The jump from playing against teenagers in junior hockey to the men of Division-I can be daunting. Northern Michigan winger Joey Larson, the CCHA’s projected rookie of the year, embraces the challenge.

Fan enthusiasm for the opening weekend of college hockey usually is tempered by a variety of ho-hum matchups: exhibition series with Canadian universities, regional contests that don't count in the standings and lopsided out-of-conference tilts.

As the season rolls along, the GLIAC could be setting itself up for a national 1 vs. 2 showdown.

Former University of Minnesota coach Don Lucia returned to the front lines of college hockey last season as commissioner of the CCHA. Until the third period of the 2022 NCAA Championship Game, it was a Cinderella ride for Lucia and his new league, with the Hobey Baker winner and an NCAA finalist shining bright in Boston this past April.

Shortly after lunch on Monday, the news was spreading fast up in the Soo: Lake State had been picked sixth in the CCHA coaches poll. The team’s captain sought out the coach.

Davenport sits alone atop the GLIAC after a 31-21 win over visiting Northern Michigan in Week 3 — of course, it was the only conference game thus far. The next conference matchup of the 2022 season headlines Week 4, Davenport returns to non-conference competition in one of the week's top out-of-league contests, and GLIAC counterparts Grand Valley and Wayne State meet in a unique non-conference date.

Every team in the GLIAC has at least one win through the season’s first two weeks after a collective 6-1 showing in Week 2.

Coast to Coast is FloHockey’s monthly, cohesive news on North American hockey and live-streaming partnerships.

In the same way offensive line performance dictates success with the ball, the play of the fellas up front does the same for a defense.

GLIAC Players to Watch As college football becomes more of an offensive game at every level, the GLIAC is a something of a throwback coming into the 2022 season. A variety of the conference’s top returning players are on the defense.

The top of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference will likely come to a battle between two longtime powers and rivals, with defending Div. II national champion Ferris State and four-time national champion Grand Valley State tabbed as the league’s top teams by its coaches back during the offseason.

Coast To Coast is FloHockey’s monthly, cohesive news on North American hockey and live-streaming partnerships.

Coast To Coast is FloHockey’s monthly, cohesive news on North American hockey and live-streaming partnerships.

The Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) announced its 104-game conference schedule on Thursday. All eight CCHA teams will play a 26-game conference slate with the regular season champion being awarded the prestigious MacNaughton Cup, recognized as the premiere conference trophy in collegiate hockey.

Coast To Coast is FloHockey’s monthly, cohesive news on North American hockey and live-streaming partnerships.