Season previews for leagues
After a slow start to the season due to a number of roster and injury challenges, the Salem State Vikings proved it’s not always about being great the entire season, it is about being great at the right time of the season. An 11-4-1 second half carried them past rival Plymouth State in the conference … Read more
The CCC will be changing after the season, as Johnson & Wales and Suffolk move on to the NEHC, but that is too far off for Endicott coach RJ Tolan to worry about. After winning the league title last season and advancing to the quarterfinals of the NCAA tournament, where a double OT goal from … Read more
The NEHC looked very different last season, with nearly twice the amount of member teams. Norwich won the regular season crown in the final game of the regular season. It was their seventh straight. Norwich and now departed teams St. Anselm and Manhattanville were neck-and-neck until that final weekend. The teams that finished the season … Read more
You can’t talk about the NCHA without bringing up Adrian and St. Norbert. Both teams reached the Frozen Four a year ago, and both will be the front runners in the conference again this year. While it’s hard to imagine anyone knocking those two teams off, the NCHA certainly is never short on surprises. Need … Read more
St. Thomas is usually a safe bet when it comes picking a favorite in the MIAC, but this is a league where every game seems to be close and where anyone truly can be beaten on any given night. Last season, just 13 points stood between the top team and sixth team in the standings. … Read more
This is a brand-new conference for 2017-18. These are the five teams from the old ECAC West that did not head to the other, already formed conference. We’ve got a brand-new slate here, but as Plattsburgh is the four-time defending national champions, they’re obviously the favorites to win the inaugural Northeast Women’s Hockey League (NEWHL).The … Read more
Morrisville upset top-seeded Endicott to win the conference tournament last season, despite Endicott ending the regular season in the top spot.The favoritesIt would be surprising if we’re talking about someone other than Morrisville State or Endicott at the end of the season. Endicott returns a strong roster that was able to go the distance over … Read more
Wisconsin-River Falls won the conference and a bid to the NCAA tournament last season, but fell in the opening round to Gustavus Adolphus. It took overtime for the Falcons to beat Wisconsin-Eau Claire in the conference championship game.The favoritesWisconsin-River Falls earned a bid to the NCAA tournament for the ninth consecutive season, and 10th time … Read more
Change is in the air in the WIAC this season, especially at Wisconsin-Stevens Point, which is under the direction of interim head coach Tyler Krueger, who takes over after Chris Brooks accepted a job as an assistant coach at Michigan Tech. Krueger is no stranger to the Pointers. He played for them earlier in the … Read more
Ever since realignment in 2013, the WCHA has been the “Wild West” of college hockey conferences: It’s big. It’s volatile. And you never quite know what’s going to happen from one year to the next. Case in point: Bemidji State came from nowhere to win the MacNaughton Cup by 10 points last season. Nobody picked … Read more
As it enters its fifth year, the NCHC has established itself in a short time as the powerhouse conference in college hockey. In each of the last three years, the conference sent two teams to the Frozen Four and had the best out-of-conference winning percentage in college hockey. Last season, the NCHC went 48-21-14 9 … Read more
Prior to the start of last season, Hockey East commissioner Joe Bertagna wanted to make sure his staff was prepared in case of a tie for first place. The league purchased a second regular season trophy just in case two teams tied for first place at the end of the regular season. But come March, … Read more
ECAC Hockey has sent a team to the Frozen Four in five of the last six years, with two of its teams winning a national title. The league’s presence on the national stage is unquestioned, but it’s making an impact internationally as well. For the third straight season, the ECAC will send representatives to the … Read more
As the fifth season of Big Ten hockey begins, so much seems new. The field of teams increases to seven with the addition of Notre Dame, which pushes the number of regular-season conference games from 20 to 24. The conference playoffs will move from a single, neutral site on a single weekend at the end … Read more
There’s a wealth of talent in Atlantic Hockey this season, possibly the most skilled and experienced group of players the league has ever produced. With a few exceptions, teams were not hit hard by graduation, retaining the vast majority of their top players. Remarkably, only five of the top 35 scorers in the league graduated. … Read more
The ECAC should be a battle to the end, but expect Clarkson to emerge on top.
Perennial champ Boston College is missing two top defenders to the Olympics this year, and Northeastern returns stronger than ever, but the Eagles will likely prevail in a tight battle for the season crown.
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 conference is more competitive than ever, but Robert Morris is still the favorite, as the Colonials return almost their entire squad from last season’s NCAA tournament team.
What an entrance the NESCAC teams make to the season. As always, the late arrivals but with the most dramatic entrances and battles for playoff positioning amongst any of the other conferences in the D-III ranks. This year will likely be no exception according to last year’s championship coach from Williams, Bill Kangas. “We start … Read more