Thursday, November 11
8:00 p.m. – Hockey East This Week
Friday, November 12
2:00 p.m. – CAA Full Court Press
3:00 p.m. – Dog Pound Sports Sound
Available only on WRBB Sports Extra (WRBBSports.com)
6:40 p.m. – Huskies Pre-Game
7:00 p.m. – Northeastern Basketball: Huskies vs. Boston University Terriers
from Matthews Arena
with Patrick McHugh, Andy Towne, and Kainani Stevens
Airing on WRBB-FM and WRBBSports.com
6:45 p.m. – Huskies Pre-Game
7:00 p.m. – Northeastern Hockey: Huskies at Maine Black Bears
from Alfond Arena in Orono, Maine
with Alex Faust and Jared Shafran
Saturday, November 13
6:45 p.m. – Huskies Pre-Game
7:00 p.m. – Northeastern Hockey: Huskies at Maine Black Bears
from Alfond Arena in Orono, Maine
with Alex Faust and Jared Shafran
WRBB Sports Basketball, Hockey, The Dog Pound BU, Maine
As the season approaches, Hockey East This Week takes a glance at the ten teams of Hockey East. To start things off, we’re looking at last year’s runners-up, the Maine Black Bears.
Last year: 19-17-3 (13-12-2), advanced to Hockey East championship game but failed to make the NCAA tournament.
What happened? So often in college hockey, teams have a knack of starting off slow but finishing the season in top form. Such was the case last year at Maine, which lost two early games to Union, and surged to the finish line. Their high-octane brand of offense, led by Hobey Baker contender Gustav Nyquist, was capable of bailing out their inconsistent defense on any given night. They were one win away from being Hockey East champions and in the NCAA tournament, having gone toe-to-toe with Boston College in the title game. But ultimately, their non-conference record (3-4-0) was their undoing, including those nagging losses to Union.
Key Losses:
- Scott Darling (G) – Kicked off the team due to disciplinary issues. While he was good between the pipes, he became a negative distraction.
- Dave Wilson (G) – Darling’s only reliable backup. If nothing else, it paves the way for an interesting battle for the starting goaltender’s job.
- Kevin Swallow (D) – Can 10 points really be considered a “key loss” on a team like this?
Key Returners:
- Gustav Nyquist (F) – 19 goals and 61 points speak for themselves.
- Jeff Dimmen (D) – Quietly put in a solid defensive performance for Maine last season, while adding just enough offense to keep his name familiar.
- Tanner House (F) – Beyond having an awesome last name, his six points during the Hockey East playoffs were the most on the team. For a clutch performer not named Gustafv, this might be your man.
The outlook: Maine returns virtually everyone. And I mean virtually everyone. If there’s any team that might match what Boston College did last season, Maine fits the billing. They need to shore up gaps on defense with the incoming recruiting class and settle on a starting goaltender, but if they can do those two things, they might be unstoppable.
Alex Faust Hockey Hockey East, Maine
>>> First, we quickly revisit last Thursday’s basketball game. [Providence Journal]
>>> Next, we very quickly move on from Saturday’s embarrassing hockey game. [USCHO]
>>> Michael Vega profiles Baptiste Bataille [Boston Globe]
>>> The Toronto Sun profiles Lori Antflick in advance of the Frozen Fenway. [Toronto Sun]
>>> Mike Litos runs down the weekend in CAA basketball. [CAA Hoops]
>>> Mr. Litos also posts a very interesting sharply-written letter from commissioner Tom Yeager to the management of the Richmond Coliseum. [CAA Hoops]
>>> The folks in Columbia, despite having a football program with as bleak a reputation a team can have, are confident that football is there to stay. Despite Northeastern and Hofstra pulling the plug. [The Columbia Spectator]
>>> At the University of Michigan, Andy Reid reminds folks complaining about Brian Kelley’s departure from Cincinatti that it could be a lot worse – at least the Bearcats still have a program. [The Michigan Daily]
WRBB Sports Basketball, Football, Hockey Maine, Rhode Island, women's hockey
Maine converts on four power-plays to take a decisive 5-1 victory over the Huskies.
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WRBB Sports Hockey, QuickCast Maine
Thursday, December 10
6:45 p.m. – Huskies Pre-Game
7:00 p.m. – Basketball: Huskies at Rhode Island Rams
from the Ryan Center in Kingston, R.I.
with Jason Lavine and Will Klaynman
TV: 
Friday, December 11
3:00 p.m. – Dog Pound Sports Sound
Saturday, December 12
6:45 p.m. – Huskies Pre-Game
7:00 p.m. – Hockey: Huskies at Maine Black Bears
from Alfond Arena in Orono, Maine
with Keith Lavon and Jared Shafran
WRBB Sports Basketball, Hockey Maine, Rhode Island
The Huskies respond with a convincing 5-2 victory over Maine, splitting the weekend.
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WRBB Sports Hockey, QuickCast Maine
Northeastern stumbles out of the gate, loses 6-2 in the first of a two-game set.
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WRBB Sports Hockey, QuickCast Maine
It’s Thursday, so it’s time to deliver another round of stories for your consumption:
>>> Joe Meloni looks at the absurd amount of injuries/illnesses that have hurt the Huskies this season. [College Hockey News]
>>> Alex Faust makes a cameo appearance in print, recapping last weekend’s hockey games. [Huntington News]
>>> From Orono, Steven McCarthy previews the Maine/Northeastern two-game series this weekend. [Maine Campus]
(On a side note, too bad to hear that WMEB’s upgrade to 10,000 watts is being delayed.)
>>> Siena basketball is apparently a big deal in Upstate/Eastern New York, since the capitol’s 24-hour news channel will be airing pre-game and post-game shows for Saints basketball. [Albany Times-Union]
>>> Jeff Goodman likes the Huskies. He likes them so much, he’s picked them to win the CAA tournament, earning a berth to the NCAA tournament. [Fox Sports]
>>> Andrew Parente has his Northeastern basketball season preview. [Huntington News]
>>> Finally, Mike Litos is giddy but measured in his anticipation for the start of the college basketball season. [CAA Hoops]
Enjoy your Thursday, we’ll see you tonight at the red/black scrimmage!
WRBB Sports The Dog Pound Maine, NCAAs, Siena
Thursday, November 12
8:00 p.m. – Northeastern Basketball Preview Show
Friday, November 13
3:00 p.m. – Dog Pound Sports Sound
6:45 p.m. – Northeastern Hockey Night
7:00 p.m. – Hockey: Huskies vs. Maine Black Bears
from Matthews Arena
with Keith Lavon and Jared Shafran
Saturday, November 14
12:45 p.m. – Huskies Tailgate
1:00 p.m. – Football: Huskies vs. Hofstra Pride
from Parsons Field in Brookline, Mass.
with Patrick McHugh and Joe Piccuirro
6:45 p.m. – Northeastern Hockey Night
7:00 p.m. – Hockey: Huskies vs. Maine Black Bears
from Matthews Arena
with Keith Lavon and Jared Shafran
WRBB Sports The Dog Pound Hofstra, Maine
