First Round – Wednesday, March 6 (Campus sites)

Wentworth at Babson
Wentworth is 7-2-1 in the last 10 games, including the ECAC Northeast Championship. Babson took the ECAC East Championship against Norwich by a score of 2-1. Babson 3-2

St. John’s at Wisconsin-Eau Claire
St. John’s is on a six-game win streak. Wisconsin-Eau Claire has outscored its opponents 108-61. Wis.-Eau Claire did suffer a loss in the conference championship to St. Norbert. Wisconsin-Eau Claire 4-1

Massachusetts-Dartmouth at Bowdoin
Mass.-Dartmouth won the MASCAC Championship, 2-1, over Plymouth State. The Polar Bears have only lost three games this season. Bowdoin 5-2

Quarterfinal Round – Saturday, March 9 (Campus sites)

Oswego at Adrian
Oswego is 23-4-0 this season. Adrian boasts a 23-1-3 overall record heading into the game this Saturday, including a six-game winning streak in which they have outscored their opponents 31-10. Both teams have over 130 goals this season, with 133 and 135 respectively. Adrian 4-3

Babson at Norwich
Babson took the ECAC Championship from Norwich, and is 1-0-1 with the Cadets this season. I’m not sure they’ll be able to do it another time. Norwich 3-2

Wisconsin-Eau Claire at St. Norbert
The defending national champion Green Knights are on a seven-game win streak, while keeping opponents to 48 goals all season. St. Norbert 3-1

Bowdoin at Utica
Utica had a less-than-stellar end of the season with a 2-1 loss to Manhattanville in the ECAC West semifinal, and will have more than two weeks off without a game going into the tournament. We’ll see if the rest did them any good. Utica 2-1

First Round – Wednesday, March 6 (Campus sites)

Wentworth at Babson
The host Beavers went 6-0-1 in their last seven games, including a victory over Norwich in the ECAC East title game. The visiting Leopards were 6-0-2 and topped Salve Regina for the ECAC Northeast championship. Home ice might be the difference in this one. Babson 3-2

St. John’s (Minn.) at Wisconsin-Eau Claire
The Johnnies won their last six games and earned their first MIAC crown since 2005. They also lost to the Blugolds, 5-1, on Jan. 4 in Eau Claire after falling behind by three goals, and will be back in Wisconsin on Wednesday. Wisconsin-Eau Claire 4-2

Mass-Dartmouth at Bowdoin
The visiting Corsairs are on an eight-game unbeaten tear, including the MASCAC title, but also played to seven ties this season. The host Polar Bears were 12-2-1 at home this year and won the NESCAC, and also led their conference with 76 total goals. Bowdoin 4-3

Quarterfinal Round – Saturday, March 9 (Campus sites)

Babson at Norwich
The Cadets will be looking to upend the visiting Beavers after suffering two losses to Babson already this season, including the ECAC East championship. Averaging just over four goals per game should help Norwich avoid a third strike this season to the same opponent. Norwich 4-3

Oswego State at Adrian
Both teams are coming off conference championships. The host Bulldogs went 14-1-1 at home this year, and were 4-0 in one-goal games in claiming the MCHA. Oswego won the SUNYAC and went 9-2 overall in road contests, and have also been to three straight Frozen Fours. Oswego 4-3

Wisconsin-Eau Claire at St. Norbert
The Green Knights are two-time defending Division III national champions, and are second in the nation for fewest goals allowed per game and penalty-killing percentage, third in power play percentage, and sixth in goals scored per game. They were also 13-3-1 at home, but were just 0-2 when hosting the Blugolds. Could be an upset, but … St. Norbert 5-4

Bowdoin at Utica
The Pioneers are in the NCAAs for the first time ever in school history, and will have 3,000-plus strong cheering them on at the Aud. Utica is also averaging 4.50 goals per game, while Bowdoin is allowing just 2.52 goals per outing. Something’s got to give. Utica 2-1

First Round – Wednesday, March 6 (Campus sites)

Wentworth Leopards at Babson Beavers
Have to like what Babson has done during the ECAC East tourney. A hot team, with confidence, heading into the first round and playing at home. Babson 4-2

