Atlantic Hockey kicked off it’s 10th season this past weekend. Only Bentley and Holy Cross have yet to play but every other team was in action this weekend.  And it was a much better start than last year for Atlantic Hockey. Michigan (then- No. 3) and Quinnipiac (then- No. 18) both fell to AHA teams while Alaska and Alaska-Anchorage combined to go 0-1-2 against AHA teams. At the end of the weekend, AHA teams were 4-8-2 in non-conference games.

It’s a step up from last year’s 1-14 performance on the first weekend of the year.  And with more non-conference games to come next weekend, AHA teams have a chance to make a bigger splash on the national scene. Next weekend AHA teams will face Michigan, Michigan State, Ferris State, and Denver.

As of right now, everyone is chasing Niagara after the Purple Eagles 2-1 win over Mercyhurst. The Purple Eagles and Lakers were the only teams to play an Atlantic Hockey game this weekend. But next week there will be three while everyone else stays in non-conference play.

For the second straight year it came down to Air Force vs. RIT. And for the second straight year the Falcons emerged victorious with a shutout. It’s the Falcons fifth title in six years. Unlike last year’s final, this one had little drama. The Falcons jumped out to a 2-0 in the first period and never looked back.

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It’s all come down to this. One weekend to decide to who will go to the NCAA Tournament and who will go home. Niagara, Mercyhurst, RIT and Air Force will battle it out in Rochester, N.Y. this weekend. All four teams finished just two points apart at the end of the regular season. Here’s how the teams got here last weekend.

Meryhurst -  The Lakers are going back to Rochester for the first time since 2009. But it wasn’t easy getting there. The Lakers were forced to go three games  against Holy Cross. In the Lakers two wins against Holy Cross, they surrendered two goals. In their loss they gave up three. Daniel Bahntage and Matthew Zay each scored twice in the three games. Daniel O’Donoghue added three assists. In all three games, the Lakers were outshot in every game, including 42-27 in game 3, but Max Strang stood strong. (more…)

The first round of the playoffs are done, with all the higher seed winning. While the higher seed won, it’s clear that the craziness from the end of the regular season has carried over into the playoffs. AIC and Sacred Heart both pushed their series to three games. Next weekend is sure to have much of the same.

Canisius at UConn – The Huskies swept Canisius in two games. The Huskies eked out an overtime victory on Friday before Garrett Bartus shut out the Golden Griffins on Saturday. Cole Schneider had two goals and two assists while Brant Harris added a goal and three assists. It’s the third straight year that the Huskies have made it to the AHA quarterfinals. The Huskies will travel to Air Force in the quarterfinals

For the Golden Griffins, the season ends on a sour note but they will be returning much of the same team next year, with four of their top five scorers being sophomores right now. Taylor Law finishes him sophomore season with 26 points, well above the 11 he produced his freshman year. (more…)

This is the last Power Rankings until the end of the playoffs. And if the playoffs are anything like the regular season in Atlantic Hockey, it should be a very fun and exciting couple of weeks.

1. Air Force – The Falcons clinched the regular season title and a first round bye this weekend. They face the winner of the Canisius/UConn matchup next weekend.

2. Niagara – The Purple Eagle’s second half surge culminated in the No. 2 seed in the AHA tournament and a first round bye. After a weekend off, they will face the winner of the AIC/Robert Morris series.

3. RIT – The Tigers took just one point from last weekend and settle for the three seed and a first round bye. They will face the winner of the Bentley/Sacred Heart series. (more…)

It came down to the final day but we finally know who will be playing where in the playoffs. Air Force, Niagara, RIT, and Mercyhurst all earned first round byes.

Air Force – Thanks to a 3-0 win over Robert Morris on Saturday, the Falcons were able to claim to AHA regular season title. Adam McKenzie was the only Falcon to record multiple points this weekend, picking up three assists. Jason Torf picked up his fourth shutout of the season, doubling last year’s total in less games.

AIC – The Yelloe Jackets finished the regular season in tenth place. They took one point against UConn to assured themselves that they wouldn’t finish in last place. Blake Peake scored twice and picked up an assist to give him career highs in goals (5), assists (8), and points (13).  Adam Pleskach also had a three point weekend, scoring once and adding two assists. (more…)

It’s all come down to this: one weekend to decide everything. No one has clinched any spot. The only sure things are 1) Air Force will have a first round bye and 2) UConn and Canisius will play each other in the first round of the playoffs. Other than those things, everything is up in the air.

1. Air Force – The Falcons have already clinched one of the first round byes but don’t have the regular season title wrapped up just yet. They travel to Robert Morris.

2. RIT – The Tigers need just two points for a first round bye. And the regular season title is still in sights. They face Niagara.

3. Niagara – The Purple Eagles finish the regular season with a huge weekend against RIT. They can clinch a first round bye if they win. They have yet to lose to RIT as a Division I school. (more…)

Only one week remains in the regular and there is still a lot to be decided. The difference between first place and sixth place is just three points.

Air Force – The Falcons scored eight against Mercyhurst on Friday but probably should have saved some for Saturday as they fell 2-1. John Kruse, Stephen Carew, and Chad Demers each scored twice for the Falcons. It was the first career multi-goal game for Demers. Kyle De Laurell continued his best season of his career with three assists. In net, Jason Torf has regained the No. 1 job. He recorded his third shutout of the season on Friday and was riding a seven game unbeaten streak until Saturday.

AIC – The Yellow Jackets got back on the winning side after a sweep of Army. Adam Pleskach scored twice and has now scored in three straight games. Michael Penny had a goal and two assists to set a new career high with 13 assists. (more…)

Playoff positioning for many teams is still up in the air as we hit the last two weeks of the regular season. Eight teams still have a chance at a first round bye in the playoffs.

1. Air Force – The Falcons took three points from Niagara this weekend to stay in first place for the second straight week. They are undefeated in their last eight games. The Falcons host Mercyhurst this weekend.

2. RIT – The Tigers rebounded from being swept by sweeping Canisius. The Tigers have taken points in eight of their last 10 games and sit just one point behind Air Force for first place. They host Robert Morris this weekend. (more…)

Air Force – The Falcons are undefeated in their last eight games and continue to sit atop the standings. Stephan Carew scored twice for the Falcons. Kyle De Laurell had an assist and is just one point shy of tying his career high. Tim Kirby also scored. He now has 23 points on the season, tying his career high.

AIC – The Yellow Jackets score just three times en route to being swept by Bentley. They have now lost four straight. Adam Peskach, Steve Mele, and Nick Grasso accounted for all the Yellow Jackets scoring. Pleskach leads the team with 12 goals on the season.

Army – The Black Knights saw their three game winning streak snapped while being swept by Holy Cross. The Black Knights surrendered 10 goals while scoring just three. Mike Hull was involved in a three Black Knight goals, scoring twice and assisting on another. Andy Starczewski scored the other Black Knight goal and picked up an assist as well. Starczewski leads the team with a career best 19 points and 11 goals. (more…)