The standings have stayed remarkably close at the top and bottom of the Hockey East standings, with three points separating the top five. Boston University begins the coming weekend in first place followed closely by Umass-Lowell one point behind. Merrimack and Boston College are two points behind tied for third and Maine is three points behind in fifth place. Three points also separate sixth to ninth place as New Hampshire, Providence, Northeastern and Massachusetts will head into the home stretch fighting for positioning and their playoff lives.

With the standings so close, every conference game will be huge in the coming weeks. The three Boston schools and Vermont will play only one game in conference this weekend, while everyone else will play two. After this weekend Maine and New Hampshire will be the only two teams that will have games in hand on anyone else. Two game weekend series will become the norm in the final three weeks, but for this weekend we have eight conference games. Here’s to previewing this weekend’s tilts. (more…)

Not much changes in this week’s power rankings with many teams splitting their weekend series. Air Force jumps back to No.1 with a sweep of RIT while Niagara continues to rise after a seven game winning streak. Outside of the top four teams in the power rankings, there was very little shakeup from last week. And teams tightly packed in the standings, every game from hereon out is huge.

1. Air Force – The Falcons regain the top spot with a sweep of RIT. They are unbeaten in six straight games but will be tested against a very hot Niagara team this weekend.

2. Mercyhurst – The Lakers ended Niagara’s seven game winning streak but now will be on the road for four of their last six games. It starts this weekend with a home-and-home against Robert Morris. (more…)

This weekend further separated the top half from the bottom half, as every matchup between a top-five team and bottom-five team went to the favorite. Within those two groups, though, there was once again plenty of movement. The top five should give us one of the best races for the regular-season title in league history.

1. Massachusetts-Lowell (18-7-0, 13-6-0 HE) — Last week: 1

The River Hawks stay in the top spot after taking care of business against Vermont, as they beat the Catamounts 3-1 on Friday and 6-4 on Saturday. Lowell has now won four in a row and 13 of its last 16. Scott Wilson had two goals and three assists on the weekend and leads all Hockey East rookies with 13 goals and 26 points. The River Haws now enter their toughest stretch of the season, as their next six games read Merrimack, Maine, BU, BU, Merrimack, Merrimack.

2. Boston University (17-8-1, 13-6-1 HE) — Last week: 4

BU picked up a big 4-1 win at Merrimack on Friday before beating Harvard 3-1 in the first round of the Beanpot. Chris Connolly led the way with two goals and an assist Friday, while Wade Megan tallied a pair of goals Monday. It might not seem fair to move the Terriers ahead of a Maine team that swept them just two weekends ago, but their win on Friday put a little bit of distance between them and the Black Bears in the standings. (more…)

BOSTON – Boston College trumped Northeastern tonight 7-1 in the first round of the 60^th Beanpot Tournament. Two shorthanded goals by junior Steve Whitney helped lead the Eagles to the victory. For Northeastern, it was another disappointing loss for a team that hasn’t seen a Beanpot championship in 23 years.

Earlier today, Wade Megan scored two goals to give Boston University a win over Harvard. They’ll face off against rival BC next Monday to determine the 2012 Beanpot winner. 

What I saw

BC looked ever the confident, calm, cool and collected team that they are when they took the ice in the first and quickly propped themselves up 2-0. On the other hand, Northeastern looked shaky from the start. Maybe it was the nerves of playing for something their predecessors haven’t been able to win for 23 years, maybe it was the lack of top scorers Steve Quailer and Cody Ferriero, whatever the reason the Huskies didn’t play their best tonight.

But a few of BC’s veteran players did, and that’s what not only gave them a win, but also gave them a blowout. Senior Barry Almeida scored a power play goal and one assist and junior Steven Whitney going for two shorthanded goals.  Even young players had on nights; with freshman Johnny Gaudreau scoring two goals and tallying one assist in his first Beanpot.

What I thought

This was a sheer outmatching of talent. Especially without top scorers Quailer and Ferriero, Northeastern was simply outplayed by the incredibly skilled Eagles. The Huskies managed Friday night against a basically evenly skilled UMass team, but it was clear they struggled tonight without two of their first line skaters.

Northeastern needs to shoot the puck. Shots on goal were 46-23 in BC’s favor, and the fact that BC took twice the shots they did says it all. It’s been a problem for this team all season, especially when it comes to success and the power play. They’re going to have to change that up if they want to stay in playoff position or see any success in the postseason.

Despite the massive win, BC is going to have to work a little harder to beat the number one team in the country next week. They played incredibly well tonight, but BU will be the real test.

What they said

“We, as a team, haven’t been playing as well as we are capable of. We were just looking forward to getting that win, we were on track we swept UNH last weekend and we just wanted to keep things rolling. Coming out here and beating Northeastern seven to one, I think that as a team we’re playing really well and it should carry over into next weekend.”

