Saturday, December 31, 2011
Winter Classic 2012: Skating into the New Year with Some Outdoor Hockey
Happy New Year!
Enjoy US College Hockey Online's selection of their best photos of the year!: http://www.uscho.com/photos/2011/12/31/our-best-shots-of-2011/
Friday, December 30, 2011
NFL Week 17 Preview & Predictions
- Breakdown: The Giants are coming off a game they had to win against the Jets, which they won. Quarterback Eli Manning and wide receiver Victor Cruz are really starting to click. Last week, the Cowboys lost to the Eagles. Tony Romo was injured in that game, but the team says he is ready to play. But how effective will be? If you are a Cowboys fan, you just better hope this game doesn't come down to a field goal attempt with time winding down.
- Prediction: Giants 20 Cowboys 17
- What this would mean: The Giants would be in, the Cowboys would be out
- Breakdown: The Baltimore Ravens have already clinched their playoff spot, but don't tell them this game shouldn't be important to them. They need a win Sunday to secure the division title and first-round bye. In the AFC North, divisional pride is a very important thing. Additionally, it is important for the Ravens because their home record is 8-0, while their away record is a lackluster 3-4 entering Sunday. For the Cincinnati Bengals, they know they control their own fate. If they win, there in the playoffs. If they lose, they could still make it, but they don't want to have to think about that. Rookie quarterback Andy Dalton has gotten the job done all year, but his team needs him to step up now.
- Prediction: Bengals 20 Ravens 16
- What this would mean: The Ravens and Bengals would get both AFC wild card spots
- Breakdown: As was aforementioned, the Pittsburgh Steelers are playing for the division title. They would like that first-round bye to help heal quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. Big Ben plans on playing, but how effective will he be and how long will he play. Backup Charlie Batch played well last week. The Cleveland Browns aren't going to give the Steelers' a yard more than they can help, let alone the win. The Browns would love to send their rival Steelers into the playoffs on a sour note and will be coming after Roethlisberger full throttle.
- Prediction: Steelers 20 Browns 6
- What this would mean: Steelers would be in line for the division title and first-round bye if the Ravens lost
- Breakdown: Hey Denver, do you remember Kyle Orton? Well guess what? He is going to be the starting quarterback of the team trying to knock your team out of the playoffs. The Denver Broncos decided to switch starting quarterbacks to Tim Tebow. They decided to give Orton a chance to start elsewhere, so they waived him. What the Broncos didn't expect, was that the Chiefs would claim him and that he would be playing against them with the playoffs on the line. For the Broncos to win, Tebow needs to limit his mistakes, especially turnovers, and the Broncos defense needs to step up and play well again.
- Prediction: Broncos 16 Chiefs 13
- What this would mean: Broncos would win the AFC West
- Breakdown: Like the Chiefs, the San Diego Chargers can try to play spoiler to a divisional foe. This season didn't go like the Chargers had planned. It started great with a 4-1 record, but then they lost six games in a row. They simply couldn't recover from the losing streak. The Oakland Raiders have been a streaky team all year. They brought in quarterback Carson Palmer to lead them to the playoffs. Now, they need him to step up and make that happen. The Raiders defense will try and force turnovers, which the Chargers have been susceptible to giving up all year.
- Prediction: Raiders 20 Chargers 10
- What this would mean: The Raiders would be in line for a chance at winning the AFC West title or one of the wild card spots
- Breakdown: The Houston Texans have already clinched their first playoff berth in franchise history. They will focus on getting players healthy and comfortable this week. Star wide receiver Andre Johnson returns to the lineup for the hosts. The Tennessee Titans are still alive for the last wild card spot in the playoffs. They need some help though to set up what would be a rematch with the Texans in the playoffs. If the Titans don't make the playoffs, they don't have anyone to blame but themselves, especially after they lost to the previously winless Indianapolis Colts.
- Prediction: Titans 20 Texans 17
- What this would mean: The Titans would have an outside shot at the last wild card spot
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Pesky Piscataway Performance Pulls Upset Win in Double Overtime
Holiday Tournaments Allow Inter-Conference Battles
But holiday hockey tournaments certainly don't appear to hold much weight at first glance. Or second glance for that matter. But one of the most overlooked parts of college hockey during the holidays is the chance for each conference to make a statement for itself.
