RIT announced Monday that Melissa Piacentini will join the women’s hockey staff as an assistant coach for the 2017-18 season. “Melissa has a great passion for the game along with a high hockey IQ,” said RIT head coach Scott McDonald in a statement. “Her playing career speaks for itself, as she played at a high … Read more
First-year head coach Jeff Kampersal announced the addition of three members to the Penn State women’s hockey coaching staff Friday. Celeste Brown and Allison Coomey join the Nittany Lions as assistant coaches, while Chris Demczuk has been named the director of operations. The trio have begun their duties earlier this month. “I am eager to … Read more
Matt Woodard, who spent the past four seasons at RIT and helped the Tigers make the NCAA tournament for the first time in school history, has joined the Yale women’s staff as an assistant coach. “We are excited to Have Matt join the Yale athletics family,” said Yale head coach Joakim Flygh in a statement. … Read more
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.
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.
Arlan and Nicole look at some other potential NCAA tournament teams besides Minnesota and Wisconsin, especially in the CHA, and go in depth on the ECAC, as well as what teams in Hockey East have the potential to knock Boston College from the top of the roost.
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.
The CHA has, in its history, been about one team: Mercyhurst. The Lakers have finished first in the league in 11 of 12 seasons, and even before the CHA tournament gave the winner an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament, Mercyhurst usually qualified as an at-large team. Other CHA teams have challenged the Lakers at … Read more
Rick Filighera has been named the women’s head coach at Cortland. Filighera joins the Red Dragons with an extensive coaching background having most recently served as the girls head coach at Gilmour Academy in Gates Mills, Ohio, for the past 12 years. “I am extremely pleased and excited to welcome Rick as our new women’s … Read more
Syracuse received five first-place votes in the annual CHA preseason coaches poll, which was released Monday, and was deemed the top team heading into the 2016-17 season. Mercyhurst garnered the other first-place vote and is slotted second in the poll.
Castleton announced Monday that Bill Silengo has been hired as the head coach of the Spartan men’s program. Silengo replaces Steve Moffat, who stepped down in August to take an assistant’s job at Plattsburgh. For the past two seasons, Silengo has been the assistant coach at Manhattanville, where he managed team practices, meetings and the … Read more
The College Hockey America tournament will return to Buffalo’s HarborCenter in 2017. “We are thrilled to be able to return to the HarborCenter for a second straight year,” said CHA commissioner Robert DeGregorio in a statement. “All three games were highly competitive [in 2016], not to mention, we had nearly 2,500 people come out during … Read more
RIT announced Friday that former Tigers’ men’s hockey standout goaltender Shane Madolora will join the RIT women’s staff as an assistant coach for the 2016-17 season. Madolora will work with the RIT goaltenders, alongside fellow assistant Matt Woodard, assisting head coach Scott McDonald in all aspects of the program. Madolora replaces Lisa Marshall, who is … Read more
College Hockey America announced its 2015-16 regular-season awards Thursday night, in addition to a pair of All-Conference Teams and an All-Rookie Team. Player of the Year honors went to Syracuse senior forward Melissa Piacentini, who tallied 18 points in conference play and a school-record 112 points entering the CHA tournament. Mercyhurst forward Rachael Smith is … Read more
Candace and Arlan look at where upset winners might come from in the conference tournament semifinals and finals, look at possible NCAA matchups,, and debate the 10 finalists for the Patty Kazmaier Award and who is likely to finish in the top three.
Candace and Arlan ponder Minnesota’s sweep of Wisconsin, whether Boston College can maintain its perfect record, the various playoff matchups in the first round, the retirement of Dartmouth coach Mark Hudak, and the players and rookies of the year in each conference.
With one weekend left in the season, Candace and Arlan ponder Boston College winning the Beanpot and Hockey East, Wisconsin winning the WCHA, likely winners in the other two conferences, the likely first round playoff pairings in each conference tournament, and the probable Patty Kazmaier Award nominees.