— Johnny Gaudreau

“They outplayed us, they outcoached us, they wanted it more than us. They were much more hungry, they were strong on the pucks, right from the get go they took it to us.

“We get schooled today, bad…It was like boys against men tonight.”

— Jim Madigan

What they didn’t say

Jim Madigan is always positive in regards to the “rock” of his team, goaltender Chris Rawlings. He explained his decision to start Clay Witt in the third by saying that the team wasn’t playing well in front of Rawlings, and at 5-1 there was no need to keep him in when he’s needed in a conference game Friday. Regardless of how his team was playing in front of him, Rawlings let in goals tonight that he shouldn’t have, and that had nothing to do with anyone but himself.

When asked if playing BU in the final Beanpot game was a more exciting experience than playing Northeastern or Harvard, Steven Whitney began his answer with a long pause and one word, “um”. He went on to say it was “a little bit” more exciting, but the long pause said it all. The two teams have played in 21 Beanpot championships, and it’s clear that the real Beanpot rivalry is between these two.

What else you should know

BC and BU will face off next Monday in the Beanpot final. It will be the twenty-second time the two teams have met in the championship in the history of the tournament.

BC’s seven goals are good for the most scored in the first round since 1997, and they matched their seven goals from last year’s 7-6 overtime win against the Huskies.

The BC senior class is now 6-1 in Beanpot appearances, trying for their third championship in a row.

This is Northeastern’s fifth straight loss to Eagles. They haven’t seen in a win against BC in almost a year, the last time being Feb. 19, 2011. In addition, Jim Madigan becomes the eighth first year coach to lose in his first Beanpot appearance.

While the Beanpot loss has to sting, Northeastern must regroup quickly with a road game at UNH looming at the end of the week. At eighth place, the Huskies need two points to keep themselves in playoff position and fend off ninth place UMass, a team that’s just a win behind them. A win Friday would bump Northeastern up above, UNH, currently tied for sixth and one point ahead.

BOSTON — Wade Megan scored twice and Kieran Millan made 29 saves, as Boston University defeated Harvard, 3-1, in the first Beanpot Seminal Monday night at the TD Garden.

Megan scored the second and third Terrier goals after Matt Nieto gave BU a 1-0 lead at 8 minutes, 14 seconds of the first period. Both of Megan’s goals came the second period and effectively put the Crimson away. Alex Killorn’s 15th goal of the season cut the BU lead to 3-1 at 15:27 of the second period, but Harvard failed to draw any closer.

The Terriers will play the winner of the second semifinal, between Boston College and Northeastern, next Monday night.

What I Saw

• Kieran Millan was very sharp throughout the game for BU. The senior made 19 saves through two periods — hardly a staggering amount — but Harvard created some quality scoring chances off the rush and with long possessions. Millan brushed all but one of the attempts aside and covered pucks well. With BU leading, 1-0, in the first, Harvard freshman Colin Blackwell broke in alone on Millan and looked to have the senior beat with a pretty forehand fake. Millan recovered, however, and kicked out the left pad just as the freshman released his shot. Blackwell and other Harvard players kept the pressure on throughout the game, trying to cut into the Terriers’ lead. Millan never relented, though, matching the Crimson and sealing the victory with impressive saves late in the game. (more…)

Air Force – The Falcons are back on top of the Atlantic Hockey standings. After a slow start to 2012, the Falcons are off and running, riding a six game unbeaten streak. The Falcons swept RIT this weekend, surrendering just two goals. Jason Torf received both starts in net and produced his first shutout of the season on Friday. Tim Kirby had a goal and two assists. He has recorded points in eight of the last 10 games.

AIC – The Yellow Jackets scored just one goal while being swept by Holy Cross. Niellson Arcibal scored his sixth of the year to account for the Yellow Jackets only scoring.

Army – The Black Knights are riding a winning streak for the first time this season. Their 9-1 victory over the Royal Military Academy. Mike Hull, Zak Zaremba, and Danny Colvin all scored twice for the Black Knights. Marcel Alvarez chipped in with three assists. Matt Walsh made his first appearance of the season in net,  stopping both shots he faced. (more…)

As the second half of the season races by and most teams are in hot pursuit of crucial conference points, four Boston teams gather at TD Garden in pursuit of something else, hardware and bragging rights.

The first Monday of February is upon us, and it’s Beanpot time.

The tournament brings with it storylines of Beanpots past: this year all four coaches have won the tournament as players for their respective teams.

All four teams also enter the tournament coming off wins. The only team with the weekend off, Boston College defeated University of New Hampshire 3-2 last weekend. Boston University took two points from #4 Merrimack with a 4-1 win on Friday while Northeastern secured a more comfortable position for playoff hopes by breaking their 7^th place tie with University of Massachusetts with a 4-3 overtime win. In ECAC play, Harvard trumped Quinnipiac 6-3, also on Friday.

