USCHO Spotlight

American International clinched its third consecutive Atlantic Hockey regular season championship – no small feat for a team that few had heard of five years ago. Head coach Eric Lang joins hosts Jim Connelly (@jimmyconnelly) and Ed Trefzger (@EdTrefzger) to talk about the growth of the "Gonzaga" of college hockey, a team that lost 10 seniors but which didn't skip a beat, the recovery of Eric Otto...

Last weekend, North Dakota clinched the NCHC regular season trophy, the Penrose Cup. Fighting Hawks head coach Brad Berry joins hosts Jim Connelly (@jimmyconnelly) and Ed Trefzger (@EdTrefzger) to talk about this year's team, the competitiveness and rivalries in the conference, keeping talented seniors for four seasons, and the challenges of a single-elimination Frozen Faceoff this season.

With a commitment to making this season's tournament happen, the NCAA men's D-I ice hockey committee has had a lot on its plate. Committee chair Mike Kemp, associate athletic director at Omaha, joins hosts Jim Connelly (@jimmyconnelly) and Ed Trefzger (@EdTrefzger) to answer questions about the 2021 tournament, including selecting the field of 16, whether there will be fans allowed at the regional...

NCHC commissioner Josh Fenton joins hosts Jim Connelly (@jimmyconnelly) and Ed Trefzger (@EdTrefzger) in a wide-ranging discussion about this season in the NCHC, including plans for a Frozen Faceoff at North Dakota's Ralph Engelstad Arena, the NCHC Pod in Omaha that started the season, and dealing with COVID-19 since the end of the Pod. Other topics include this season's implementation of 3x3 over...

After a 1-4-1 start, UConn is 6-2-1 in its last nine games, including a weekend sweep of Merrimack. Huskies head coach Mike Cavanaugh joins hosts Jim Connelly (@jimmyconnelly) and Ed Trefzger (@EdTrefzger) to talk about this year's team, the World Juniors appearances by Vladislav Firstov and Yan Kuznetsov, playing on campus instead of in Hartford, and some positives that have resulted even amid CO...

With four straight wins, including 5-of-6 points from then-No. 17 Robert Morris, Mercyhurst has been playing well. Lakers head coach Rick Gotkin joins hosts Jim Connelly (@jimmyconnelly) and Ed Trefzger (@EdTrefzger) to talk about his team, as well as how they've adjusted to COVID-19 restrictions and a schedule in flux. We also touch upon the impact of the pandemic beyond the rink, including the e...

Hosts Jim Connelly (@jimmyconnelly) and Ed Trefzger (@EdTrefzger) are joined by Notre Dame head coach Jeff Jackson, whose Fighting Irish swept then-No. 1 Minnesota last weekend. Jackson speaks about this year's team, the Big Ten's response to the pandemic and how his team has adjusted, about analytics vs. the "eye test," and about this weekend's series with Michigan.

Alabama Huntsville won its first two games of the season, and first home wins, with a weekend sweep of Ferris state. First-year Chargers head coach Lance West joins hosts Jim Connelly (@jimmyconnelly) and Ed Trefzger (@EdTrefzger) to talk about the weekend, future plans which include a new arena and a new league home, filling 13 open spots on the team during the offseason, and recruiting.

Robert Morris is off to a strong 8-3 start overall and 6-1 in Atlantic Hockey play. Head coach Derek Schooley joins hosts Jim Connelly (@jimmyconnelly) and Ed Trefzger (@EdTrefzger) to talk about this year's team, playing a compressed and changing schedule, recruiting the best talent from around Pittsburgh, and about the planning that's going on for the 2021 Frozen Four in the Steel City.

The semester break in college hockey signals that it's time for the IIHF Under-20 Men's World Junior Championship. Hosts Jim Connelly (@jimmyconnelly) and Ed Trefzger (@EdTrefzger) are joined by ESPN's Chris Peters (@chrismpeters) to preview the tournament. Topics include the USA roster, its coaching staff headed up by Providence's Nate Leaman, prospects for team USA, and COVID-19's impact on the...

After dropping its first five games, Penn State has won three in a row, including a pair of overtime games last weekend against Arizona State. Nittany Lions head coach Guy Gadowsky joins hosts Jim Connelly (@jimmyconnelly) and Ed Trefzger (@EdTrefzger) to talk about his young team, COVID-19 adjustments, rule changes this season, and playing in an empty Pegula Ice Arena.

Hosts Jim Connelly (@jimmyconnelly) and Ed Trefzger (@EdTrefzger) are joined by Boston College head coach Jerry York to talk about this year's team, how they are dealing with pandemic protocols, a coming milestone in career wins, and about losing some players to the World Juniors.

