Well, as has been the case for much of the second half of the year, Arlan and I split the difference in the games we picked differently, as I correctly called a Syracuse sweep of RIT and he called Harvard beating Boston University. Last week, we both struggled due to some of the big upsets, and we went 14-7-1 (.659). Overall on the year, I am holding a slim one-game advantage heading into the final weeks of the year, as I am 199-67-24 (.727), while Arlan is 198-68-24 (.724). Can I hold him off and win the six-pack of beer again?

Friday, Feb. 15

Princeton at Clarkson
Candace: Princeton looked dreadful last week against Colgate, and Clarkson’s inconsistency isn’t enough to cost it this game. Clarkson 5-1
Arlan: This is in the domain of games the Golden Knights could lose, but I doubt that the Tigers have it in them. Clarkson 3-1

Dartmouth at Colgate
Candace: While Colgate looked good against Princeton, the Big Green are too much. Dartmouth 4-1
Arlan: The Big Green look to remain unbeaten in February. Dartmouth 4-2

Harvard at Cornell
Candace: If this game took place in January, I’d probably pick differently. Cornell 3-1
Arlan: The Crimson can afford a loss here and still be in great shape for the ECAC crown. Cornell 2-1

Quinnipiac at St. Lawrence
Candace: A win here would be big for Quinnipiac’s home ice aspirations. Quinnipiac 3-2
Arlan: The Bobcats are much better at home in conference play. St. Lawrence 3-2

Rensselaer at Yale
Candace: Yale has to win this to have any shot at the ECAC playoffs, but I expect them to fall just short. Rensselaer 4-2
Arlan: I expect the Engineers to wind up seventh in the ECAC no matter what they do the rest of the way. Rensselaer 4-3

Friday at Saturday, Feb. 15 at 16

Mercyhurst at Syracuse
Candace: Can the Orange break their streak of futility against the Lakers? I think it will be close, but they’ll fall short. Mercyhurst 4-2, 3-2
Arlan: I agree with Paul Flanagan that there’s no rhyme nor reason to what happens in the CHA, but most of that involves Robert Morris. Mercyhurst 2-1, Syracuse 3-2

Ohio State at North Dakota
Candace: This is not the same Ohio State team that split with North Dakota in October. North Dakota 4-2, 5-2
Arlan: UND has rattled off six straight; the Buckeyes have only two wins in 2013. North Dakota 4-3, 6-2

Friday and Sunday, Feb. 15 and 17

New Hampshire vs. Providence (home-and-home)
Candace: These two tied in November, and another tie wouldn’t surprise. Since I don’t want to pick the wrong game in this pair, I’ll go with Providence to sweep. Providence 3-2, 2-1
Arlan: Trailing in the contest, I’ve got to find some games to pick opposite of Candace, and these look as good as any. New Hampshire 5-4, 3-2

Saturday, Feb. 16

Rensselaer at Brown
Candace: Brown suffers from terminal lack-of-offense disease. Rensselaer 4-2
Arlan: RPI and Brown are very similar defensively, but the Engineers score twice as much in conference play. Rensselaer 2-1

Quinnipiac at Clarkson
Candace: The Golden Knights are deadly at home. Clarkson 3-1
Arlan: Clarkson remembers the Bobcats’ last visit to Potsdam all too well. Clarkson 2-1

Harvard at Colgate
Candace: Even should the Crimson beat Cornell and come out flat Saturday, they should have enough. Harvard 4-2
Arlan: Stylistically this game figures to be a bad match-up for Colgate. Harvard 5-1

Dartmouth at Cornell
Candace: Dartmouth always plays its best against Cornell, but I expect the Big Red to come out on top. Cornell 3-2
Arlan: Dartmouth always seems to play above its norm versus the Big Red. Cornell 4-3

Princeton at St. Lawrence
Candace: The Tigers just don’t have enough to beat St. Lawrence at home. St. Lawrence 4-2
Arlan: If Kimberly Newell can play like she did against Cornell, not as she did versus Colgate, then the Tigers can surprise. St. Lawrence 3-2

Saturday-Sunday, Feb. 16-17

Connecticut vs. Boston College (home-and-home)
Candace: These games could get ugly, as BC takes out its Beanpot finals frustration on its next opponent. Boston College 5-0, 6-1
Arlan: The Huskies could use another blizzard. Boston College 8-0, 7-1

Vermont at Boston University
Candace: Will the Terriers finally awaken from their offensive slump? Even if they don’t, they should be able to sweep this one. Boston University 4-2, 5-2
Arlan: Something tells me we’ll see a different BU team this weekend. Boston University 4-1, 5-0

Northeastern at Maine
Candace: Can Maine play spoiler in the 3-4-5 positions of Hockey East? Not for the Huskies anyway. Northeastern 4-1, 4-1
Arlan: Look for NU to come out flat but rally and win anyway. Northeastern 4-3, 5-1

Minnesota-Duluth at Wisconsin
Candace: I imagine the Badgers have wanted another shot at the Bulldogs since getting swept in Duluth in early October in a pair of one-goal losses. Both teams struggle with goal scoring, but Wisconsin should have enough. Wisconsin 4-2, 3-2
Arlan: The Badgers played well a week ago, and the Bulldogs didn’t. Wisconsin 2-1, 3-1

Tuesday, Feb. 19

Boston College at Providence
Candace: Eagles have to keep pace to get first and avoid Northeastern in the Hockey East semis. Boston College 6-2
Arlan: In addition to the Eagles, I also like the “over” in this one. Boston College 7-4

Northeastern at Connecticut
Candace: Kendall Coyne and company might actually rack up a lot of goals in this one. Northeastern 6-1
Arlan: This is UConn’s last best chance to improve on its one conference win. Northeastern 5-1

Wednesday, Feb. 20

New Hampshire at Boston University
Candace: I hate picking New Hampshire games. Boston University 3-2
Arlan: This game is even more of a must for the Terriers than the Wildcats. Boston University 4-2

Can’t handle this
I’ve been around long enough to see some bad ideas in sport. A prime example is the use of FoxTrax to illuminate the puck on NHL telecasts to help viewers follow its movement in the 1990s. If you can’t figure out where a black puck is on white ice on your own, you likely aren’t going to get much out of a hockey game anyway. History is also replete with flawed uniform decisions, foremost being the Chicago White Sox wearing shorts in 1976.

