It is hard to believe but December begins this weekend and that means there are now limited opportunities for teams to get their mojo going before the impending semester break. Finishing the first half strong is on every coach’s to-do list and that should mean even more great hockey this weekend. Last week I finished … Read more
While no one should be surprised that Utica again sits atop the current UCHC standings after eight games, the second-place team, just one point in arrears is a new challenger in Alvernia University. The Golden Wolves in just their second season are off to a great start going 5-1-0 in UCHC play and 6-1-1 overall … Read more
What a difference one week can make for a team – just look at the Soaring Eagles from Elmira who took down No. 5 Geneseo on Tuesday and then No. 7 Oswego on Friday and No. 3 Utica on Saturday to capture the Utica Thanksgiving tournament and knock the Pioneers from the ranks of … Read more
Parker Gnos is only a freshman. But that didn’t matter Saturday at the Adirondack Bank Center in Utica. Gnos came through the biggest goal of his collegiate career so far, scoring with a little over 11 minutes remaining to put the Johnnies up for good in their battle with No. 8 Oswego. Matt DeRosa added … Read more
The Thanksgiving food has been eaten. And now it’s time for hockey. Several games are on tap this holiday weekend, including a two-game series between nationally ranked UW-Eau Claire and St. Norbert. Can’t beat a matchup like that this early in the season. And two MIAC teams will square off against top five teams in … Read more
On this Thanksgiving day be thankful for NCAA Division III hockey in the west region. It was three years ago that there was no hockey at this time of the year, the grip of the pandemic still very much an issue. But here we are, about a month into the season and it’s been entertaining … Read more
After opening the season with a 1-2-0 record, the Anna Maria College AmCats have won four games in their last five, including a 4-1 win over previously unbeaten and nationally ranked Plymouth State from D-III and Saturday’s 4-2 win over D-I Stonehill. Two more wins over Lebanon Valley had AMC at 5-2-0 prior to Tuesday’s … Read more
Happy Thanksgiving! The Thanksgiving Holiday weekend means just about an abundance of everything food, parades, football and of course, college pucks! In the annual tradition of overindulging, please note the abundance of picks below covering all the non-conference and holiday tournament action I could cram into in a 20-pick slate. Last week my picks slipped … Read more
Another weekend of thrilling hockey is in the books and the upsets continued along with a pair of 0-0 OT ties and nine overtime games in total where bonus hockey defined several wins for teams. Tuesday has become “Lose-day” for ranked teams as Albertus Magnus stole an overtime win over previously unbeaten Salve Regina by … Read more
Aurora produced the win of the weekend and made a little history in the process. The Spartans had never beaten Adrian on the ice, and it looked as if it might stay that way after losing 3-2 on Friday to the second-ranked Bulldogs. Hope for a win remained dim on Saturday after the Bulldogs jumped … Read more
Always the last conference to kick off its season, the NESCAC is certainly among the conferences that appear to have the greatest competitive mix of teams from top to bottom and this year should see that small gap across the ten teams be even smaller than years past based on simply the talent on each … Read more
It’s a week before Thanksgiving and hockey fans are thankful another weekend of games is on tap. Conference play headlines the action out west and that always makes for interesting games, including a huge NCHA showdown between Adrian and Aurora. Here’s a look at some of the predictions for the weekend ahead. MIAC Friday and … Read more
Well, it is now officially the 2023-24 hockey season when we have all conferences on the ice playing real games. Yes, our brethren from NESCAC join the festivities this week and it will be ultra-competitive right out of the gate with league play on tap for the ten teams. Lots of other terrific matchups among … Read more
What you know about Matt Fitzgerald is that he is a pretty good goalie, playing the position for the Concordia Cobbers. What you might not know is that Fitzgerald used to play baseball, spending most of his younger days in the sport. “My dad wanted me to have time away from the rink, to do … Read more
Among the eleven new coach announcements for D-III men’s hockey teams in the East this year, there were three that are related to new programs starting play this year or next. Those included Jeremiah Ketts at MCLA, Kevin Cole at Misericordia and Bobby Rodrigue at Keene State. John MacInnis steps into the large shoes left … Read more
From Tuesday night right through Saturday afternoon, this week’s D-III men’s hockey action saw unbeatens toppled, multiple ranked teams fall and overtime thrillers sprinkled in for more dramatic effect for the scoreboard watchers everywhere. As one winning coach texted, “Same kids, same team, same coach – different outcomes and everything appears different.” Enjoy the … Read more
A little history was made over the weekend for nationally ranked UW-Stevens Point as it won the 700th game in the modern era of the program. The No. 13 Pointers did it with a 5-2 win over Saint Mary’s on Friday and then capped things off with a hard-fought 4-3 win in overtime against St. … Read more
Here we go. Week three of the college hockey season is underway and we have some interesting matchups to pay attention. St. Scholastica against Gustavus should be fun to watch and St. Olaf has a big test against UW-Stevens Point. In the NCHA, two of the better games of the weekend feature St. Norbert up … Read more
While it is way too early to panic, there are some teams that are looking at this weekend with a critical eye on playing their brand of hockey; and doing so well enough to pick up a win or two to get some positive momentum going as the first half crosses the mid-point for most … Read more
The Salve Regina hockey team is playing in their final season as member of the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) before moving to the New England Hockey Conference (NEHC) next season. The focus is clearly on competing to win a championship in their final year in a conference that produced three NCAA tournament bids last season. … Read more