Well now, it’s been quite some time since I posted in my own blog (rather than the ECAC Hockey blog)… but I was bit by the curiosity bug, and it led me to do some quick research on D-I hockey as a whole rather than strictly the ECAC, so I figured it was time to … Read more
First, let’s revisit the last topic: realignment. The primary concern seems to be the amount of long-distance travel that the “new” WCHA would suffer, so let’s see if we can tweak it a bit. Second Iteration: Break Up Minnesota! Let’s try making things a little easier on North Dakota and Wisconsin – because, of course, … Read more
It’s mid-summer, that time when hockey burns the faintest despite all of our collective passion… but let’s face it, it’s tough to get wrapped up in the game on ice when the concrete is doing all it can to keep from melting. So in accordance with the time-honored tradition of presenting off-season hypotheticals, I give … Read more
The NCAA Ice Hockey Rules Committee submitted 22 proposed amendments to the rule book, to take effect at the commencement of the 2010-11 season and to become eligible for review following the 2011-12 campaign. The panel also recommended three experimental rules – which would only be enforced in non-NCAA contests – and noted two “future … Read more
The NCAA hasn’t given up on Albany, but ECAC Hockey has. This weekend marks the last time for the foreseeable future that the league will host its championship tournament in the Empire State’s capital city. Next year? Atlantic City … the city that’s “always turned on”. Multiple public-address announcements publicized the change-of-venue during the weekend’s … Read more
Here are next weekend’s first-round matchups: No. 12 Clarkson @ No. 5 St. Lawrence No. 11 Brown @ No. 6 Rensselaer No. 10 Dartmouth @ No. 7 Quinnipiac No. 9 Harvard @ No.8 Princeton Byes: No. 1 Yale No. 2 Cornell No. 3 Union No. 4 Colgate
With one game to go, things are looking much clearer in ECAC Hockey. Here’s how things are shaking out. (Current standings are listed here.) First-Round Byes are Set • Yale has clinched the No. 1 seed in the tournament and at least a share of the Cleary Cup. • Cornell has secured the second seed … Read more
For those who can’t wait for Thursday’s column, a quick update on the lay of the land. Yale is alone atop the pack with 30 points, thanks to Cornell’s blown lead at Dartmouth … here’s where everybody else stands. • Yale is locked into a first-round bye and a top-three finish. Two more points clinches … Read more
Last weekend, Union scored three goals in 6:29 to draw within 4-3 of host Harvard. The only problem was that the Dutchmen’s third goal, scored by defenseman and All-American candidate Mike Schreiber, lit the lamp with merely 3.4 seconds remaining. Going for broke, Union coach Nate Leaman elected to keep goalie Corey Milan on the … Read more
I called up one of my most dependable interviews, Rensselaer head coach Seth Appert, to get his thoughts on ECAC Hockey vis a vis its non-conference challenges. Well-spoken, affable and cerebral, Appert has proven himself time and again to be a great source when discussing the more nuanced aspects of the game. A goaltender at … Read more
While watching a Boston University-Merrimack game earlier this year, my friend pointed out an interesting little wrinkle in the Warriors’ game plan: practically any time the puck was in ‘Mack’s zone, one of the Warriors would skulk the neutral zone, looking for a breakout pass. I was fascinated, but didn’t look into it too much … Read more
Hockey, as an entity, has made a lot of changes in recent years. Attempts to speed up, clean up, and first and foremost increase scoring have been major priorities, especially at the NHL level. The world’s top league is looking to erase over a decade of trap-happy hockey, where the prevailing philosophy of the sport … Read more
Welcome, one and all, to USCHO.com’s newest blog. I hope to use this resource to address noteworthy material that falls outside the scope of my weekly ECAC Hockey column (though many of my readers would argue that over the years, precious little has qualified as falling out of range of a carefully crafted tangent). Turnstiles … Read more