I’m not going to claim that the St. Lawrence decision to replace surnames on their jerseys with Twitter handles is equally ridiculous, but seriously, what is the objective? Am I supposed to tweet, “Hey, @Brooke_Back_Mtn, while you were reading this, your check got loose on the back post for an easy tap in!” Hopefully, we haven’t reached the point where players are monitoring their social media accounts while on the ice, so I’d have time to look up my target’s Twitter name from some alternate source before she’d get around to reading my jewel of wisdom. To be fair, I could easily look up a player’s last name from a roster using her number and frequently do, but I’m lazy and would rather have the name be right there on her back. It’s safe to say that at this point in time, more fans are looking to merely identify players than tweet them, so let’s just stick to human names, okay?

Soap box aside, the Saints and Engineers played a very entertaining game at Rensselaer. I don’t know if RPI’s Alexa Gruschow is on Twitter, because the only handle she displayed is the one she put on the puck when she got loose on the penalty kill and banked the puck off of the right post, then off of @chicken_carm30, and into the net. The Engineers led, 1-0, 70 seconds in the final period. @Sabbytime16 evened the game a couple minutes later, getting her stick on a loose puck an instant before Kelly O’Brien could cover and swatting it under the goalie. RPI’s apparent deciding goal was waved off when a referee ruled that an Engineer was in the crease, and a video review did not overturn that decision.

At the conclusion of a scoreless overtime, the Saints’ Michelle Ng was crunched by RPI’s Jordan Smelker. Given the contest had ended in a 1-1 tie, the five-minute checking penalty on Smelker had far less impact on the Engineers’ wing than the collision did on Ng, who remained down for a couple of minutes before being helped off of the ice.

Snowed under
A massive blizzard hit the East Coast over the weekend, wreaking havoc with teams’ schedules. Games were moved up, delayed, and postponed, with Hockey East territory being particularly hard hit. Around the country, games that were played proved hazardous to ranked teams; four ranked squads fell to opponents from outside the rankings, and others struggled mightily in victory.

Tightening up in the ECAC
No. 4 Cornell looked to be in great shape in the ECAC until the Big Red fell, 4-1, at Quinnipiac on Friday afternoon. Kelly Babstock hit empty nets twice from long range after Erica Uden Johansson and Brittany Lyons had given the Bobcats a two-goal lead after two periods, and Victoria Vigilanti made 32 saves. Combined with a 4-1 win over Colgate on Senior Day, the four points move Quinnipiac into a tie with SLU for fourth place and the final home-ice berth in the ECAC playoffs with four games remaining.

The Big Red rebounded by scoring the final three goals in the third period in a 4-1 win at Princeton to tie Clarkson atop the league, but they no longer control their destiny versus Harvard. Both Crimson games were weathered out, so Harvard has two games in hand on both of the leaders, despite being a point down in the standings.

Lower down the ladder, Colgate claimed a huge two points at Princeton’s expense. The Raiders got goals from six different players in winning, 6-1, and moved a point ahead of the Tigers to occupy the eighth and final postseason slot in the league.

CHA chaos
Robert Morris stretched its unbeaten streak versus No. 7 Mercyhurst to five games on Friday, winning 4-2 on goals by Katie Fergus, Brandi Pollock, Thea Imbrogno, and Kristen Richards. Kristen DiCiocco made 28 stops in net. On Saturday, the Lakers finally had enough and routed RMU, 9-1, behind a hat trick by Lauren Jones. The Colonials’ win moves them into a tie with RIT for third in the CHA.

Meanwhile, Syracuse took both ends of a home-and-home series with RIT to climb within a point of Mercyhurst for the league lead heading into a showdown next weekend. The Orange used a well-established recipe for success in matching 2-1 victories — scratch out a couple of goals and rely on Kallie Billadeau to hold the fort. The junior turned aside 27 shots on the road and another 18 back home; Akane Hosoyamada scored in each game.

Doing the time
In the only Hockey East action to take place due to the storm, Maine and host Vermont combined to commit 17 minors in each game of their series. Ironically, the naughtier team came out on top each day, as each winner was whistled 11 times. The Black Bears grabbed a 4-1 lead before Saturday’s game was 10 minutes old, and Vermont’s comeback came up a tally short as Maine won, 4-3. Brianne Kilgour and Audra Richards each supplied three points. Sunday, the Catamounts were outscored 1-0 over the game’s first 44 minutes while committing 11 of the first 14 penalties. Over the final 16 minutes, UVM stayed out of the box and coasted to a 4-1 win. Kelci Lanthier saved 27 of 28 shots and Brittany Zuback had a goal and two helpers.

How the rest of the top 10 fared
No. 6 Clarkson had a fairly comfortable 3-1 win at Rensselaer on Friday, but struggled mightily at Union before emerging with a 3-2 win. Vanessa Gagnon, Danielle Skirrow, and Erin Ambrose scored versus the Engineers, and Erica thwarted 24 of 25 shots. The Dutchwomen took a lead into the third period before Skirrow connected at 11:15, one of her three points for the game. Gagnon produced the game-winner with just 13 seconds remaining.