St. John’s Johnnies at Wis.-Eau Claire Blugolds
The MIAC champs, St. John’s, battle Eau Claire, an at-large bid, which fell to St. Norbert in the NCHA final. The Blugolds look to rebound from this one. Wis.-Eau Claire 3-1

Mass.-Dartmouth Corsairs at Bowdoin Polar Bears
Both of these teams come off winning their respected conferences. Bowdoin dominated all season long, while the Corsairs peaked at the right time. Polar Bears in this one.  Bowdoin 5-2

Quarterfinal Round – Saturday, March 9 (Campus sites)

Babson Beavers at Norwich Cadets
Can the Beavers do it twice? I don’t think so. Too much experience in Norwich, as it looks to get back to the tile game.  Norwich 4-1

Oswego State Lakers at Adrian Bulldogs
In some cases, this could be a possible match-up in the NCAA title game, but it’s not, and one powerhouse is going home early.  Have to go with the Lakers. Oswego State 3-2

Wisconsin Eau-Claire Blugolds at St. Norbert Green Knights
Round two between these programs. I think the Green Knights continue to roll after Eau-Claire comes off a hard-fought win over St. John’s.  St. Norbert 4-2

Bowdoin Polar Bears at Utica Pioneers
Another interesting match-up, as Utica gets in after it lost in the semifinals of the ECAC West tourney.  The Polar Bears match up well, but does home ice come into play? I’ll take a shot at this one, as 145 goals were scored between both teams. Bowdoin 5-4

First Round – Wednesday, March 6 (Campus sites)

Wentworth at Babson   
Shaun Jameson has been great for the Leopards all season but Zeke Testa is on one of those magical runs as a goaltender and that’s enough for the Beavers at home. Babson 4-2
 
Massachusetts-Dartmouth at Bowdoin  
Bowdoin has too much speed and balance for the Corsairs who get a great effort from Ryan Williams in goal but just fall short. Bowdoin 3-2
 
St. John’s at Wisconsin Eau-Claire
Just because a quarterfinal match-up with St. Norbert again will be a special game. Wis.-Eau Claire 4-1
 
Quarterfinal Round – Saturday, March 9 (Campus sites)

Babson at Norwich
A fourth meeting against a team that deprived them of their conference title on home ice is a lot of motivation for a team that wants to reclaim its national ranking in the tournament that means the most. Great seniors on both sides makes this a terrific hockey game. Norwich 2-1
 
Oswego at Adrian
The Bulldogs are for real, but so are the Lakers, who are a familiar fixture in the Frozen Four. The road trip will be a worthwhile one for the New Yorkers. Oswego 4-3
 
Wisconsin Eau-Claire at St. Norbert
In overtime just to add some spice, the defending champs are out and the semifinals are wide open. Wis.-Eau Claire 3-2
 
Bowdoin at Utica
Fans of great offense get their money’s worth in this one. Despite the quality of goaltending, the offenses are potent and the outcome is decided late in regulation. Bowdoin 5-4

First Round – Wednesday, March 6 (Campus sites)

Wentworth at Babson
The Leopards are on the road, but have more depth and a proud body of work to show not only the Beavers, but the rest of the tournament as well. Wentworth 4-3

Massachusetts-Dartmouth at Bowdoin
The Polar Bears are an impressive 22-3-2, and didn’t go the extra mile to earn that record to see it slip away in the opening round. Bowdoin 3-1

St. John’s at Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Two losses in their last four games — to St. Scholastica and St. Norbert — might not bode well for Wisconsin-Eau Claire. If there is such a thing as carryover momentum from the regular-season, the Blugolds don’t have it. St. John’s 3-2

Quarterfinal Round – Saturday, March 9 (Campus sites)

Oswego State at Adrian
Oswego State is battle-tested, and will not be fazed by a tough road atmosphere. You’re talking about a team that went 23-4. Something tells me the Lakers will be ready. Oswego State 4-3

Wentworth at Norwich
Easy to go against a favorite after a loss, especially one like Norwich’s 2-1 defeat to Babson in the ECAC East title game, but the Cadets orchestrated an 11-game unbeaten streak leading up to that loss, and the talent that produced that run should surface here. Norwich 2-1