Much like its older and larger brother, NCAA football, collegiate-level hockey teams often do not get the privilege of playing out-of-conference games until right around the beginning of the new year. When that happens, it gives the conferences a chance to make statements about the quality of teams it hosts. The more well-known conferences play to prove themselves the best; the smaller conferences play for recognition; meanwhile, the middle-of-the-road collaboration of teams goes out to prove it is top-notch and not to be ignored.
During this opening Thursday night, sixteen teams representing five conferences faced off for inter-conference battles on the hockey rink (the exception being UConn and Army, who faced each other as fellow members of the American Hockey Athletic conference).
Below, you will find the scores of all tonight's eight games, along with the conferences each team represents:
Maine (Hockey East) : 6 Clarkson (ECAC) : 1
Michigan State (CCHA) : 3 Michigan Tech (WCHA): 1
Lake Superior (CCHA) : 5 Vermont (Hockey East) : 3
R.I.T. (AHA) : 3 Ferris State (CCHA) : 0
U-Mass Lowell (Hockey East) : 7 R.P.I. (ECAC) : 2
UConn (AHA) : 2 Army (AHA) : 0
Michigan (CCHA) : 4 Boston College (Hockey East) : 2
St. Cloud State (WCHA) : 4 Western Michigan (CCHA) : 2
Now. Here are the records for each conference thus far in the holiday tournaments:
American Hockey Athletics (AHA) : 2-1
Hockey East: 2-2
Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA): 3-2
East Coast Athletic Conference (ECAC): 0-2
Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA): 1-1
At this point, strictly by mathematics, it's very close between the CCHA and AHA conferences. Going by percentages, AHA would lead with 66.7% success at this point in the tournaments. The CCHA would come in second with 60%. However, it should be noted that the CCHA has more overall wins than the AHA (as well as two additional teams playing); and also, two AHA teams played each other, automatically giving the conference a win and loss.
Based on scores and performance by the teams, I'd say the CCHA and Hockey East look to be the best teams out there in the tournaments. As far as championship games go, the CCHA will have both Michigan and Michigan State play each other, guaranteeing a tournament win. Lake Superior will play R.I.T., which hails from the AHA, for the Catamount Cup in Vermont. For Hockey East, both Maine and U-Mass Lowell will be in championship games on Friday night.
Things should get interesting over the weekend, as conferences battle each other in tournament hockey. Which team will come out with the most tournament titles? Who knows.
Just pass the chips, ring-in the end of the world, and catch some holiday hockey.
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Two Unbeatens Fall, While One Rises to the Occasion
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
UConn Freshman Drummond Turns Down Scolarship and Becomes a Walk-On
Drummond was the number #2 ranked recruit in the class of 2011, but didn't decide to come to UConn until a few days before classes began in August. The problem was that the Huskies didn't have a scholarship to offer him due to how late of notice it was and the fact that they lost one scholarship because of NCAA violations and two more because of a poor academic performance rating.
When this was realized, redshirt freshman Michael Bradley offered to give up his scholarship, so that Drummond could get one. Bradley had overcome a rough childhood, some of which was spent in the Tennessee Baptist Children's Home. This meant that he could likely receive some financial aid from the university.
This decision made for much uproar from many observers. They felt that while it was legal for a player to do this, it was wrong for a player to "volunteer" his scholarship just so a better player could get it.
However, Andre Drummond decided he wasn't going to take it. "I'm thankful for what Mike was trying to do for me," Drummond said Tuesday. "I told Mike, 'Don't do that, man. I'll pay my way and take a scholarship next year. You don't have to give up a scholarship for me.' "It was my decision. That's not fair to him. He worked hard to get that scholarship. I'm not going to take something from somebody that's not mine. It was my decision to come late."
This is good news all around for UConn. The Huskies are showing signs of playing well as a team both on and off the court. They enter Big East play tomorrow night with a record of 10-1. On Monday, Drummond earned Big East Rookie of the Week honors for the first of what will likely be many times this year. Last year's national champions look loaded and ready for a run at back-to-back titles.
Monday, December 26, 2011
Out of Luck: Notre Dame's Irish Shocked with Winless Streak
Notre Dame took an eleven-game undefeated streak from October 21 thru November 25th, the longest active streak in the nation. During that period, the Irish outscored their opponents 34-21, with goaltender Mike Johnson allowing more than two goals/game only once (Johnson had a .5 GAA during that span). Despite some close games, Notre Dame seemed destined to win, even rising to the #2 team in the country.