No. 9 North Dakota also flirted with disaster, blowing a two-goal lead versus Bemidji State before Allison Parizek scored at 3:58 of overtime to yield a crucial 4-3 triumph for UND. Saturday’s game was devoid of similar suspense, as the hosts grabbed the lead 1:47 into the contest and cruised to a 7-0 shutout for Shelby Amsley-Benzie. Jocelyne Lamoureux recorded six assists in the second game.

The No. 10 Bulldogs weren’t quite as fortunate on home ice. Minnesota-Duluth fell into a two-goal hole versus Minnesota State on Saturday and was only able to make up half of the deficit in losing, 2-1.  Sophomore Erin Krichiver made her first collegiate start and stopped 39 shots. UMD rebounded with a 4-2 win on Saturday, thanks to two goals from Brienna Gillanders.

No. 1 Minnesota survived its shakiest weekend of the season at Ohio State, but earned 5-2 and 5-3 wins. In the opener, the Gophers surrendered a two-goal lead for the first time, and Saturday’s game marked the first contest where they trailed on two separate occasions, but ultimately, they pulled away in the third period. In the process, Megan Bozek scored twice, including her 42nd goal at Minnesota, a new high for a defenseman in program history.

At St. Cloud State, the No. 8 Wisconsin Badgers posted routine 6-0 and 5-1 wins. The shutout was Alex Rigsby’s fifth of the year. Brianna Decker had three points in each outing.

Due to the weather, No. 2 Boston College, No. 3 Boston University, and No. 5 Harvard played only on Tuesday at the Beanpot. BC defeated Harvard, 2-1, while BU fell to Northeastern, 4-1.

Well, I took a chance last week so Arlan and I wouldn’t completely double up our picks, even though I really wanted to pick St. Lawrence in its second game against Clarkson. It looked like it might pay off, but the Saints rallied, so Arlan gained a game back on me in our picks race. Overall last week, I went 15-4-1 (.775) to move to 185-60-23 (.733) on the year. Arlan went 16-3-1 (.825) to move to 184-61-23 (.729).

Lots of games this weekend, so maybe I can regain the two-game advantage!

Friday, Feb. 8

Colgate at Princeton
Candace: This seems like a trap game, so I’ll go with the home team. Princeton 3-1
Arlan: The Raiders are as hard to predict as any team, but the Tigers seem better of late. Princeton 3-2

Cornell at Quinnipiac
Candace: Cornell has been on a roll, and has too many horses. Cornell 4-2
Arlan: The Bobcats are on an 8-2-1 stretch, but the Big Red present too tall of an order. Cornell 5-2

Clarkson at Rensselaer
Candace: Clarkson usually rebounds from a loss, which is bad timing for the Engineers to pull an upset. Clarkson 4-2
Arlan: RPI is playing well. I see the Golden Knights as being better than Dartmouth, the best opponent that the Engineers have beaten. Clarkson 3-1

Friday-Saturday, Feb. 8-9

Robert Morris at Mercyhurst
Candace: I’d imagine the Lakers have had this series circled on the calendar ever since getting swept by Robert Morris in December. Mercyhurst 4-2, 4-1
Arlan: Which trend holds? Robert Morris is 3-0-1 in last four games versus the Lakers and 1-9-1 in last 11 against everyone else. Mercyhurst 4-1, 2-1

Syracuse vs. RIT (home-and-home)
Candace: Both games went to OT the last time these two faced off. RIT delights in making me look bad when I pick against them, but loses if I pick them to win. Go figure. Syracuse 2-1, 2-1
Arlan: The two teams tied and played a one-goal game in November, and this should be more of the same. RIT 2-1, Syracuse 3-1

Minnesota at Ohio State
Candace: The Gophers express continues its rush. Minnesota 5-1, 4-1
Arlan: At least one game will be tight, even if OSU has lost 20-some straight head-to-head. Minnesota 2-1, 4-1

Wisconsin at St. Cloud
Candace: I’d love to pick St. Cloud, but I just can’t. Wisconsin really needs the wins. Wisconsin 2-1, 3-1
Arlan: Both teams coming off a bye after being swept at home. Wisconsin 2-0, 3-1

Bemidji State at North Dakota
Candace: Bemidji doesn’t have the netminder to hang with the top squads right now. North Dakota 4-1, 5-1
Arlan: Beavers have split three of last four series; UND has won four straight comfortably after falling to Wisconsin. North Dakota 3-0, 6-1

Saturday, Feb. 9

Cornell at Princeton
Candace: Cornell is going to want to be in position to take over first the following weekend. Cornell 5-0
Arlan: Princeton has only scored two goals total over last seven meetings. Cornell 6-1

Colgate at Quinnipiac
Candace: Expect Kelly Babstock and company to rebound from the previous night. Quinnipiac 4-1
Arlan: If Cornell takes too much starch out of “Q”, then Colgate could take advantage. Quinnipiac 4-2

St. Lawrence at Rensselaer
Candace: If the Saints who beat Clarkson show up, this shouldn’t be that close. St. Lawrence 4-1
Arlan: Expect a one-goal game either way. St. Lawrence 2-1

Saturday-Sunday, Feb. 9-10

Maine at Vermont
Candace: Vermont broke a losing streak last weekend against New Hampshire, and Maine just hasn’t been consistent at all this season. Vermont 4-2, 4-1
Arlan: These games have to matter more in the standings to the Catamounts than the Black Bears. Vermont 4-3, 3-1

Minnesota State at Minnesota-Duluth
Candace: The Bulldogs get back on track after being swept last weekend. Minnesota-Duluth 4-2, 4-1
Arlan: MSU is at the end of a rough stretch of games. Minnesota-Duluth 3-1, 6-0

Tuesday, Feb. 12

Harvard vs. Boston University
Candace: Can the Terriers get their offense back? Boston University 3-1
Arlan: A tie wouldn’t surprise me at all. Harvard 2-1

Boston College vs. Northeastern
Candace: BC is looking like it can win either a defensive battle or an offensive barnburner. Boston College 4-1
Arlan: Eagles look poised to claim Beanpots for both genders. Boston College 5-2

League races evolve
After weeks of inequity in terms of the number of league games played and remaining across the four conferences, this weekend finally brought convergence. All teams now have six conference games remaining, with the exception of the top half of Hockey East; those four clubs are down to five games left on their league slates.