St. John’s at St. Norbert
The Green Knights, at 23-5-1, have one of the top winning percentages in Division III (.810), and have had time to prepare. You want your team playing its best headed into postseason play, and St. Norbert has won seven in a row, including a run to the conference crown. St. Norbert 3-1

Bowdoin at Utica
Leaning on an inspired Pioneers squad to take the ice with some vim, vigor, and vitality after a puzzling end to the season. Utica’s last two games have not been textbook — a 4-4 tie to Manhattanville, then a 2-1 loss to the same team in the ECAC West title game — but with some time, the Pioneers should bounce back. Utica 4-1

It’s hard to believe it’s already NCAA tournament time, but for 11 Division III teams, the chase for the national championship begins this week.

Three games are on the schedule for tonight, and I will be taking aim at making predictions for the first two rounds. I didn’t do too bad making picks in the regular season for Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference games. We’ll see how effective my crystal ball is as I make my postseason predictions.

First Round – Wednesday, March 6 (Campus sites)

Babson vs. Wentworth
Babson is coming off its fifth ECAC East Championship and is in the NCAA tourney for the first time since 2009. The Beavers will need goalie Zeke Testa, the ECAC East tournament MVP, to step up to be successful tonight. He made 39 saves in a 2-1 championship win. Wentworth reached the tournament a year ago, and that experience could be the difference. The Leopards won the ECAC Northeast title, and Shaun Jameson (22 assists) could play a key role in their success. Both teams have momentum but Babson is at home. Babson 3-2

Wisconsin-Eau Claire vs. St. John’s
This will be a homecoming game for St. John’s goalie Saxton Soley, who has had a phenomenal freshman year and was Mr. Hockey in Wisconsin at Eau Claire High School in 2011. You know he is going to be on top of his game for this one, and if the Johnnies can continue their current offensive pace — they have outscored opponents 49-21 since a 5-1 loss to the Blugolds on Jan. 4 — they could be poised for an upset. The Blugolds are in the tournament for the first time since 1989, and Jordan Singer (20 goals) will be one to watch for Eau Claire. He needs to have a big game for Eau Claire to win. I’m going with an upset by the MIAC team. St. John’s 4-3

Bowdoin vs. Massachusetts-Dartmouth
Bowdoin tied the single-season mark for wins in a season with 22, and the Polar Bears are making their third trip to the tournament in the last four years. Dartmouth won only 12 games, and is playing in the tourney for the fourth time. The Polar Bears seem to have the edge. They have won three consecutive games, and are playing on their home ice. Five players have scored at least 10 goals, including 17 from Daniel Weiniger, and if they can be balanced tonight, they should be in good shape. The Corsairs are 1-3 in NCAA tourney play, but have won their last three games. I give the edge to the Polar Bears. Bowdoin 3-1

Quarterfinal Round – Saturday, March 9 (Campus sites)
 
Adrian vs. Oswego State
The Bulldogs begin tournament play Saturday, and are coming off a win in the Harris Cup. Adrian has a 17-game unbeaten streak, and shouldn’t have a problem keeping that going at home this weekend. Oswego won the SUNYAC title and has won 23 games as well, but with the Bulldogs playing at home and seemingly in contention for a national title, I give the edge to Adrian. Adrian 5-3

Bowdoin vs. Utica
Utica will play the winner of the Bowdoin-Mass.-Dartmouth game, and will be the host for the game on Saturday. The Pioneers have the advantage of a bye, and won a program-best 20 games this year. Bowdoin will have a tough time winning this game on the road. Utica 5-3

St. John’s vs. St. Norbert
St. Norbert is the two-time defending champion, and should be in good shape regardless of who it plays. The Green Knights, who will take on either Eau Claire or St. John’s, are making their 14th trip to the tournament, and their experience is going to be tough to top. They average 4.1 goals per game, and will roll. St. Norbert 6-3

Babson vs. Norwich
Norwich will host the winner of the Babson-Wentworth game, and is making its fourth consecutive appearance in the NCAA tournament. The Cadets won 23 games, and are looking for their first national title since 2010 and their fourth national title overall. Norwich has scored 109 goals this year, and has allowed only 44. Norwich 5-2

Saturday’s Peter’s Cup championship clash between second-seeded St. Norbert and top-seeded Wis.-Eau Claire will not only be the most-anticipated match-up of the NCHA season, it will also be the final game in the history of the NCHA.