But finally, Lake Superior State found the magic they needed, ending Notre Dame's streak with a 5-2 victory in Sault, Michigan. And while LSSU celebrated their victory, the Irish boarded the bus back to South Bend to await their weekend against a no-name Northeastern University squad, in preparation for the "real" test against #11 Ferris State.
Perhaps that's only speculation. But it helps explain the next four games.
Because ever since then, the Irish have struggled. They showed up at Compton Ice Arena with a chip on their shoulder from the loss at Lake Superior. But as fans across the country looked up at the jumbo-trons in their respective arenas on Friday night, they blinked twice and rubbed their eyes as the final score from South Bend flashed up on the screen. 9-2 Northeastern.
Same story the next night. Just a little closer. Not that it mattered.
Northeastern wins, 2-1.
It wasn't exactly the prep weekend the Irish were hoping for. The practice weekend for Notre Dame turned into them surrendering their first sweep of the season. Just in time for a Ferris State team the came out blitzing the Irish, shutting down an offense led by Anders Lee and TJ Tynan. The Bulldogs took the first game 4-1.
The winless streak was something quite unforeseen just two weeks ago for Coach Jackson's Irish. Notre Dame is not supposed to lose four straight games, at least in the eyes of Irish Nation.
But that Saturday, Notre Dame rebounded. The Irish came out Saturday night and split the series with Ferris State with a reflection of Friday's game: 4-1, this time for Notre Dame.
With that win, the Irish hope to be propelled into their three games over Christmas break with as much momentum as they can. It won't be an easy break either; games for Notre Dame include Boston University, the Minnesota Golden Gophers, and an exhibition against the Russian Red Stars.
The losing streak may be over, but Notre Dame's work to regain momentum is not. Fortunately, they are still listed near the top of the nation (currently #6), and are coming off a solid road win against Ferris State. A tough Christmas break will tell the country a lot about the future of this team's season.
The Leprechaun is on his knees now. But he's getting back up.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
RG3's Heisman Caps Off His Really Good 3rd Season
Baylor isn't traditionally considered to be among the top tier of the Big 12, let alone all of college football. In 1980, the Bears last won a conference championship when they won the Southwestern Conference. They hadn't had a winning season since 1995, until a young quarterback with dreadlocks, named Robert Griffin III showed up on campus.
The path to greatness wasn't easy for Griffin though. In 2008, Griffin played well as a freshman and won Big 12 Freshman of the Year. His 2009 season was ended in the third game of the season due to injury. He was redshirted that season. Last season, Griffin led the Bears to a 7-6 record and a bowl berth.
In the preseason poll, Baylor was picked to finish sixth in the Big 12. But viewers watched as RG3 took his game to another level. He led Baylor to a 9-3 finish, including three Top 25 wins. The Bears finished #12 in the final BCS poll and earned a place in the Alamo Bowl against Washington.
Griffin's numbers for the season so far are impressive to say the least. He has thrown for 3,998 yards and 36 touchdowns. Being a dual-threat quarterback, he has additionally run for 644 yards and 9 touchdowns. RG3 is also on pace (192.31) to set a NCAA single-season record in passing efficiency.
In 3+ seasons, Griffin has set 52 school records in passing, rushing, and total offense. He is known as a young man of great character and an upstanding student both on and off the field. He is considered to be a NFL Draft prospect, but he also has law school aspirations. RG3 is also well-known for his collection of outlandish socks. Check out the link below to see the Superman socks he wore with his suit when he won the Heisman.
Picture of the Superman socks: http://mit.zenfs.com/214/2011/12/RG3_socks.jpg
RG3 Highlight Reel: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdNnvnlTmbA
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
UEFA Champions League Group Action Reaction - 12/7/11
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
NHL's Radical Realignment Brings Big Changes
The simple plan people thought would take place was for the Jets to move to the Central Division and either the Detroit Red Wings or Columbus Blue Jackets would move to the Southeast. In regards to this, Commissioner Gary Bettman stated that "The simple one wasn't as simple as it looked when you got done with it." Reports stated that some clubs didn't approve of this move either.
Thus, the scope broadened and the league discussed bigger changes. One concern that was expressed was the large amount of travel some Western Conference teams, such as Detroit, Dallas, Columbus, and Nashville, have to do during the course of the season.
From about an hour of deliberation between team representatives, a new four conference idea began to emerge. For the realignment to be approved, 20 out of the 30 teams had to approve. The teams have already approved the decision. The NHLPA has expressed concern and claims it needs to approve as well, but Bettman denies this claim.