College Hockey America
The rankings in the CHA have clarified. The top prize comes down to No. 7 Mercyhurst or Syracuse. The Orange trail the Lakers by three points, but have opened up a three-game lead on RIT thanks to a key road sweep at Robert Morris. Syracuse was a goal better both days, 3-2 and 2-1, and needed a late rally to pull out the second game. Holly Carrie-Mattimoe set up Margot Scharfe and Nicole Ferrara four minutes apart, the game-winner coming with but 60 seconds to go. Kallie Billadeau recorded 59 saves on the weekend to earn both victories. A key home-and-home series with RIT looms to determine momentum heading into a home clash with the Lakers.

Mercyhurst held its edge thanks to comfortable 5-2 and 4-1 wins at Penn State. Christine Bestland had a hat trick the first day and a three-point game in the finale. The Lakers must also keep one eye on the national picture. After succumbing to No. 5 Cornell on Tuesday, 4-0, Mercyhurst remains in a favorable at-large position, sitting seventh, but without the security of an automatic bid, needs to avoid conference setbacks.

Third-place RIT only took home one point from its trip to Lindenwood, but that was enough to increase its lead over Robert Morris to two points. On Friday, the Lions and Tigers traded first-period tallies and remained deadlocked in a 1-1 tie through overtime. It appeared that bonus hockey was on the menu again when RIT rallied from two down Saturday, drawing even at 3-3 when Tenecia Hiller scored her team’s second power-play goal of the period with over a minute left in regulation and an extra attacker on the ice for the Tigers. Alyssa West fed Alison Wickenheiser with seven seconds to go, and the sophomore’s second goal of the game gave Lindenwood its first series win in CHA play. The Lions are now solidly in fifth place, five points shy of RMU and leading Penn State by the same margin.

With six teams for the first time, the CHA has a new playoff format this year. The top two teams will have byes for the first round while the third seed hosts the sixth seed, and the fourth place team entertains the fifth seed, both in best-of-three series.

ECAC Hockey
It was a good week all around for No. 5 Cornell. Brianne Jenner continued her torrid second half, with two goals in the win over Mercyhurst, four goals and two assists in an 8-1 pummeling of Union, and a couple more points in a 3-1 victory versus Rensselaer. That allowed the Big Red to pull within a point of No. 3 Harvard for the league lead.

The Crimson could only manage a tie at Dartmouth in its only game of the week. Laura Stacey scored an unassisted, power-play goal less than a minute into the third stanza to earn a point for the Big Green.

No. 6 Clarkson also let points escape when it could only claim the home half of a home-and-home series with St. Lawrence. The Golden Knights outshot the Saints, 30-15, on Friday and attempts by Brittany Styner, Jamie Lee Rattray, and Renata Fast found the net in a 3-1 win. SLU fought back from a two-goal deficit the next day with a three-goal middle period. Defenseman Amanda Boulier scored twice, including the game-winner. The Saints now hold the fourth and final home-ice position over Quinnipiac with three weeks to go.

Nicole Connery and Kelly Babstock each scored twice as the Bobcats blanked Brown, 5-0, but they needed a goal by Babstock with half a minute to go to pull out a 2-2 tie versus Yale. The three points earned on the weekend equals the Quinnipiac lead over Dartmouth.

The Big Green in sixth place hold a two-point lead over RPI. The Engineers grabbed an important win at Colgate, 4-1, as Eleeza Cox contributed two goals plus an assist. RPI enjoys a five-point gap over Princeton.

As is often the case in the ECAC, the battle for the final ticket to the playoffs figures to go down to the wire. The Tigers are currently slotted eighth, but Colgate and Yale lurk one and two points back respectively. Princeton earned its first league points since November with a much-needed sweep of Yale, 3-1, and Brown, 6-1. Denna Laing and Sally Buttler each produced a goal and a helper as Kimberly Newell made 28 stops versus the Bulldogs. Molly Contini fired in her first collegiate hat trick against the Bears, and Kelly Cooke added four points.

Colgate grabbed a couple of points with a 3-1 win over Union. Taylor Volpe, Taylor Craig, and Nicole Gass scored, and Ashlynne Rando rejected 32 shots.

Hockey East
No. 2 Boston College and No. 4 Boston University remain deadlocked for the top perch in Hockey East with identical 13-2-1 records. Alex Carpenter scored twice and chipped in an assist in a 6-3 triumph at Maine for the Eagles. For the Terriers, the line of Isabel Menard centering Louise Warren and Kayla Tutino combined for two goals and five assists in defeating Northeastern, 4-2. For its remaining league contests, BU has four home games, with New Hampshire, Vermont twice, and Connecticut before finishing at Connecticut. BC conversely is traveling for four of its last five HEA games, starting at Providence, then a home-and-home series with Connecticut, and concluding with two games at Vermont. Amidst those crucial skates, both teams will also be competing in the Beanpot Tournament on the next two Tuesdays, along with Northeastern and Harvard.

Providence currently holds third place by a point over Northeastern. Corinne Buie had a pair of goals for the Friars at Connecticut in a 5-0 shutout by Sarah Bryant. The Friars needed overtime to take a 4-3 decision when those two teams moved to Providence. Haley Frade and Brooke Simpson scored in the third period to overcome a two-goal deficit before Jessica Vella scored her second goal of the game 2:45 into the OT.