Rochester Institute of Technology was the first Division I team to cancel its 2020-21 season but also the first to restore it. Hosts Jim Connelly (@jimmyconnelly) and Ed Trefzger (@EdTrefzger) talk with RIT head coach Wayne Wilson about the process that led to the restoration of this year's campaign, what he expected this season from his team and what he learned about the Tigers from a weekend spl...

Hosts Jim Connelly (@jimmyconnelly) and Ed Trefzger (@EdTrefzger) are joined by Michigan head coach Mel Pearson to discuss this year's Wolverines team, preparations in an extended preseason, precautions in the face of the pandemic, and a compressed Big Ten schedule.

Hosts Jim Connelly (@jimmyconnelly) and Ed Trefzger (@EdTrefzger) are joined by Steve Metcalf, chair of the NCAA men's D-I ice hockey committee, deputy director of athletics at New Hampshire, and incoming commissioner of Hockey East. Metcalf discusses the whirlwind of decisions that were made as news changed very quickly last week. Also discussed are the future of Detroit hosting a Frozen Four, th...

Just hours after deciding that league playoffs would be played with no spectators in attendance, five of the six men's D-I hockey conferences announced that they were canceling their postseason tournaments altogether. With this news, hosts Jim Connelly (@jimmyconnelly) and Ed Trefzger (@EdTrefzger) sat down to discuss the news and its implications, as well as what might come next.

Hosts Jim Connelly (@jimmyconnelly) and Ed Trefzger (@EdTrefzger) look at the PairWise Rankings, who's in and who could be in, and answer listener questions. And they weigh in on the effects COVID-19 might have – although with breaking news, these comments may not be completely up to date as the show was recorded at about 2 p.m. EDT on March 11, 2020. Harvard's cancellation of the remainder of its...

Cornell completed its regular season with just two losses and won ECAC Hockey's Cleary Cup for the regular season championship. Big Red head coach Mike Schafer joins hosts Jim Connelly (@jimmyconnelly) and Ed Trefzger (@EdTrefzger) to look at this year's season, the preparation for upcoming playoffs, ECAC Hockey, the Ivy League, and his service on the NCAA men's D-I Ice Hockey committee. This epis...

The Hockey East playoff race is the tightest in a decade, and one of the hottest teams in the conference over the last several weeks is Connecticut. UConn head coach Mike Cavanaugh joins hosts Jim Connelly (@jimmyconnelly) and Ed Trefzger (@EdTrefzger) to talk about this season's Huskies, recruiting and team building, and the last two weekends of Hockey East regular season play – including his tea...

On Monday, Hockey East announced New Hampshire deputy athletic director Steve Metcalf as its fifth commissioner. Metcalf, who begins his job in the conference in April, brings experience to the position as an administrator familiar with the teams in the league, and as a member of the NCAA D-I men's ice hockey committee for several years, the past two as its chair. Metcalf joins hosts Jim Connelly...

One of the hottest teams in college hockey – and just two games out of first place in the Big Ten – is Michigan. Wolverines head coach Mel Pearson joins hosts Jim Connelly (@jimmyconnelly) and Ed Trefzger (@EdTrefzger) to talk about this year's team, its senior leadership, overtime rules (and the Big Ten coaches' preference for NHL-style OT), the difficulty of getting back to the Frozen Four, what...

Hosts Jim Connelly (@jimmyconnelly) and Ed Trefzger (@EdTrefzger) are joined in this episode by Dave Beachnau, senior vice president of sales, marketing and sports for the Detroit Sports Commission to talk about Detroit's preparation for the 2020 NCAA Men's Division I Frozen Four and what college hockey fans can expect from the Motor City this April. This episode is sponsored by the 2020 NCAA Froz...

A weekend overtime road sweep of Boston College has put Maine not only in a good position for a Hockey East playoff spot, but in striking distance of first-round home ice. Black Bears head coach Red Gendron joins hosts Jim Connelly (@jimmyconnelly) and Ed Trefzger (@EdTrefzger) for a lively discussion about this season's team, a remaining schedule that has eight of nine games at Maine's Alfond Are...

American International accomplished in 2019 what few would have expected just a couple seasons earlier. Yellow Jackets head coach Eric Lang joins hosts Jim Connelly (@jimmyconnelly) and Ed Trefzger (@EdTrefzger) to highlight this year's team, the impact AIC's trip to the NCAA regional finals has had on the program, international recruiting, Atlantic Hockey's progress and future growth, and some th...

Big Ten coordinator of officials and NCAA ice hockey rules committee secretary Steve Piotrowski joins hosts Jim Connelly (@jimmyconnelly) and Ed Trefzger (@EdTrefzger) to discuss college hockey rules and officiating. Topics include overtime formats, video replay, rule enforcement, referee assignments and recruiting, and this year's potential rulebook updates. This episode is sponsored by the 2020...