Did a bit of a brain dump with college hockey done for the season and the Bruins getting tossed. Lot of ups and downs so figured I'd do an unsolicited breakdown with my observations of the LEC's teams. Appreciate any thoughts as schedules and rosters start to come out.
1. Norwich - ↑ The Cadets marched their way to the first ever LEC title with a win at Kreitzberg and forced OT against eventual D3 champions Hamilton in the 2nd round in what was expected to be an off year; Coach Dawes kicks off a new era in his first year at Norwich with a 13-2-3/19-6-4 record, and returning a well rounded group of key players and star goaltending next season. --- ↓ Norwich has a big target on its back as it eyes another tourney run with some gaps to patch after giving up points in several OT finishes, and will be hoping for a better showing against OOC teams.
2. Babson - ↑ Strong defense and scoring, along with goaltending and penalty discipline put the Beavers on the cusp of an NCAA tourney/at-large bid in the new LEC, with a deep roster of upperclassmen leading Babson to a 20 win season, finishing at 14-3-1/20-5-2. --- ↓ Even with an experienced roster, Babson lost a couple key games down the stretch to weaker opponents, and missed out on a title and tourney that were within reach; with 15 graduating seniors now leaving a major gap in the roster for next season.
3. Plymouth - ↑ Freshmen had a big impact offensively with 3 having 20+ point seasons as the Panthers were 1st in GPG, APG, and SOG while adjusting to new opponents and a competitive conference schedule. --- ↓ Inconsistent defense, goaltending struggles, and penalty issues kept the Panthers from meeting expectations, failing to beat the LEC Top-2 or a ranked team, and ending the season 11-6-1/15-11-1 after being eliminated on the road by Babson in the LEC Semis.
4. UMass Boston - ↑ Defense and goaltending helped the Beacons break out and go toe to toe against against the LEC Top-3 and OOC opponents, with upperclassmen helping drive a 9-7-2/15-10-2 record and UMB's first playoff win since 2019, after beating USM on the road. --- ↓ UMB struggled with consistency after the holiday break, losing out on hosting a playoff match as a result, and a middle of the pack offense wasn't enough to propel them past a shutout by Norwich in the LEC Semis.
5. Southern Maine - ↑ The Huskies returned to playoff hockey after years of failing to break through in the NEHC, with an LEC best penalty kill and balanced offense pushing USM to a respectable 10-7-1/12-13-1 record. --- ↓ USM struggled with consistency the entire season, sitting in the bottom half of the LEC for GF, GA, and a conference worst for faceoff wins; a return to the playoffs is a high mark, but the Huskies failed to advance and went sub .500 overall with OOC games factored in.
6. Castleton - ↑ Finishing their first season over .500 in almost 10 years, the Spartans had an above average year on offense and defense that kept them securely in the playoff positions with a 9-8-1/13-11-2 record. --- ↓ Castleton couldn't build a solid streak and struggled on the road against stronger teams, with former NEHC and new opponents holding them up, and an exit awaiting them in the opening round of the playoffs at Plymouth.
7. NEC - ↓ The Pilgrims were the biggest letdown in the conference after missing the playoffs while their NEHC rivals showed progress; between struggling offensively in all areas and going sub .500 at 8-10/9-16. --- ↑ NEC pulled off upsets over Babson and Plymouth to shakeup the standings, and 19 of NEC's 38 player roster were freshman who built experience while overall defense and PK% were in the top half of the LEC.
8. UMD - ↓ The 2nd MASCAC newcomer struggled to make the jump to a competitive LEC, facing penalty struggles and ending the season with a 7-11/12-13 record. --- ↑ The Corsairs put together a decent OOC performance, had a senior forward 4th in points nationally, and have some future potential with a strong power play and 4 skaters in the LEC top-20 for points.
9. Keene - ↓ After some promise as an independent, the Owls struggled to adapt to conference life and had little impact on the standings, ending at 3-14-1/7-17-1. --- ↑ Keene was well disciplined on penalties and built familiarity as a young program with their first full conference schedule.
10. West Conn - ↓ There was little success to write home about as the Wolves ended the season 1-17/2-23 with 5.04 GA/G, and last in almost every LEC team metric. --- ↑ Despite the heavy losses, West Conn played competitively against tough odds and can only go up next year at a school with strong athletics programs.