Fifth-place New Hampshire is two points behind Northeastern, but has a game in hand. UNH is two up on Vermont after the Wildcats and Catamounts split a pair of games at Vermont. UVM took the opener, 3-1, on the strength of a pair of goals by Brittany Zuback and 32 saves from Roxanne Douville. UNH struck back with a 4-2 victory the next day; Arielle O’Neill scored the game-winner with under seven minutes to play, and Hannah Armstrong found the net twice.

Maine and Vermont sit seventh and eighth, with the Black Bears one point ahead. It’s looking more and more like those teams will finish in that order, but thanks to the expansion of the league tournament, they’ll be eligible for postseason play with the others.

WCHA
No. 1 Minnesota swept No. 10 Minnesota-Duluth over the weekend and clinched the WCHA crown in the process. Noora Räty became the winningest goaltender in NCAA history; she now has 102 victories in her career. Amanda Kessel totaled seven points in the 5-0 and 6-2 wins.

The drama in the conference standings revolves around the next four teams fighting for the remaining three home-ice berths in the league tourney. No. 9 North Dakota is two points ahead of UMD, Ohio State, and No. 8 Wisconsin in a three-way tie for third.

North Dakota swept Minnesota State to move ahead of the competition. Josefine Jakobsen had a pair of hat tricks and nine points in 4-2 and 8-2 triumphs, while Michelle Karvinen piled up eight points of her own.

Ohio State lost ground by settling for a split at Bemidji State. Ally Tarr potted the game-winner at 41 seconds in overtime on Friday to give the Buckeyes a 2-1 win. The Beavers were the team to get the clutch goal and 2-1 victory on Saturday; Mackenzie Thurston scored with under three minutes remaining.

The Mavericks hold sixth place, a game ahead of BSU in seventh. The Beavers are similarly a game up on St. Cloud State in the race to avoid a quarterfinal at Minnesota.

Well, thanks to correctly picking RIT on Saturday night, I gained another game lead over Arlan on the season. I went 14-2-1 (.852), to move to 170-56-22 (.729) on the year. Arlan went 13-3-1 (.794) to move to 168-58-22 (.721) on the year. Can I hold him off and win the six pack? Time will tell!

Friday, Feb. 1

Harvard at Dartmouth
Candace: Harvard won’t want to lose this game ahead of the Beanpot. Harvard 3-2
Arlan: Dartmouth has not been nearly as consistent defensively. Harvard 4-1

Brown at Quinnipiac
Candace: The Bears have shown a lack of scoring, which will do them in. Quinnipiac 4-1
Arlan: The Bears and Bobcats have played to a tie in each of the previous three seasons. Quinnipiac 3-1

Friday-Saturday, Feb. 1-2

Syracuse at Robert Morris
Candace: These two split in the first half, but the Colonials were playing better at that time. Syracuse 3-2, 2-1
Arlan: If considered as the Orange playing some anonymous opponent, am I still doomed to get it wrong? Syracuse 2-1, 3-2

St. Lawrence vs. Clarkson
Candace: I expect these to be two close games. Can Clarkson carry momentum from defeating Harvard last weekend? Clarkson 3-1, 4-2
Arlan: Can the Golden Knights sweep all four games in this rivalry of neighbors? Clarkson 2-1, St. Lawrence 2-1

Providence vs. Connecticut
Candace: Connecticut has looked dreadful of late. Providence 4-1, 5-1
Arlan: The Huskies may not win again this season. Providence 5-2, 6-1

Ohio State at Bemidji State
Candace: The Buckeyes have been struggling since the second half started, but I think they have just enough in this series. Ohio State 3-2, 3-2
Arlan: I’d like to pick them, but the Beavers suffered their worst weekend of the season in Columbus. Ohio State 4-3, 3-1

North Dakota at Minnesota State
Candace: North Dakota has showed improvement defensively, which should make the rest of the WCHA nervous. North Dakota 4-1, 5-1
Arlan: The Mavericks had taken points from every home series until facing Minnesota two weeks ago. North Dakota 3-2, 7-3

Minnesota-Duluth at Minnesota
Candace: Can anybody stop the Gophers express? If so, it won’t be this weekend. Minnesota 4-2, 4-1
Arlan: I suspect that these games will be more competitive than the contests in November. Minnesota 2-1, 3-1

Saturday, Feb. 2

Northeastern at Boston University
Candace: Northeastern’s Achilles’ Heel is it’s inability to beat the best teams in the conference. Boston University 4-2
Arlan: Northeastern scored a healthy 29 goals in January, but allowed 35. Boston University 5-3

Boston College at Maine
Candace: If the Eagles do, in fact, have Skarupa back, the score may be even more lopsided. Boston College 5-1
Arlan: Just the team Maine wants to see after yielding nine goals to Providence. Boston College 9-0

Saturday-Sunday, Feb. 2-3

New Hampshire at Vermont
Candace: New Hampshire is definitely positioning itself for a top-four finish in conference. New Hampshire 4-2, 3-2
Arlan: Vermont has followed up its program-record six-game unbeaten streak with a seven-game winless streak. New Hampshire 4-2, 3-2

Tuesday, Feb. 5

Boston College vs. Harvard (Beanpot)
Candace: A big test for both teams. With Skarupa back, I have to go with the Eagles. Boston College 4-2
Arlan: The Eagles have claimed the previous three encounters. Boston College 3-2

Boston University vs. Northeastern (Beanpot)
Candace: Northeastern upended the Terriers in this game last year in OT on the Terriers’ home ice. I’d imagine BU wants payback. Boston University 4-2
Arlan: Different rink, same result. Boston University 5-3

Minnesota
Top-ranked Minnesota got first-period goals from Hannah Brandt and Mira Jalosuo in a 2-0 win at Wisconsin on Friday. The shutout was Noora Räty’s 10th of the season, and it stretched the Gophers’ unbeaten string to 33 games, bettering the streak of 32 achieved twice by the Badgers. On Sunday, the spotlight was on the Finnish goaltender, as she earned the victory in Minnesota’s 5-1 triumph, the 100th  win in her college career. That ties the NCAA mark established last year by Hillary Pattenden of Mercyhurst.

