CNE

[dinocoach]

With all of the maneuverings of the past off-season, the NESCAC and the CNE seemed to have remained relatively intact. CNE has added long-time members Roger Williams Uiversity to the fold this year and will welcome Salve Regina back to conference hockey play next season. The NESCAC remains as it has for years.

The CNE does boast 3 teams in the top 15, although I think that should change dramatically next week after UNE dismantled a good Curry team 5-1 at Curry. Curry is currently #2 and UNE #9. I don’t expect UNE to move up much, but who knows.

For the last few years the CNE (CCC) has been a three team conference, with teams like Suffolk, Wentworth and Nichols trying to crack that top tier. It looks like this year will be no different. I think the question will be, which one of the top three survives.There is always the possibility that Suffolk and Wentworth run off a good streak and enter the conversation.

It should be fun to watch.

 

[MilkUniversity]

UNE is already looking dominant. Between them, Curry, and Endicott, all three are going to be in the conversation no matter what, but taking down Curry on the road sets the bar high. Endicott should have a good start with an easy in-conference schedule plus a couple of NESCAC's, but we'll see how they hold up after the new year.

 

[dinocoach]

Since there doesn’t really seem to be a whole lot of interest in the CNE right now, I thought I’d try and wrestle up some interest. This week could be very interesting in the CNE with some teams facing opponents who would normally be “walk-overs” in years past. So, here goes: Look for Wentworth to push Endicott and, maybe, squeak out a rare win tonight at home. Also, a real question as to how Curry responds to the dismantling by UNE last week. If Suffolk get the rightt bounces and their goalie makes all the saves he should, this could be a good night for Suffolk.

 

[dinocoach]

I may have been a week off with the Suffolk prediction, but nonetheless, Suffolk is going to be a team that will have a say in the CNE conversation. I had planned to watch the Suffolk/Endicott game last night, but got sidetracked. Four unanswered goals is a pretty good statement however. Some promising games tonight with Suffolk and Endicott getting back at it at Suffolk, Curry traveling to Nichols and UNE heading to Rhode Island to play Johnson and Wales. I expect some more upsets in couple of these games.

 

[Leopard_Balcony_Booster]

I may have been a week off with the Suffolk prediction, but nonetheless, Suffolk is going to be a team that will have a say in the CNE conversation. I had planned to watch the Suffolk/Endicott game last night, but got sidetracked. Four unanswered goals is a pretty good statement however. Some promising games tonight with Suffolk and Endicott getting back at it at Suffolk, Curry traveling to Nichols and UNE heading to Rhode Island to play Johnson and Wales. I expect some more upsets in couple of these games.

Agreed. Not a walk over at all this season...
There indeed may be a power shift happening in the CNE with Suffolk on the rise as they outshot Curry on Nov 14 and had 2 would-be goals whistled dead (made it across the goal line but out of referee's sight) in what could have been a 4-4 tie going into the game's final minutes....that and beating Endicott on the road 4-1 and tying them the next night at home (lost in shoot out). Suffolk outshot Curry and Endicott (On the road) by a wide margin and almost went shot for shot with the Gulls in the home and home finale in East Boston. The Ram's next litmus test is in early January when they play a home and home against UNE. The jury is out but the tide may be turning a little in the nationally competitive CNE.