One final month of college hockey remains in the regular season and the games start to matter just a little more now as teams battle for conference crowns and spots in conference tournaments. Bethel puts its unbeaten streak on the line against Concordia and Augsburg plays a pivotal series against Saint Mary’s as it tries … Read more
Josiah Roen is making a name for himself this season while helping Bethel do the same as a program. Only a sophomore, Roen is tied for second in the MIAC in goals (nine) and has tallied three assists as well. That success has helped the Royals put together their best season in nearly a decade. … Read more
We may officially be approaching the “scoreboard-watching” portion of the season even though most coaches won’t admit to it. Teams will be looking to take care of their own business on the ice but would appreciate a little help from other opponents in the battle for conference positioning and seeding. I finished with a record … Read more
Having an 10-1-0 record since late November last year, Elmira is among four teams at the top of the UCHC standings that are separated by just three points. During that time, they have won the WB Mason Winter Classic at Plattsburgh; knocked off then No. 2 ranked Geneseo and defeated key conference foes like Utica … Read more
Trine pulled off perhaps the biggest sweep of the weekend, stunning Marian in an NCHA showdown. The Thunder scored five goals in both games to take down the Sabres, who came in as the leader of the North Division. Lake Forest, meanwhile, kept its impressive win streak intact. Wisconsin-Eau Claire also made a statement over … Read more
Points every weekend is the mantra for many coaches in the midst of key league battles. With just a few weeks remaining in the regular season, it is all about the points as virtually every league is competitive and having a top three within four points of each other. This past weekend I finished with … Read more
Dino Balsamo has loved the game of hockey for as long as he can remember. His older brother played it, and naturally, Balsamo wanted to be a part of the sport as well. “I’d follow him around when I was younger and annoy him sometimes,” Balsamo said. “I could probably skate before I could walk. … Read more
Conference play is heating up, particularly in the WIAC where there is no automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. Wisconsin-Superior travels to Wisconsin-Eau Claire in a battle of nationally ranked teams while Wisconsin-River Falls heads to Wisconsin-Stevens Point. Augsburg and St. Thomas are both looking to maintain their hold on the top two positions in … Read more
Following an inaugural season that finished at 4-16-4, coach Dave McCauley’s aspirations for the AmCats were much higher entering their second season playing as an independent. With eight games remaining on the schedule, Anna Maria is 9-5-3 on the season and looking for more winning hockey to close out a winning season. “I am really … Read more
Points matter! Every game in league play has crucial points on the line and playing a critical rival means you can take points away from them with the win – the proverbial four-pointer. Lots of tight league action this week saw several hard-fought ties and late third period drama across several conference games. Here is … Read more
A statement was made and a rivalry was renewed this past weekend. Concordia (MN) stunned a top five team and Adrian and St. Norbert battled on the ice. Concordia (MN) stunned nationally ranked Wisconsin-Eau Claire on Saturday in the final game of their series. Adrian and St. Norbert came out of their series with a … Read more
The big matchup on tap for this weekend is one featuring Adrian and St. Norbert. The 14th-ranked Bulldogs travel to Wisconsin to take on St. Norbert in a crucial NCHA series. Augsburg battles Bethel as it looks to bounce back while Saint John’s and Hamline are battling to keep their conference tourney hopes alive. Wisconsin-River … Read more
The level of play across each of the conferences has been great so far and everything is shaping up for some chaotic conference battles in January and February. Like some teams, my game improved a lot this past weekend as I finished with a record of 7-1-1 (.833) among some interesting matchups in and out … Read more
Reigning national champions typically don’t fly under the radar. They are out front and in the spotlight every step of the way during the grind of a long season. Yet, here was Wisconsin-Stevens Point in early December, in the grip of a tough stretch that saw the Pointers win just once in six games. But … Read more
Riding a five-game win streak and 10-2-2 on the season, the Utica Pioneers are starting to play some consistent hockey and that has the coaching staff very optimistic about a special second half of the season. Following road wins over Adrian, a two-game series, and a win at Oswego this past weekend, the Pioneers have … Read more
Wisconsin-Stevens Point knocked off nationally ranked Augsburg on Saturday as the reigning champs proved they can’t be counted out yet. Wisconsin-River Falls also handed Augsburg a loss. St. Thomas and Saint Mary’s both stole a win from each other in their critical MIAC series. Lake Forest continued its impressive run through the season with another … Read more
The Hockey Humanitarian Award Foundation on Monday announced 13 nominees for the 2020 Hockey Humanitarian Award (photo: Jim Rosvold).
Teams believed to be among the best in the nation seem to be rising to the top and playing great hockey whether in big nonconference games or important league rivalries. Trinity, Norwich, Utica, Geneseo and Hobart all had big wins while teams on the rise like Babson, New England College and the University of New … Read more
It’s the first full weekend of hockey of 2020 and some interesting matchups are on top. Augsburg and Wisconsin-Stevens Point square off in a huge crossover game that carries a lot of weight for both teams while St. Thomas and Saint Mary’s battle in a key MIAC series. St. Norbert and Aurora both have a … Read more
The one thing that is not a surprise anymore is that there will be some big surprises on scoreboards each and every weekend. I started the New Year with a better slate of picks than I finished with in 2019, so there is optimism coming from my record of 6-3-0 (.667) among some interesting tournament … Read more