Welcome back, Clarkson
The No. 7 Golden Knights had seemed to be fighting the current in recent weeks, but they came through with two huge wins over the weekend to keep their ECAC title hopes healthy. Junior Carly Mercer netted a hat trick to supply the offense in a 3-1 win over first-place Harvard. Jamie Lee Rattray assisted on all three goals, two of which came on the power play. Clarkson followed up in strong fashion on Saturday with a 5-0 blanking of Dartmouth. Erica Howe earned her fourth shutout of the year along with her 19th win, and Shannon MacAulay scored twice.

North Country travails
The No. 2 Crimson entered the week with a perfect ECAC mark, but had to battle to avoid falling on consecutive days in their trip to upstate New York. Kayla Raniwsky staked St. Lawrence to a 2-1 lead at 8:48 of the third period, but Jillian Dempsey answered five minutes later. Kalley Armstrong delivered the game-winner on Harvard’s only shot of overtime. The Saints called timeout 10 seconds earlier; it’s safe to say that whatever strategy the coaches discussed unfolded better for the Crimson, leading to their bus ride home with a 3-2 victory.

Raider-proof goalie
Yale hasn’t had a lot to celebrate, but the Bulldogs earned their first sweep of a season series in two years by stopping Colgate, 2-0, on Saturday. Jaimie Leonoff now has matching 31-save shutouts over the Raiders. The win moves Yale into a tie with Colgate for the eighth and final ECAC playoff spot.

Saturday’s game was also the Bulldogs’ “White Out for Mandi.” The event, attended by 851 fans, was estimated to have raised over $10,000 in support of the Mandi Schwartz Foundation.

After you
Of late, Northeastern games look like basketball games where teams alternate baskets or go on runs. Sunday, it was the latter; the Huskies spotted Vermont the first three goals before wrapping up the scoring with six unanswered. Included in that burst was a pure hat trick for Kendall Coyne.

How the rest of the top 10 fared
No. 6 Mercyhurst had some problems with a broken water main that forced its games versus Lindenwood to be relocated, but the Lakers had little trouble from the Lions in 10-0 and 5-1 wins. Jenna Dingeldein, Emily Janiga, and Christine Bestland all had six-point weekends, with Dingeldein setting the pace with four goals.

No. 10 North Dakota got the job done on the road at St. Cloud State with a sweep by scores of 6-2 and 3-0. Monique Lamoureux poured in a hat trick in the opener, and sister Jocelyne had a seven-point series.

Minnesota-Duluth looks poised to supplant No. 9 Ohio State in the polls after the Bulldogs emerged on top in back-to-back battles in Columbus. Shannon Miller has long professed a distrust of two-goal leads, and her team displayed why on Friday. UMD twice frittered away two-goal advantages before making the third stand up for a 7-5 victory. Sophomore Brigette Lacquette was a one-woman wrecking crew, enjoying her first career hat trick and adding a couple of helpers. Seven different Bulldogs chipped in a point in a tamer 3-2 triumph on Saturday.

No. 4 Cornell handled Yale easily by a 5-0 score. Brianne Jenner and Cassandra Poudrier each found the net twice, with Jillian Saulnier dishing out four assists. Brown mounted a bit more resistance, but ultimately fell to the Big Red, 4-2. Jenner had another big game, supplying three helpers along with a goal.

The No. 3 Boston College Eagles squandered a two-goal lead at Providence, but Melissa Bizzari’s goal in the final minutes proved decisive in a 4-3 Boston College win. Corinne Buie tallied twice for the Friars. Back home to face Connecticut, Alex Carpenter exploded for a hat trick and two assists in an 8-0 thrashing.

Freshman Jordan Juron skated on the top line for No. 5 Boston University in place of Jenelle Kohanchuk, and responded with two goals and an assist to spur a 5-2 win at Vermont. On Sunday, Isabel Menard connected for the game-winner on a second-period power play in a 3-2 win for the Terriers over New Hampshire.

Well, thanks to correctly picking Quinnipiac to sweep Robert Morris and Arlan picking North Dakota over Wisconsin on night one, I maintained my slim, one-game lead over Arlan. Both Arlan and I went 13-2-2 (.823) last week. I am now 156-54-21 (.720) while Arlan is 155-55-21 (.716). We’ve got a lot of games on the slate this weekend.

Friday, Jan. 25

Harvard at Clarkson
Candace: This has the makings of a great game. If it had been last year, I might have picked opposite. Harvard 2-1
Arlan: Clarkson presents toughest road test for the Crimson since their loss at BU in November. Harvard 2-0

Dartmouth at St. Lawrence
Candace: A crucial game between these two for the second tier position in the ECAC. St. Lawrence 3-2
Arlan: Big Green haven’t lost in their last six, but they now step up in class. St. Lawrence 4-3

Boston University at Vermont
Candace: I’d love to pick Vermont, but the Terriers are too strong. Boston University 4-2
Arlan: Since losing at UNH, the Terriers have been unspectacular, but good enough to put together 10 straight without a loss. Boston University 3-1

Friday-Saturday, Jan. 25-26

Minnesota-Duluth at Ohio State
Candace: The Bulldogs have been on a roll since early December, while Ohio State has been more up and down. I think this is a split, but which night to pick which team? Minnesota-Duluth 3-2, Ohio State 3-2
Arlan: Bulldogs have been thinking about the season-opening sweep at the hands of the Buckeyes for a long time. Minnesota-Duluth 2-1, 3-1

North Dakota at St. Cloud
Candace: I’m pretty confident that this one is a sweep. North Dakota 4-1, 4-0
Arlan: A letdown versus SCSU is possible coming off two huge series, but UND has to know it can’t afford one. North Dakota 3-1, 5-2

