The collective sigh of relief was audible from Durham, N.H. to Omaha, Neb. Media Relations officials across the country had to double check the score being read to them from the other end of the phone. It was no joke – the inevitable had finally happened, with just one score to explain it.

Quinnipiac 3, Merrimack 2.

Over the past three years, many Hockey East squads had flirted with disaster, but salvaging ties and close wins over teams from the then-Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference and the now-Atlantic Hockey Association. But Quinnipiac became the first team from the conference to actually defeat a Hockey East opponent with a 3-2 victory thanks to a pair of goals from Matt Craig. Previously, MAAC and AHA members had been 0-40-5 against HEA squads.

Atlantic Hockey has shown significant improvement this year, with Quinnipiac taking Michigan to the brink in a pair of games in Ann Arbor, and Mercyhurst getting a reputation as a “giant killer” with a tie of No. 13 Cornell this weekend. With its independence from the MAAC officials that governed it despite many MAAC schools not having hockey program. Congratulations to Quinnipiac and the rest of Atlantic Hockey for the jump they have made over the last two years.

November reign

Hockey East crowned its players of the month for November yesterday, and two of the top three teams in the conference were represented. Massachusetts defenseman Thomas P