Teams are pleased with the new conference alignment. They were concerned about keeping historic rivalries alive. "It was important to us to stay with longtime rivals. Not just Philly ... I think it was important to us to make sure we maintained the rivalries that we developed over the years and they're very good rivalries and our fans love to hate some of the teams we play against. I'm sure their fans love to hate us, too. So we're encouraged by that," Penguins CEO and President David Morehouse said Monday. "In the end, I think this will be a good thing for the league."
The proposed realignment creates two eight team conferences and two seven team conferences. This was a wise decision for two reasons. First, the looming sale of Phoenix Coyotes could have created a problem. However, the NHL solved this by placing the Coyotes in one of the eight team conferences. While the NHL wants to keep the team in Phoenix, it seems unlikely that a buyer will want to keep them there. This allows a new owner to move the team basically anywhere. Based on the new geographic location, the team could remain in the same division or switch to one of the two seven team conferences. Second, this opens up the opportunity for expansion down the road. The NHL could add two teams to even out the conferences to have eight teams each. There has been some interest in moving the Coyotes to and/or starting an expansion francise in Canada. Media tycoon Pierre Karl Peladeau is already building a $400 million arena in Quebec City and has openly expressed his desire to own a team.
Below is the proposed realignment. Reports state that the change could occur as soon as next season. Conference names have yet to be determined. The original idea was to develop geographical names, but a new idea that is popular among fans is to bring back the original division names of Adams, Patrick, Norris and Smythe.
Conference “A”
• Anaheim
• Calgary
• Colorado
• Edmonton
• Los Angeles
• Phoenix
• San Jose
• Vancouver
Conference “B”
• Chicago
• Columbus
• Dallas
• Detroit
• Minnesota
• Nashville
• St. Louis
• Winnipeg
Conference “C”
• Boston
• Buffalo
• Florida
• Montreal
• Ottawa
• Tampa Bay
• Toronto
Conference “D”
• Carolina
• New Jersey
• New York Islanders
• New York Rangers
• Philadelphia
• Pittsburgh
• Washington
Northeastern's Sudden Streak Shocks Nation
But you never would have guessed it with their 1-7-0 start to the season. After that nightmare beginning to the 2011-12 campaign, the Huskies have gone streaking. NU has won its last five games, outscoring their opponents 24-7. That's an average score, when rounded, of 5-1 victories.
These aren't pushover wins, either. They defeated current #20 Providence College 5-2. The shut down a struggling Vermont squad 4-1, and dealt the former #19 Michigan Wolverines a 4-1 loss at Yost Arena.
Not bad at all.
But then the shocker came.
Northeastern went into South Bend and blasted #2 Notre Dame 9-2. Yeah. Indescribable.
Kinda like when they came out the next night and completed the sweep. 2-1 Huskies.
Trying to figure out how a team with such a bad start could suddenly come out strong? Yeah, me too. But it's interesting to look at the 7 game winless streak the Huskies had near the beginning of the year. They lost twice to former-#1 Merrimack, and tied them once. They lost twice to now-#3 Boston College. They lost one game each to New Hampshire and UMass.
Was the lack of success only influenced by a schedule from hell? Not necessarily. But seriously, when you play two of the best teams in the nation FIVE TIMES in a seven game span, it's gonna be hard to pull off a victory.
And now the Huskies are through with the losing streak. Northeastern has deposed of the nation's best teams, and holds a five game win streak.
And it's going to take a heck of an effort to slow them down now.
Monday, December 5, 2011
Stanford Cardinal are Finally Champions
Sunday, December 4, 2011
The Real Big 12 Bowl Snub
Saturday, December 3, 2011
NFL Week 13 Preview & Predictions (Abbreviated Form)
Fail to the Victors: Michigan Winless in Seven Straight
12 points on the year. (http://www.ccha.com/default.aspx)
Wow.
