WCHA season preview: Look to Minnesota
In an Olympic year, the top teams sometimes struggle, but expect Minnesota to battle Wisconsin for the top spot in the WCHA, with the former coming out on top.
In an Olympic year, the top teams sometimes struggle, but expect Minnesota to battle Wisconsin for the top spot in the WCHA, with the former coming out on top.
The coaches from the women’s WCHA have picked Minnesota to dethrone Wisconsin and win the regular-season title of a league that has 16 national championships in its 18 years of existence. Ohio State redshirt junior goalie Kassidy Sauve was tabbed WCHA Preseason Player of the Year with six votes, while Wisconsin sophomore forward Abby Roque … Read more
The women’s WCHA is launching a partnership with RallyMe on a state-of-the art “crowdfunding platform,” according to a press release sent out Thursday. While common for individual institutions and teams, according to the release, the WCHA is believed to be among the first – if not the first – NCAA Division I conference to use … Read more
In a published report in the Columbus Dispatch, Ohio State has reportedly requested bids to construct a new arena for its men’s and women’s hockey teams. Shaun Richard, OSU’s associate athletic director who handles hockey, said that the bids do not mean that an arena will be built soon – or ever. “We’re more just … Read more
Boston College has named Martin Jarmond, deputy director of athletics at Ohio State, as the school’s next director of athletics. He succeeds Brad Bates, who will become vice president of collegiate sports associates in June. “I am humbled and honored to serve as the William V. Campbell Director of Athletics at Boston College,” said Jarmond … Read more
No league had more questions to resolve heading into the final weekend of its schedule than ECAC Hockey, with uncertainty at the top, bottom, and in the middle.
With the conference champions all but decided, Candace and Arlan look at the races for home ice seeding in each conference, possible playoff matches, the races for points leaders in conferences, the announcement of the Patty Kazmaier Award initial list, and why certain programs are always near the top while others languish.
Candace and Nicole look at the surprising results from the ECAC over the weekend, the Beanpot final and consolation games, analyze the races in the WCHA and Hockey East, the importance of goal differential, and discuss possible Patty Kazmaier candidates.
Candace and Nicole look at some of last weekend’s surprising results and whether that changes a possible NCAA tournament field, the likely finishing order of teams in all the conferences, and preview next week’s Beanpot tournament.
Candace and Arlan look at Wisconsin’s Fill the Bowl success, Minnesota-Duluth’s first sweep of Minnesota since 2010, some other puzzling results, like Northeastern getting swept by Maine, what shuffling might occur in the standings, and early favorites for the Patty Kazmaier Award.
Arlan and Nicole look at teams that had a hit to their confidence, like St. Lawrence and Colgate, and teams that may have gained some confidence from their surprise results, such as Mercyhurst, Providence, and St. Cloud State, as well as some of the favorites and what will happen in the PairWise in the second half.
It’s the midway point of the season, and all but a few teams are done with their schedule until after the new year. As the students prepare for finals and we all head into the holidays, I’ve prepared a letter to Santa to let him know what I wish for each of the Division I … Read more
Candace and Nicole discuss the surprising ties and losses for a couple of top teams last week, look at a bottom third teams and their series, and examine the top two teams in each conference ahead of a weekend that sees battles in three conferences between the top two squads.
Candace and Arlan ponder Minnesota-Duluth’s win over Wisconsin, the state of Hockey East and the favorites in that conference, Harvard’s struggles. St. Lawrence’s success, and whether Mercyhurst can make a run in the CHA in the second half.
It’s been quite the first few weeks of the hockey season for new Ohio State coach Nadine Muzerall. Hired just 20 days before the Buckeyes were set to open the season, she wasn’t actually cleared for a work visa — she’s Canadian — until the team was already in Troy, New York, to face Rensselaer … Read more
Candace and Nicole take a look at Ann-Renee Desbiens setting a new shutout record, the strengths of Wisconsin and Minnesota, what the Boston College-Boston University split portends in Hockey East, St. Lawrence’s continued early success, and the parity in the CHA.
Candace and Arlan look at Holy Cross moving up and compare the Crusaders to previous teams that have moved up to D-I, try to make sense of the many contenders in the ECAC, look at whether Boston College is the favorite in Hockey East, ponder whether North Dakota or Minnesota-Duluth has an edge in the at-large bid battle, and also debate the strengths and weaknesses of teams in the CHA.
Arlan Marttila returns to discuss the early-season records with Nicole Haase, as well as the jumbled state of the ever-competitive WCHA and the early Patty Kazmaier Award favorites.
Candace returns to Wednesday Women, and she and Nicole look at last week’s tough wins by Wisconsin and Minnesota, Maine’s upset of BC, the races in the CHA and ECAC, and what players have impressed them so far in this young season.
In the first Wednesday Women column of the year, former USCHO women’s columnist Arlan Marrtila discusses the surprises out West with our new columnist, Nicole Haase. They also look at St. Lawrence, preview this weekend’s big games, and discuss scoring. Arlan will periodically appear going forward, as will women’s editor Candace Horgan.