College Hockey:
Atlantic Hockey Picks March 9-11

By Chris Lerch • Atlantic Hockey Columnist • March 8, 2012

Final Regular Reason Record: 155-63-30 (.685)

This Week’s Picks:
Atlantic Hockey Playoffs: Quarterfinals
Best of Three Series
Friday, March 2 – Sunday, March 4

No. 8 Connecticut at No. 1 Air Force – While I think the other three series are toss-ups, this one favors the 19th-ranked Falcons, who swept the Huskies during the regular season and are 17-2 all-time in AHA postseason play. If the Falcons can stay out of the penalty box and keep the league-best UConn power play off the ice, I think they’ll sweep. Air Force in two.

No. 7 Robert Morris at No. 2 Niagara – For the seniors on each squad this will their 20th, 21st and possibly 22nd game against each other. I think it will go three, low scoring games, echoing the teams’ games against each other this season (2-1, 2-1, 2-2). Niagara in three.

No. 6 Bentley at No. 3 Rochester Institute of Technology – The Tigers won a pair of close games (1-0, 2-1) at Bentley earlier in the season. RIT has never lost in the quarterfinal round, going 8-1 with all the games on home ice. I think this one is going three games as well, with the home team prevailing. RIT in three.

No. 5 Holy Cross at No. 4 Mercyhurst – These teams wound up tied in the standings but Holy Cross had to play last weekend due to a tie and overtime loss to the Lakers earlier in the season. Those games were close and these will be as well, but I’m picking the Crusaders to sweep. Holy Cross in two.

Take Me On

Feel free to chime in by posting your picks in the comments.

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Rambwildcat
Other than UMD, the WCHA stinks this season.
- GeauxSioux
  Then you must think the rest of college hockey is brutal.
- Bulldog Fan
  I bet UMD, UMTC, UND, CC and DU will all make the NCAA tourney.
  - Molde David
    What is umtc?
    - http://twitter.com/Michalicash Jason Michalicek
      It’s what Duluth people call Minnesota, it makes them feel more of a part of the Minnesota system rather than just being a branch of the University of Minnesota.
- http://twitter.com/Butterz07 Aaron G.
  you are a moron, the ignorance in your post shows it. A word of advice, check the polls; in fact check all the polls. (WCHA leads every conference in ability and votes, thus cannot be considered what you call “stinks”.
- SUEH8TER
  DID’NT umd GET SWEPT BY THE GOPHERS??? ENOUGH SAID!!!!!!!!
  - Dumbhockeyguy
    You’re an idiot
  - Superdave7333
    yeah, that was two and a half months ago, and if you actually watched the game you’ll know that the only reason umtc won was because of patterson….you are a real nimrod if you think the goofers are better than them now
    - Anonymous
      We scored 10 goals in 2 wins against UMD in their own house all because of our goalie Patterson. He’s amazing.
      - Alkat07
        Patterson gave up 8 goals that weekend. Really amazing. Sure you won and that really is all that matters. No college hockey fan can deny that the Friday night game that weekend proved that these are two GOOD teams. Too bad the two teams don’t meet again… especially with Reiter playing better after that weekend it would be great hockey.
    - SUEH8TER
      SWEEP!!! I COULD CARE LESS ABOUT SHOTS ON GOAL. WHEN THEY START GIVING POINTS FOR SHOTS ON GOAL THEN YOU CAN BABBLE ON ABOUT HOW THE bulldogs OUT SHOT THE GOPHERS. UNTIL THEN, ALL THAT MATTERS IS THE SCORE!! AND THE GOPHERS WON BOTH AND IN THEIR BUILDING. I DON’T CARE THAT IT WAS TWO MONTHS AGO. THE dogs GOT SWEPT BY THE GOPHERS………………..
      - SUEH8TER
        AND BY YOUR LOGIC, IF MY AUNT HAD BALLS, SHE WOULD BE MY UNCLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
      - nogofer
        When does your junior high begin classes again so we might read these boards without your constant drivel, dribbling and babble-fests?
      - WCHAfan
        You can yell all you want about how you swept UMD at home but an early October sweep of UMD isn’t going to matter much in March if your gophers keep splitting with unranked and bottom half WCHA teams. UMD will see you again in the Final Five… provided the gophers actually win a friday game.
      - SUEH8TER
        A sweep is a sweep is a sweep. If the dogs would nave swept the gophers, that is all we would have heard. But guess what?? They didn’t and only time will tell. You must have a crystal ball to see that the dogs and the gophers will meet in the final five, provided umd actually gets there.
    - http://twitter.com/Michalicash Jason Michalicek
      Lol at all the UMD fans trying to convince themselves that they didn’t lose those games. Oh and I’m sure Patterson scored all 10 goals that weekend too….
  - sueh8ersux
    What is with you and the stupid all capital letters? does that make you feel special or something? You sound like a real tough guy living in mommy’s basement.
    - sueh8ersux
      oh yeah, having the 8 in your retarded name takes care of the need for the T…….moron.
    - SUEH8TER
      There, is this better for you?? I must have struck a nerve. You keep worrying about me living in your mom’s basement, you should be. She and I get along real well. And your name really bothers me. NOT!! hahahahahahahah
Ridingtimes
Wow the WCHA must really be good at playing bad and have so many teams in the top 20 in the nation…Rambwildcat,,WCHA stinks this year..wake up..when it comes to the NCAA tourney mark my words there will be atleast one team in the Frozen Four if not more…
- Localba
  The only reason there isn’t more wcha teams in the frozen four is because they pair all of them in the same regionals. I remember a few years back when all the east coast fans were crying cuz it was an all wcha final 4.
  - http://twitter.com/Michalicash Jason Michalicek
    Yep, back in 2004 it was all WCHA.
Guest
Bemidji State’s freshman goalie’s name is Andrew Walsh, not Adam.
Gma loves hockey
I would assume UMTC to be University of Michigan Technical College?
Lenn
I was there to fill the bowl and, believe me, there were 12,402 people in attendance, as fans stretched into the third balcony. Great atmosphere.
- Lenn
  Actually, it would have been the second balcony, as there is the main bowl, plus two levels above that. But you get the point. To get 12,402 fans, people had to be in all three levels of the Kohl Center.
Anonymous
A great picture of the record crowd (I assume) on the women’s main page. I’ve never seen a crowd like that at a women’s hockey game and frankly, had a hard time imagining that size crowd, until now. Wouldn’t it be fantastic if a much larger number of games everywhere got that kind of crowd.