It’s the New Years portion of the Holiday Tournament season, with several intriguing matchups in store:

Salem State Ice Hockey Classic (Salem, Mass.)
When: December 27 & 28
Who: Salem State (host), Salve Regina, Penn State, Bowdoin
Outlook: Club powerhouse Penn State will take on the host Vikings in the first round. Bowdoin won this tournament last year with a win over Salem State in the finals, and I expect the same result this time.

Codfish Bowl (Boston, Mass.)
When: December 29 & 30
Who: Mass-Boston (host), Fitchburg State, Westfield State, Suffolk
Outlook: The 44th annual version of the Codfish features new kids on the block Westfield State (which is off to an impressive 7-2-1 start) against the host Beacons in the semifinals. I think the winner of that game takes the tourney.

Assumption Holiday Classic (Worcester, Mass.)
When: December 29 & 30
Who: Assumption (host), Becker, Trinity, Johnson & Wales
Outlook: Trinity is the team to beat in this one, probably over J&W in the finals.

St. Michael’s Invitational (Burlington, Vt.)
When: January 2 & 3
Who: St. Michael’s (host), Nichols, Amherst, Fitchburg State
Outlook: Fitchburg State plays its second Holiday Tournament in as many weekends, but I think Amherst beats the Falcons in the semifinals and goes on to win the tournament.

Pathfinder Bank Oswego Classic (Oswego, N.Y.)
When: December January 2 & 3
Who: Oswego (host), Augsburg, Babson, Skidmore
Outlook: Not as strong a field as in the first two years of this tournament, but still a good one. I like an Oswego-Babson final with the Lakers getting the win.

Cardinal Classic (Plattsburgh, N.Y.)
When: January 2 & 3
Who: Plattsburgh (host), Wesleyan, Castleton, Williams
Outlook:  There are two sets of Cardinals in this one, and they square off in the semifinals. I think the Plattsburgh Cards beat the Wesleyan Cards, and then defeat Williams in the finals.

Times-Argus Invitational (Northfield, Vt.)
When: January 2 & 3
Who: Norwich (host), Gutavus Adolphus, Elmira, Neumann
Outlook: This one has the strongest field of any of the holiday tourneys, with all four teams getting a mention is the latest USCHO.com Division III poll. I think the winner of the Neumann-Norwich semi will probably take the title, but I think all four games will be close.

Middlebury Holiday Classic (Middlebury, Vt.)
When: January 3 & 4
Who: Middlebury (host), Curry, New England, St. Anselm
Outlook: A much stronger field than last year should make this year a challenge for the Panthers. I’m picking Middlebury-NEC final with the hosts coming out on top.

Check out the action if you can, and have a Happy New Year!

The thing I remember most about former Oswego and Neumann goalie Bret Leonhardt was his size. At 6-7 he took up a lot of the net. Leonhardt, who played college hockey from 2003-2007 is now the webmaster for the Washington Capitals, and, due to a temporary goalie shortage, had to suit up as a backup for a game.

You can read about it here, Note he’s wearing his Neumann helmet in the picture.

One of the many cool things about D-III hockey is the large number of holiday tournaments taking place (Division I has just two measly tourneys this weekend). Here’s a rundown of the action. Pack the Turkey sandwiches and catch some if you can:

Primelink Great Northern Shootout
When: November 28 & 29
Who: Middlebury (host), Norwich, Plattsburgh, St. Thomas
Outlook: The Tommies are the guest team this season and face the host Panthers in the first round in a rematch of the 2005 national championship game. I like top-ranked Plattsburgh to defeat Norwich and then the host Panthers for the title.

St. Norbert Thanksgiving Tournament
When November 28 & 29
Who: St. Norbert (host), Oswego, Lawrence, St. Scholastica.
Outlook: It’s nice to have a Western tournament again. Arguably the top two teams face off in the second semifinal when St. Norbert hosts Oswego in a battle of 2008 and 2007 national champions. I think the winner will defeat St. Scholastica in the title game.

Bowdoin/Colby Faceoff Classic
When: November 28 & 29
Who: Bowdoin (host), Colby (host), Mass-Dartmouth, Salve Regina.
Outlook: This isn’t a “tournament” since the matchups are predetermined (Bowdoin and Colby do not meet). The opening games are helld at Colby before the action switches to Bowdoin for the second round. I think Bowdoin and Colby win both of their games.

Babson Invitational
When: November 29 & 30
Who: Babson (host), US Under 18 Team, Manhattanville, S. Maine
Outlook: The Under 18 Team has been in the Bowdoin/Colby tourney the last two years, but switches to Babson this time. I like them to defeat the ost Beavers in the first round and then Manhattanville in the championship.