Friday, Sunday, Jan. 25, 27

Minnesota at Wisconsin
Candace: Can the Badgers prevent their arch-rivals from breaking Wisconsin’s unbeaten streak? Something tells me no. Minnesota 4-2, 4-1
Arlan: The Gophers lost their first games in the Sanford Center in Bemidji and Amsoil Arena in Duluth; Friday is their first game in LaBahn Arena. Wisconsin 2-1, Minnesota 3-0

Saturday, Jan. 26

Harvard at St. Lawrence
Candace: If the Crimson escape from this one, they might just run the table in the league. Harvard 3-2
Arlan: The win in the most-recent meeting in the ECAC semi broke a nine-game losing skid for SLU versus Harvard. Harvard 4-2

Dartmouth at Clarkson
Candace: This one is just as hard to call as the Friday game involving Dartmouth. Clarkson 2-1
Arlan: Golden Knights just don’t seem right since losing to Colgate to open December, so who knows about this one. Clarkson 2-1

Boston College at Providence
Candace: Even if Haley Skarupa isn’t in the lineup, BC should be strong enough to win. Boston College 5-1
Arlan: Friars are allowing far too many goals in the post-Lacasse Era. Boston College 6-3

Saturday-Sunday, Jan. 26-27

Robert Morris at RIT
Candace: As Arlan has problems with Robert Morris, so too do I have issues with RIT. The last time these two met, the Tigers swept, on the road. Hmmm. RIT 3-2, 4-3
Arlan: I can’t seem to win an RMU game of late, but then neither can the Colonials. RIT 3-2, Robert Morris 2-1

Sunday, Jan. 27

Connecticut at Boston College
Candace: Another opportunity for the Eagles to work on defense. Boston College 5-1
Arlan: A long season for UConn gets longer. Boston College 7-1

New Hampshire at Boston University
Candace: The Wildcats are the only team besides the Eagles to beat the Terriers. Something tells me BU will be out for revenge. Boston University 4-2
Arlan: It feels clever to pick the Wildcats in an upset until they lose. Boston University 5-3

Maine at Providence
Candace: Even if the Friars have a porous defense, it should stand up against the Black Bears. Providence 4-2
Arlan: The Black Bears had their best defensive weekend of the season a week ago versus Vermont. Providence 4-3

Tuesday, Jan. 29

Mercyhurst at Cornell
Candace: A crucial game for both teams in the PairWise. Go with home ice. Cornell 3-2
Arlan: Water problems further complicate a busy stretch for Mercyhurst. Cornell 4-2

Trading punches
Several top contenders faced off over the weekend, and each proved capable of inflicting some damage on the other.

No. 4 Cornell gained revenge for its loss to No. 6 Clarkson back in November with a 3-1 win on home ice by limiting the Golden Knights to 17 shots on goal. That completed a strong week for the Big Red, as they also thumped Syracuse, 8-1, and St. Lawrence, 6-0, their third straight win over the Saints. Junior Brianne Jenner had a huge week, recording six goals and five assists, nearly half of the production that she’d managed over her first 13 games.

No. 2 Boston College extended its unbeaten streak to 18 and its winning streak to 13 with a 5-1 mugging of No. 8 Mercyhurst on Friday. Alex Carpenter and Ashley Motherwell each found the net twice, but the Eagles lost high-scoring rookie Haley Skarupa to injury. The Lakers scored the first two goals on Saturday, and BC stormed back to tie 3:10 into the third period. Mercyhurst went back on top on a Jenna Dingeldein goal just 84 seconds later, and Stephanie Ciampa made the 3-2 lead stand up. Ciampa made 40 stops in improving to 10-1-0 on the season, and Christine Bestland and Christie Cicero had a hand in all three goals for the Lakers.

North Dakota, a team that continues to lurk just outside the rankings, hung a goose egg on No. 7 Wisconsin in a 3-0 win Friday, the fifth whitewashing that the Badgers have endured this season. Jocelyne Lamoureux scored twice with a helper, Meghan Dufault provided a pair of primary assists, and Shelby Amsley-Benzie turned away all 19 shots. The defending WCHA season champs struck back on Saturday, as Madison Packer blocked a shot late and beat everyone down the ice to finish on a breakaway for a 2-1 win. Alex Rigsby made 28 saves in the Wisconsin net, beaten only by Lamoureux’s 26th goal of the season, second most in the country.

Defense?
Providence and No. 10 Northeastern played in a defensive classic last year in a Hockey East semifinal with the Friars winning, 2-0, the second goal scored into an empty net. That seemed fitting for teams coached by former goaltenders. The Friars and Huskies met again on Sunday at Northeastern for Skating Strides, and if that most recent meeting was close to the vest, then it was a vest still hanging in a closet. The hosts emerged with an 8-7 victory.

Northeastern grabbed an early 3-0 lead, and the teams alternated goals until the score was 7-5 after two periods. Rachel Llanes scored what proved to be the game-winner 2:50 into the final chapter. The Friars answered with consecutive power-play goals, the second by Rebecca Morse coming with 9:37 remaining. Providence was unable to find the equalizer, in part because it couldn’t maintain possession of the puck long enough to clear its own zone over much of the final minute plus. Casey Pickett and Kendall Coyne each netted a pair for the Huskies, as did the Friars’ Molly Illikainen.

Wildcats starting late but quickly
New Hampshire made us wait for its 2013 debut before rattling off three road wins. Two weeks passed before UNH took to the ice, dispatching Union, 4-2, and sweeping Connecticut by 3-1 and 2-0 scores. Sophomore Jenn Gilligan backstopped all three victories, denying 58 of 61 shots in total. Megan Armstrong, Arielle O’Neill, and Kristina Lavoie each potted a couple of tallies for the week.

