Thoughts on the week that was:
- More domination for the NCHA. The league went 13-3 against the neighboring MIAC to improve to 25-6-1 so far this season in interconference play. MIAC teams dropped in the poll as a result, while upstarts like UW-Stout are ranked on the basis of their success the past two weekends.
- Manhattanville is for real. The Valiants beat Curry 9-2 and Wentworth 6-2 to remain unbeaten on the season. They’re the Oakland Raiders of Division III – rivals with many teams and often the team fans love to hate. And like the football Raiders, the Valiants feature players that transfer in from other schools, mostly D-I programs. Manhattanville picked up several players when Iona droped hockey a couple of years ago, and currently feature transfers from Quinnipiac, Bemidji and Canisius. Whatever formula coach and Athletic Director Keith Leventhal is using, it’s working well. One other Raiders comparison since I’m on a roll – teams hate playing at the Playland Ice Casino, a quirky rink, where, according to the Valiants, “The house always wins.” Not always, but Manhattanville is 30-3-2 at home in the regular season over the past four years.
- Speaking of home ice advantage, does Fredonia have two sets of Blue Devils? The ones that play at Steele Hall have lost once in their past 26 games at home, dating back to the 2003-2004 season. The other set of Blue Devils are the ones that travel, apparently. Fredonia is 10-15-4 on the road over the same timeframe, and was shutout 8-0 and 3-0 at Oswego and Cortland this past weekend.
