It may be Valentine’s Day but do not look for much love to be shared between foes on the ice this week. For the NEHC it is now “win or go home” time as the quarterfinal round of the conference tournament begins on Saturday. Elsewhere there are still battles across the conference for playoff position, … Read more
Adrian is the regular-season champion of the NCHA once again. The Bulldogs, ranked third in the USCHO.com poll, clinched their fifth consecutive title Friday night and the 15th conference title overall with a 6-2 win over Trine in a battle of nationally ranked teams. A balanced attack paved the way for the Bulldogs to get … Read more
Congratulations to the teams that have already clinched the regular season title and with it the top seed for the upcoming conference tournament. Those teams include Assumption, Curry (hold tiebreaker over Endicott), Geneseo, Hobart, Plymouth State, Trinity, and Utica. While these teams have earned their just rewards in home-ice advantage there have been some terrific … Read more
The Gridiron Club of Greater Boston has announced that 38 players are semifinalists for the 23rd Joe Concannon Award, presented annually to the best American-born NCAA Division II/III hockey player in New England. The award was established in 2001 shortly after the passing of the longtime writer for the Boston Globe who had a great … Read more
In the ultra-competitive conference that is NESCAC, Trinity has risen to the top of the conference standings and has a solid hold on first place entering the final two weekends of the regular season. After the Bantams sits Bowdoin and a surprising Tufts team that has continued to improve their play on the ice and … Read more
February rolls on and it’s the end of the regular season for NCHA and WIAC teams while MIAC teams continue on with their regular season action for one more week after this one. Speaking of the NCHA, the biggest matchup of the weekend out west features Adrian and Trine, two nationally ranked teams in the … Read more
Tyler Kostelecky is trusting the process. In his first year at Bethel after transferring in from Long Island, the sophomore forward has been one of the top players in the MIAC. “It’s been more about the process for me and trying to stay glued to that over everything else,” Kostelecky said. It’s safe to say … Read more