Snow wrecked havoc across New England this weekend, causing cancellation of some games. Every team except for Holy Cross and Sacred Heart were able to play at least once this weekend. All it means is that the standings are even tighter than ever. And with just three weeks left in the regular season, every point is vitally important.

1. Niagara – The Purple Eagles have clinched a first round bye and are closing in on the regular season title. They need just three points and the regular season title is their’s. It’s a real possibility that they’ll have it wrapped up this weekend. While the Purple Eagles have struggle some recently, they are still clearly the best team in Atlantic Hockey. They are 11th in the current Pairwise.

2. Holy Cross – The Crusaders were unable to play this weekend because of the snow. They’ll play the home-and-home with Sacred Heart on Feb. 19 and 26. (more…)

Only three series were completed this weekend as snow caused games throughout the Northeast to be postponed. The rest of the games are being played today and tomorrow. And with just three weeks left, every team knows exactly what they need to do. The games to be played include Bentley at UConn (Monday), Sacred Heart at Holy Cross (Tuesday), and Holy Cross at Sacred Heart (Feb. 19). Army at AIC still has no makeup date announced. (more…)

We’re coming down to the last few weeks of the regular season and things are just getting heated up. Teams had a chance to separate themselves from the pack this past weekend but only Niagara was able to extend it’s lead and all but seal their first Atlantic Hockey regular season title. Just seven points separate second place from tenth place. It should be another exciting finish to the Atlantic Hockey season.

1. Niagara – The Purple Eagles are without a doubt the best in Atlantic Hockey. They’ve only lost once in league play and are getting national attention. The Purple Eagles are ranked 15th in the USCHO poll, but more importantly are ninth in the PairWise. The face rival Canisius tonight and Saturday.

2.  Mercyhurst – The Lakers have clawed their way back to where we thought they would be at the beginning of the season. They have points in four straight games and sit in second place. It’s probably the highest the Lakers will climb as Niagara looks poised to claim to the regular season title. The Lakers host Air Force, who trail the Lakers by just three points, for two games this weekend. (more…)

Can the standings get any tighter than they are right now? Just five points separate second place Mercyhurst from tenth place RIT. Aside from Niagara (who pretty much have the top spot all but sealed up) and AIC and Sacred Heart (both stuck at the bottom of the standings), every other team has a shot of getting a first round bye. (more…)

The season is starting to wind down but things are as close as ever in Atlantic Hockey. Just six points separate second place from tenth place. One bad weekend and you could go from a first round bye to playing on the road in the first round of the playoffs. Every point is crucial at this point.

1. Niagara – It’s hard to pick against the Purple Eagles these days. Their only blemishes in Atlantic Hockey play were a loss at Holy Cross and a tie at RIT. They haven’t lost an Atlantic Hockey game at home this season.

2. Air Force – The Falcons have found their grove since the calendars turned to 2013, going 5-1-1. They currently ride a four game winning streak and a six game unbeaten streak. This stretch has vaulted the Falcons all the way up to second place.

3. Holy Cross – The Crusaders look like they’ve lost their way. They went 3-5 in January and scored more than two goals just once on those eight games. But they’re still in third place but have lots of company around them vying for the first round bye. (more…)

With just a little over a month left of the regular season, the Atlantic Hockey standings are as tight as ever. Only six points separate second place and tenth place, which means every weekend there’s a chance for teams to make drastic jumps in the standings. Niagara still leads the pack, nine points clear of second place, and barring any sudden slump, look set to claim their first Atlantic Hockey regular season title. The Purple Eagles have lost just one Atlantic Hockey game all season and are the only team with double digit Atlantic Hockey wins, right now. (more…)

For the first time in what seems like forever, all 12 Atlantic Hockey teams played two conference games this weekend. And 10 of those teams earned points. Only Sacred Heart (still winless) and American International went pointless. Currently six points separate second place Army and tenth place RIT. While not where the Tigers were expected to be, the standings show that they still have a chance to move up.

At this point, I don’t think anyone has a chance of catching Niagara. They hold an eight point edge over Army with two games in hand. The Purple Eagles have yet to lose an Atlantic Hockey game this year and haven’t allowed more than three goals in those games. (more…)

It’s time to get back into the swing of things. After the holiday break saw some teams play in tournaments while others had a break, it’s time to get the season going again. While there were not many conference games during this stretch, Atlantic Hockey teams certainly made their presence felt around the country. For starters,Niagara (17) continues to be ranked in the USCHO rankings. Atlantic Hockey teams are also in the Pairwise with Niagara (16) and Robert Morris (17).

Atlantic Hockey teams beat Maine, Clarkson, Penn State, Miami, Yale, St. Lawrence, and Northeastern over the break. Atlantic Hockey’s .383 inter-conference win percentage this season is the highest it’s ever been. Atlantic Hockey is currently 25-44-12 in out of conference games with just two more nonconference games to go. (more…)

BOSTON — Bentley defeated Northeastern, 6-3, Saturday night at Matthews Arena. Brett Hartung scored twice for the Falcons, and Branden Komm made 45 saves in the win. The victory was Bentley’s first since Nov. 24 against Mercyhurst. Meanwhile, the loss drops Northeastern to 2-6-0 in its last eight games.

What I Saw

• Northeastern’s defense missed assignments and reads that led directly to all of the Bentley goals. The Falcons’ converted on their chances efficiently, but Northeastern’s issues created the chances. Following the game, NU coach Jim Madigan said defensive play around the net was a focus area for his team. Regardless of the pairing, it’s clear NU still has some work to do. Bentley’s first goal came following a misplay behind the net and leaving Alex Grive open in the slot. Chris Rawlings wasn’t perfect on the night, but his teammates need to support him with more consistent play throughout the rink. (more…)

Portland, Maine- The first period was evenly played as Mercyhurst and Maine traded goals. Mercyhurst would score the first goal at three minutes, two seconds of the period on the power-play, as Nick Jones would take a point shot and Paul Chiasson would get the tip. Maine would score the second goal of the period as Steven Swavely won a faceoff right back to Joey Diamond and Diamond ripped one past the Laker goaltender, Jordan Tibbett to send the game into the first intermission knotted up at one apiece. The second period was a stalemate where neither team scored a goal to send the game into the third period tied at one.

In the third period Maine would score the only goal on the power-play as Kyle Beattie passed from the right corner to Ryan Lomberg, and Lomberg buried it to make it 2-1. Maine would hold on to that lead and defeat the Lakers, 2-1. Maine improves to 5-11-2 on the season and wins their third game in a row, while Mercyhurst falls to 8-7-1. (more…)