These four teams are coming in hot, all poised for playoff contentions in their respective leagues.

(more…)

LOWELL, Mass. — UMass-Lowell exploded for six goals Saturday night as they beat Vermont 6-4 in a game that decided the season series. The River Hawks took a 2-0 lead just six minutes in when Chad Ruhwedel and Terrence Wallin scored 56 seconds apart. After Sebastian Stalberg (2g) scored later in the first, Scott Wilson (1g, 2a) restored the two-goal lead for Lowell (18-7-0, 13-6-0 HE) just 1:12 later.

Kyle Reynolds (1g, 3a) cut the deficit to one for Vermont (5-21-1, 2-17-1 HE) late in the first, but Derek Arnold and Colin Wright scored in the second to give the River Hawks a three-goal cushion entering the third. The Catamounts staged a late comeback and cut the lead to 5-4 with 49 seconds remaining, but then Josh Holmstrom (1g, 1a) sealed the win with an empty-netter.

What I saw

-Vermont starter Alex Vazzano got pulled six minutes into the game after giving up two goals on five shots. There wasn’t a whole lot he could’ve done on the first goal, as Ruhwedel had time to walk in from the point and snipe the top right corner. The second, however, was one he’d like to have back. Wallin took a slap shot from about three feet outside the blue line and it sailed right past Vazzano’s blocker. Rob Madore played well for a few minutes off the bench, but wound up surrendering three goals on 23 shots.

-Lowell showed some good resolve early in the second after having a goal waved off. Sometimes having a goal taken back can deflate a team, but the River Hawks didn’t slow down at all and wound up scoring just 28 seconds after the review. After Rob Madore stopped Riley Wetmore’s (2a) initial shot, Arnold found the rebound in the crease and banged it home to give the River Hawks a 4-2 lead. (more…)

Durham, NH. – UNH came out rocking in the first period and scored three goals in the first 14 minutes to propel them to a 3-1 victory on Friday night over a struggling Providence College team. Although the final two periods did not bring the same success for UNH, Casey Desmith became the star of the show making 37 saves on the 38 shots that Providence sent his way. Providence tightened up defensively in the second and third periods. The Friars allowed the Wildcats only 12 shots combined in the final two periods, but the three goal deficit proved to be too much to come back from.

Providence drops to 10-13-2 on the season, which drops them out of the TUC category of the Pairwise rankings. The Friars also drop to 8-9-1 in conference and their 17 points is good for sixth place in the conference, but they saw their lead dwindle to just one point over seventh place and two points ahead of eighth. UNH improved their record to 10-14-2 on the season and 7-11-1 in Hockey East. With the win and a Northeastern win over UMass, UNH moved into the all important eight place position ahead of the Minutemen by one point and sit just two points out of sixth place Providence.

What I Saw

-UNH came out strong to the tune of three first period goals but they seemed to tire quickly. Senior defenseman, Damon Kipp, was out of the game for UNH and the Wildcats played with just five defensemen. By the second period, these defensemen seemed to tire out on the big sheet, as the extra forward never played a shift in the game. This tiring out seemed to effect the effectiveness of UNH in the second and third periods.

-Providence shot themselves in the foot early in the game, with missed assignments and two key penalties midway through the first period. UNH capitalized on both these powerplays and took a 3-0 lead into the dressing. Despite dominating UNH in the final two periods, providence still played from behind and were never able to gain the momentum necessary to complete a comeback. (more…)

NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. — Boston University beat Merrimack 4-1 Friday night to take the season series from the Warriors (14-6-5, 10-5-3 HE). The Terriers (16-8-1, 13-6-1 HE) opened the scoring just 1:29 into the first when Chris Connolly beat Joe Cannata (16 saves) with a wrist shot from the right circle. BU increased the lead to 3-0 when Sahir Gill and Alex Chiasson scored less than a minute apart late in the second. Connolly added his second of the game 14:29 into the third before Mike Collins snapped Kieran Millan’s (28 saves) shutout bid with 1:42 left in the game.

What I saw

-BU’s new top line dominated. Chris Connolly and Alex Chiasson have been playing together for a while, but this week Terrier coach Jack Parker opted to move Matt Nieto up to that line in place of Wade Megan. The swap paid off big time, as that trio combined for three of BU’s four goals. After the game, Merrimack coach Mark Dennehy said that line gave his team “fits” and acknowledged that BU’s top players were the best players on the ice Friday night.

-After getting outplayed for most of the first, the Warriors got off to a much better start in the second in terms of puck possession. Unfortunately for them, they struggled to generate quality scoring chances and failed to beat an on-point Millan. Their inability to do anything when they were in control wound up costing them, as BU scored two goals in less than a minute later in the period to put Merrimack in a 3-0 hole it couldn’t overcome. (more…)