Friday, December 2, 2011
College Football Week 14 Preview & Predictions
5. #24 Southern Miss @ #6 Houston - 12:00 PM EST, ABC
The University of Houston's football team has convincingly kept doing one thing all season. That is winning football games. The Cougars are looking for their thirteenth win and a perfect regular season. They get to play Southern Miss at home in the Conference USA Championship. After finishing a disappointing 5-7 last season, Houston is one win away from their first ever BCS bowl game bid and would become the first ever Conference USA team to play in the Bowl Championship Series. The Cougars' potent offense is led at quarterback by Heisman candidate Case Keenum. The Cougars' defense has also steadily improved throughout the season. The Southern Miss offense is led by quarterback Austin Davis and running back Jamal Woodyard. The Golden Eagles are going to need to get these two guys to play stellar games in order to have a shot at the upset win. Prediction: Houston 52 Southern Miss 31
4. #15 Wisconsin vs. #13 Michigan State - 8:17 PM EST, FOX
If the inaugural Big Ten Championship is anything like the first matchup of these two teams, this game is going to be stellar. On October 22, Michigan State quarterback Kirk Cousins completed a 44-yard Hail Mary pass to Keith Nichol as time expired. Both teams come into tomorrow's game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on a four-game winning streak. Michigan State's offense will center around Cousins once again. You should keep an eye on his favorite target, wide receiver B.J. Cunningham, as well. Wisconsin's dual-threat offense hasn't scored less than 28 points in any game this season. Quarterback Russell Wilson has been extremely efficient on the season, but two of his three interceptions on the season came against the Spartans earlier this season. Running back Montee Ball is playing like a beast. He had four rushing touchdowns against Penn State last week. We also can't forget about these two defenses. The Spartans and Badgers have two of the top six scoring defenses in the country. The winner of this game gets the automatic bid to the Rose Bowl. Prediction: Wisconsin 31 Michigan State 20
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Ohio State's Dismantling of Duke is Just the Start of What Should Be a Revealing Week
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Maurice and Boudreau are Checked Out From Their Head Coaching Posts
Monday, November 28, 2011
Who Will the Texans turn to at Quarterback Now?
Friday, November 25, 2011
NFL Week 12 Preview & Predictions
Thursday, November 24, 2011
College Football Week 13 Preview & Predictions
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
UEFA Champions League Group Action Reaction - 11/23/11
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
What Does MVP Really Mean in MLB?
"I'd wrestled with this for a long time. If I was ever going to vote for pitcher for MVP, it would be him this year."
"He hasn't appeared in 79 percent of their games, any starting pitcher really doesn't appear in 79 percent of his team's games in a year."
"Would you vote for an NFL quarterback for MVP if he only appeared in three of his team's 16 games, which would be 21 percent? So that's part of it. Another part of it is I think they're apples and oranges. The guys that are in there every day, there's a grind to a season that a starting pitcher doesn't, I don't think, experience the way the everyday position players do playing 150, 160 games."
By not putting Verlander on his ballot, Ingraham was trying to make a point. While I wouldn't have thought to leave Verlander of my ballot, I appreciate Ingraham's audacity. I fully agree with his argument. Verlander played in about 1/5 of the Tigers games. He could not be the MVP of 4/5 of their games. That is simply to much to ignore. Jacoby Ellsbury was the glue that held the Boston Red Sox together this season. While everyone will remember the team's historic collapse and all the fallout from it, they should also remember Ellsbury's career year. In my opinion, he should have been this year's AL MVP.
Monday, November 21, 2011
Sidney Crosby Looks Like His Old Self
Homeboys: UNH Comes Home to Turn Season Around
The New Hampshire Wildcats, coming off a trip to the Northeast Regional Final just a year ago, dropped their first four hockey games of the year, stunning both Hockey East and every NCAA Division 1 program. Not only could they not find a win, but they could not buy a goal. UNH went 122:24 into the season without a goal, and 183:17 with just a single goal.
All that changed when the Wildcats hit a four game homestand, which turned into a four game win streak.
The Whittemore Center saw UNH begin to correct a tailspin season. The Wildcats chalked up wins over Union College, Northeastern, Massachusetts, and Maine, scoring 17 goals in the four game span. After a 3-3 road trip at Vermont, UNH came back to Whittemore, shutting out UMass-Lowell 5-0.
However, it would be unfair to both the Wildcats and their fans to suggest that UNH is on the path to the NCAA tournament once again. The fact remains the New Hampshire has been struggling this season, and unless they can figure out how to win on the road, they are in for a long season (coming off a weekend loss at Boston University 4-1 doesn't help either). But if they can build off the momentum they've had at home, perhaps UNH can salvage a season, and maybe...just maybe...make another run deep into the playoffs.
Keep an eye out for the Wildcats this week, as they travel to Harvard on Tuesday night, before hosting the Chargers of Alabama-Huntsville on Saturday.