PAL Stovepipe Tournament
When: November 29 & 30
Who: S. New Hampshire (host), Tufts, UMass-Boston, Plymouth State.
Outlook: Three of the four teams are back from last season with Tufts the new entry. I’m thinking Mass-Boston beats the hosts in the first round and then takes Plymouth State in the title game.

Douglas W. Roberts Tournament
When: November 29 & 30
Who: Conn College (host), Trinity, Wesleyan, Amherst
Outlook: This is the third season in a row these four teams have all played in a rotating tournament with Conn College hosting this time and naming the games after their long time coach who retired in 2003. I like Trinity to defeat Amherst in the title game.

Skidmore Invitational
When: November 29 & 30
Who: Skidmore (host), Potsdam, Williams, Suffolk.
Outlook: I think the winner of the Potsdam-Williams semifinal will defeat the hosts in the championship. I’m going with Potsdam.

Rutland/Herald Invitational
When: November 29 & 30
Who: Castleton (host), Brockport, Becker, Neumann
Outlook: It’s good to see this tourney back for a second season. And like last year, I expect Neumann to go home with the trophy.

The former St. John’s coach and Miracle-on-Icer is head coach of Ambri-Piotta in the Nationalliga A. (Swiss Premier League).

Check out the fans with the Che flag, etc. Plenty of shots of Harrington on the bench.

And yes, it’s in Italian. They speak Italian in this part of Switzerland.

Like all defending national champions, St. Norbert is looking to repeat. It’s easier said than done, unless you’re Middlebury, of course. Besides the Panthers’ incredible runs of three and five national titles, you have to go back to UW-Stevens Point in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s to find a team able to successfully defend its title.

For Tim Coghlin’s squad, the reality is life without Kyle Jones. The goalie who backstopped the Green Knights to a 27-1-4 record and a national last season set Division III career records for shutouts in a season (10), and career shutouts (25). Jones posted back-to-back blankings in the national semifinals and finals last season in Lake Placid.

But after four years and 107 games, there’s going to be someone new between the pipes at St. Norbert.

“We move on,” said Coghlin, whose team is off to a 3-0 start. “What we need to impress on the guys is how different it’s going to be. Not just because of Kyle. Last year everything went our way. The one-goal games, the overtime games.”

Filling the big shoes (skates?) of Jones will be a pair of sophomores, Blake Bashor and BJ O’Brien.

“We rested Kyle more last season than we did the year before, and Blake played seven games for us,” said Coghlin. “We know he can step in. Plus we have BJ O’Brien. We wanted him when he was an incoming freshman, but he decided to walk on at St. Clould. He was a backup there, so he decided to transfer. “

Coghlin says his team has what it takes to repeat, but knows that like last year, you have to get some bounces, too.

“We have a lot of guys back,” he said. “We moved quickly through conditioning and everybody’s in excellent shape. We have a lot of leadership. I don’t think we’ll be panicked at all, but I don’t think we’ll be cocky, either.”

To St. Norbert, which finally broke through after so many close calls. Just a dominating defensive performance by the Green Knights, who never lost their poise.

What can you say about Kyle Jones? Never before has a goalie not been scored on in a D-III Frozen Four. St. Norbert allowed just 43 goals this season in 32 games. Simply amazing.

They didn’t pick an all-tournament team, but here’s mine, with apologies because I have four forwards. I just couldn’t make up my mind:

G - Kyle Jones, St. Norbert
D - Jason, Nopper, St. Norbert
D - Nick Rolls, Plattsburgh
F - Scott Pulak, St. Norbert
F - Marc Belanger, St. Norbert
F - Steven Sleep - St. Norbert
F - Dylan Clarke - Plattsburgh

Lots more later. A well-earned victory by Tim Coghlin’s squad. Kyle Jones becomes the first goalie in D-III Frozen Four history to allow zero goals, posting his 24th and 25 career shutouts.

…on Plattsburgh. We’re midway through the third period and the Cards are having trouble getting to the net. St. Norbert is 25-0-3 this season when leading after two periods. Of course, when you only lose one game all season, ya gotta figure…

St. Norbert leads 2-0 after two periods, with Marc Belanger getting the second SNC goal off a power-play rush with a nice wrist shot that beat Bryan Hince cleanly. The Green Knights weathered a five-minute hitting from behind major to Pete Fylling and will have 1:15 of 5×3 to start the third period. Plattsburgh came from two down yesterday, can the Cardinals do it again?

It took 148 minutes and 51 seconds of championship hockey, but the Green Knights finally broke through with a deflection by Ryan Peterson to make it 1-0 SNC. We’re now midway through the contest.