With the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference deciding to form its own league, St. Norbert and St. Scholastica decided to go their separate ways, breaking up the conference after 32 seasons. And what better way to see the NCHA come to an end than with the two best teams meeting for the right to represent the league in the NCAA Division III tournament.

The Blugolds (20-4-2) meet the Green Knights (22-5-1) on Saturday night in Eau Claire.

After going winless in three previous meetings against Wis.-Eau Claire, it would be foolish to pick St. Norbert, right? Well, the Green Knights are still back-to-back D-III national champions, and there’s no doubt they want to earn a historic three-peat. In addition, the Green Knights have a veteran team that knows how to step up in crucial moments.

While the Blugolds went 2-0-1 against St. Norbert this season, all three meetings were close. The Blugolds’ most impressive performance came on Jan. 25, when they blanked the Green Knights, 3-0, at home.

Ultimately, Saturday’s title clash comes down to the battle between the pipes: St. Norbert’s David Jacobson vs. Wis.-Eau Claire’s Brandon Stephenson. Last season, Jacobson burst onto the scene as a freshman and turned heads with his stellar play in the national title game.

However, this season, Stephenson was a notch better than Jacobson. It’s his time. He’s led the Blugolds to the top of the NCHA, and he’ll lead them into the D-III tournament. Also, the fact that St. Norbert barely survived a scare from St. Scholatica (2-1) last week at home doesn’t give me confidence the Green Knights can win at Eau Claire.

Make no mistake, St. Norbert will put up a fight to keep their legacy alive, but a new king will reign in the NCHA.

Wis.-Eau Claire 3-2

The quarterfinal picks finished at 3-1-0 (.750) last weekend, and the dreaded 4/5 game did me in. Admittedly, I should never rule out Middlebury come tournament time as the Panthers have been in the title game 11 of 12 times in the NESCAC tournament’s history. My overall record is at 51-20-8 (.696), so I have the 70 percent target in sight and will need to be perfect in the final games of the playoffs to end up there for the season.

Here are the selections for the final four games, where three teams look to recapture the NESCAC crown and one team looks to earn their first conference title.

Saturday, March 2, 2013

No. 3 Trinity at No. 2 Williams
The regular season may be telling in this one, based on the low-scoring games played both times between the two teams. Williams doesn’t score a lot of goals, and certainly didn’t against Trinity this season. The teams playing after this one on Saturday may want to wait on putting their skates on, because this one could go to overtime or multiple overtimes with as good a defense and goaltending both teams bring to the ice. The Bantams got it done in the extra session last weekend, and history repeats itself here. Trinity 2-1

No. 5 Middlebury at No. 1 Bowdoin
The Polar Bears match-up pretty well, and have the home-ice advantage, but somehow I don’t think that is the only message coach Terry Meagher is sending to his team in preparation for Saturday’s semifinal game with the Panthers. History in the playoffs favors the visitors, and right on schedule, the Panthers, behind junior Louis Belisle are playing some of their best hockey of the season. It’s close, and an empty-net goal seals the deal for the home team in this one, but not without a scare. Bowdoin 4-2

Sunday, March 3, 2013

No. 3 Trinity at No. 1 Bowdoin
It’s offense vs. defense in this one, and in the playoffs, one should always go with defense and goaltending right? Not this time! The Polar Bears roll speed and balance and attack from all parts of the ice, and that puts a lot of pressure on an opponent’s ability to play its own game effectively. Bowdoin has been the class of the league since the opening weekend of the season, and they achieve the mission with a hard-fought win against a very determined opponent. Bowdoin 3-2

It is going to be a great weekend of hockey, and I for one will not be surprised if the games go completely the other way based on how closely-matched the teams are in talent. The effort and sacrifices made on the ice this weekend are the difference-makers — drop the puck!

A 3-1-0 (.750) weekend was only spoiled by my inability to pick the travel partner game between Skidmore and Castleton. The overall season numbers are really good at 59-20-9 (.722). All will be for nothing if I don’t close the deal this week on the picks that really mean everything to teams looking for hardware and a ticket to the dance in the NCAA tournament.

