Season previews for leagues
The Big Ten made big strides last season, with a 55-21-2 record in nonconference play, the best winning percentage (.718) in D-I interleague play. From top to nearly bottom, Big Ten Hockey was a force to be reckoned with, and four of the conference’s seven teams played their way into the NCAA tournament. As the … Read more
Boston has always been the geographic hub and spiritual home of Hockey East. The city hosts the conference championship every spring, three of its member schools are located right in the city and four more are less than an hour away. This year Boston could very well be where the best hockey in the league … Read more
As Atlantic Hockey kicks off its 21st season, more changes are in store. Robert Morris returns after a two-year absence, restoring the number of programs to 11. This means a new scheduling plan as well as a new playoff format. There are also changes in administration, with a new commissioner and a new supervisor of … Read more
It was an unusually active offseason, at least by CCHA standards. A coaching change at Minnesota State kicked off the summer, with Mike Hastings leaving for Wisconsin and taking four players and most of his coaching staff with him. Then the summer ended with the situation in Bowling Green that saw head coach Ty Eigner … Read more
Yale won the regular season championship while Colgate took the conference tournament title last season. Both Colgate and Yale return much of the same roster and the Raiders got the best of the Bulldogs last season. It feels like Colgate and Yale are just a step apart from Cornell, Clarkson and Quinnipiac, at least to … Read more
LIU won their first league title and the conference’s first automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament last season. They are the preseason favorite, but Saint Anselm and Stonehill both look poised to make it a tough fight until the end of the season. The Sharks saw a number of players enter the transfer portal and … Read more
Five of this conference’s eight teams were ranked in our first poll of the season, including a sweep of the top three spots by Wisconsin, Ohio State and Minnesota, in that order. The Badgers are coming off their seventh National Championship, which they won 1-0 over Ohio State, who won the regular season title, while … Read more
Despite graduating program-defining players Alina Müller, Maureen Murphy, and Chloé Aurard, Northeastern is still the favorite in Hockey East. They’ve established a dominant perch atop the standings here and no one team has seemed to be able to link together several seasons of top tier play that can put regular pressure on the Huskies. Both … Read more
There’s an argument to be made that no conference has seen more change in the last six months than the CHA. In the 2023-24 season, they welcome Robert Morris back into the fold after a two year absence. Several of the league’s teams have seen major roster turnover. Lindenwood has a fully new coaching staff … Read more
These teams would love to be playing in a conference and have the chance to battle for a league title or an opportunity to play on the national stage. Being an independent makes the former impossible but the latter a remote possibility and so, four teams play their non-conference schedules with the hope of impressing … Read more
Plymouth State has been the elite team in MASCAC over the past few seasons – winning the conference title but still in search of their first NCAA tournament game victory. This year the Panthers look to accomplish both but first things first – the MASCAC championship. “We were so close last year against UNE in … Read more
The UCHC continues to expand its membership with Alvernia joining the conference this season as the 11th team in the league. While the new team will be expected to be competitive, the top of the standings still looks like it will be a race among a handful of usual competitors. “There continues to be a … Read more
The University of New England carried the CCC banner all the way to the Frozen Four last season but will face strong challenges from the other teams in the conference. New coaches at Nichols (Alex Gacek) and Suffolk (Shawn McEachern) will bring new depth and excitement to this season’s battle for the conference championship. “I … Read more
SUNYAC has seen Geneseo win the last four conference championships contested and there is most definitely a bullseye on the Knights with several teams looking to unseat the defending champions. “We have a really good group with good chemistry,” said Oswego head coach, Ed Gosek. “This group is really fun to coach, and it really … Read more
In what many consider the most competitive conference on the D-III hockey landscape, the NEHC has emerged beyond just the top teams in recent years setting up great competition for the conference championship. This year will be no different as expectations for the level of play are higher across all the institutions leading to a … Read more
Since the 2016-17 season, four different teams have hoisted the championship banner in the NE-10 including Assumption two times, St. Anselm, Southern New Hampshire and Stonehill. With the departure of Stonehill to play in the D-1 ranks, the NE-10 now fields just six teams who will play each other four times each during the regular … Read more
It was an odd year for the WIAC as no team from the conference made the NCAA tournament. But that isn’t likely to be the case this year. UW-Eau Claire is the reigning champ in the league and closed out last season on a winning streak that was punctuated with a 6-2 win over rival … Read more
It’s difficult to predict what will happen in a college hockey season, but coaches and journalists try, issuing preseason polls and predictions at this time of year. It’s a difficult and usually futile effort, especially when it comes to Atlantic Hockey. Air Force coach Frank Serratore should know. His Falcons were picked ninth in last … Read more
New coaches at two of the league’s Boston-based schools, high expectations for the other, and the return of Frozen Fenway highlight the storylines heading into Hockey East’s 39th season. For the first time since almost fifty years, the Battle of Comm. Ave between Boston College and Boston University will feature neither longtime Eagles coach Jerry … Read more
Is this B1G Hockey’s big season? Finally? While Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota and Wisconsin have 23 national championships among them, not one of those titles was captured as a member of the Big Ten. Since its inaugural season in 2013-14, B1G Hockey has sent teams to the Frozen Four seven times, and two B1G teams … Read more