The top four are the final four, but will the tournament continue to hold to form? Here are this weekend’s selections for the semifinals and predicted final.

Friday, March 1, 2013

No. 3 Babson at No. 2 Massachusetts-Boston
The season series went to the Beacons with a win and a tie, and both games showcased their ability to come back from deficits.  It is never advisable to create a deficit in a playoff game, especially against a team with a recent history of success in reaching the championship game. The Beacons have been on a mission all year, and Travis Daniel and Zack Andrews make sure they have a game to play on Saturday. Massachusetts-Boston 4-3

No. 4 Castleton at No. 1 Norwich
Short-term memory is going to be a key for the Spartans if they want to be in this one against the number one team in the country. Recent games at Kreitzburg have been a disaster for Castleton, but all can be erased and forgotten with a strong effort from the seniors who are looking at their last chance to win a title for Castleton. More history is at stake for the senior Cadets, who can create history with just a few more wins. Chalk up number one in efficient fashion.  Norwich 4-1

Saturday, March 2, 2013

No. 2 Massachusetts-Boston at No. 1 Norwich
I am really not going out much on a limb with a one vs. two game, but if it happens, it will be a fun game to watch. The Cadets took both  games in the regular season, and while youthful exuberance reigns supreme on the Beacons bench, the experience and deep playoff history for the Cadets is the difference here. Colin Mulvey and the rest of the seniors get to raise the conference trophy one more time and make it a sweet four-for-four in their career in Northfield. Norwich 3-2

Everything is on the line this weekend, and if you want to go to the NCAA tournament, the only guaranteed entry is through winning the conference title. Everybody loves winning trophies, and the challenges of the long season are all worthwhile with just two more wins — drop the puck!

Fighting for the Harris Cup trophy this weekend are three veterans and one rookie team. Top-seed Adrian will looking to take back the trophy this weekend after losing it, for the first time in three seasons, last year in a devastating overtime loss to Milwaukee School of Engineering. Marian, the second seed coming into this weekend, hasn’t won the title since 2002. MSOE comes in as the third-seeded team, and the Raiders are looking to defend their championship title from last season. New to the game this weekend will be Northland; the Lumberjacks have never been to the Harris Cup Four, and earned their first playoff win last weekend against Lawrence.

Well, I went 0-4-0 in last week’s picks, which is truly pitiful. That abysmal pick record brings my season total to 58-46-4 (.537).

On Friday, at the Arrington Ice Arena in Adrian, Mich., we’ll see Marian and MSOE battling in the earlier match-up. Adrian will host Northland in the 8 p.m. game. The winner of each of those games will advance to Saturday’s championship game.

Friday, March 1, 2013

MSOE vs. Marian
The Raiders battled in two games and a mini-game last weekend with Lake Forest before advancing to the semifinals. MSOE took a 3-2 win on Saturday before dropping a 2-0 contest on Sunday. Austin Grosvenor was the hero in the mini-game, scoring the lone goal and giving the Raiders a chance to defend their 2012 Harris Cup championship. Marian earned a bye last weekend after winning the North Division. Marian fell to MSOE on Dec. 7 and 8 by 4-1 and 2-1 scores. In January, Marian shut out MSOE in a 3-0 game. MSOE 2-1

Northland vs. Adrian
After a loss on Friday night, Northland came from a 2-0 deficit in Saturday’s contest to beat Lawrence, 5-2. In the mini-game, Mike Lennon scored the goal, ensuring the Lumberjacks’ first-ever appearance in the Harris Cup Four. Adrian, which earned the 2012-13 regular season title, has yet to lose a conference game this season. The Bulldogs also proudly boast a 21-1-3 overall record this season. The Bulldogs are the only team in the nation with only one loss. I don’t think they are planning to lose on the biggest stage yet this season in their rink. Adrian 3-1

Saturday, March 2, 2013
This would entail that I’m picking an Adrian vs. MSOE championship game. Ron Fogarty, coach of Adrian, has mentioned on a few occasions that the Bulldogs have a goal this season. They want to bring the Harris Cup back to their trophy case. The Raiders defeated the Bulldogs last season in overtime, in Adrian, to earn the bid to the NCAA tournament. It’s also playoff hockey, anything can happen. Adrian 4-3