Big Green: hot or not?
Dartmouth stretched its unbeaten streak to six games with a 3-0 win over Union and a 2-2 tie with Rensselaer. The latter had to feel a bit empty, as the Big Green were outshot, 12-3, over the final period and overtime and allowed a 2-0 lead to slip away on goals by Eleeza Cox and Jenn Godin in the last six minutes of regulation. Dartmouth looks to be solidly positioned for an ECAC playoff berth, and is only a point shy of fourth place and the final home-ice spot as it prepares for a crucial three-game sequence versus St. Lawrence, Clarkson, and Harvard, three higher teams in the standings.

How the rest of the top 10 fared
No. 5 Boston University eased by Northeastern, 5-4, on Wednesday as the teams combined to score three goals in each period in a game that seems high scoring until compared to Northeastern versus Providence. The Terriers built a 5-2 lead behind a hat trick from rookie Sarah Lefort, and held on as the Huskies rallied in the final two minutes plus.

No. 1 Minnesota swept Minnesota State, 8-1 and 6-0, to tie Wisconsin’s NCAA record unbeaten streak of 32 games. Amanda Kessel followed up her four-point hat trick on Friday with three assists on Saturday to bring her career point total to 201. The junior leads the country in both goals and assists.

No. 2 Harvard played three games at Bright Hockey Center, dropping Connecticut, 5-1, RPI, 4-1, and Union, 1-0. The Crimson have won seven straight and have not lost over their last 13. Jillian Dempsey had three goals on the week, including the game’s only tally versus the Dutchwomen. Laura Bellamy earned two of the wins and leads the country in goals-against average (0.54) and save percentage (.968), and is tied for second in shutouts (five).

Chelsea Knapp saved 54 of the 56 shots she faced for No. 9 Ohio State to aid the Buckeyes to a 1-1 tie and 3-1 win versus visiting St. Cloud State. Junior Ally Tarr had a pair of goals on Saturday after scoring the only marker of the shootout on Friday to give OSU the bonus point in the WCHA standings. The Buckeyes sit a game back of Wisconsin for second place with two games in hand and lead Minnesota-Duluth, their next opponent, by a game.

Well, thank’s to Emily Field’s OT goal (see photo at right), I maintained my slim lead over Arlan in the picks race. If I had gone with my original intention before looking at game scores, I would have picked Providence though and be up by three. Last week, Arlan and I went 17-3 (.850) to bring my season record to 143-52-19 (.759) and his to 142-53-19 (.754). There’s room for either me to open up a lead or him to tie me this weekend, so let’s get to it.

Friday, Jan. 18

St. Lawrence at Cornell
Candace: The Saints are playing better, but Cornell needs this game. Cornell 4-1
Arlan: I’d like to pick SLU, but the OT loss to BC may have stung the Big Red and motivated better effort. Cornell 3-2

Rensselaer at Harvard
Candace: Harvard stays undefeated in conference. Harvard 4-1
Arlan: The Crimson extend ECAC perfection at least another weekend. Harvard 4-0

Friday-Saturday, Jan. 18-19

Quinnipiac at Robert Morris
Candace: This is another of those series that baffles me a bit. Robert Morris has been off lately, but the last time the Bobcats went up against a CHA team, things did not go well. Expect two close games. Quinnipiac 3-2, 2-1
Arlan: These teams have been scuffling in 2013, though I have no idea what we’ll see from the Bobcats from game-to-game. Robert Morris 3-2, Quinnipiac 4-2

St. Cloud at Ohio State
Candace: St. Cloud is better this season, but home ice should help the Buckeyes. Ohio State 3-1, 4-1
Arlan: Both coming off being swept on the road, but the Buckeyes get home cooking this weekend. Ohio State 2-1, 6-2

Wisconsin at North Dakota
Candace: I picked a split the last time these two played, and I got hung out to dry when the Badgers swept. I’m going with Wisconsin FTW. Wisconsin 4-2, 3-2
Arlan: UND gets that elusive first win over a Mark Johnson team. North Dakota 3-1, Wisconsin 4-2

Minnesota-Duluth at Bemidji State
Candace: Both teams have struggled this season, but the Bulldogs show signs of righting the ship. Minnesota-Duluth 4-2, 4-1
Arlan: UMD is a on a six-game unbeaten string that started versus the Beavers. Minnesota-Duluth 2-0, 5-2

Boston College at Mercyhurst
Candace: I wouldn’t be surprised if one of these is a tie, but the Eagles are flying high right now. Boston College 4-2, 4-3
Arlan: Lakers can’t afford to lose, but BC never does. Boston College 3-2, 5-3

Saturday, Jan. 19

Clarkson at Cornell
Candace: I imagine that the Big Red will carry the memory of the last meeting between these two with them into this game. Cornell 3-1
Arlan: Clarkson has three losses and four single-goal wins since besting Cornell. Cornell 2-1

Rensselaer at Dartmouth
Candace: Dartmouth has been playing better since losing to the Engineers a few weeks ago. Dartmouth 4-2
Arlan: Dartmouth avenges loss in Troy. Dartmouth 3-2

Northeastern at Providence
Candace: Can Providence pull the upset? My best guess says no. Northeastern 3-2
Arlan: A three-game losing skid against top-five teams has the Huskies desperate for a win. Northeastern 4-3

Saturday-Sunday, Jan. 19-20

New Hampshire at Connecticut
Candace: The Wildcats could go a long way toward home ice in the HEA tournament by sweeping this. New Hampshire 3-1, 4-2
Arlan: Not real confident here, because there are hints that UConn is improving, but no percentage in a team with one win in 14 games, even at home. New Hampshire 4-2, 3-2

Action heating up
All of the teams have returned to the ice in 2013, with the exception of New Hampshire; the Wildcats make their first appearance on Tuesday at Union. The rest of the clubs provided much to discuss, particularly near the top of the rankings, so that’s where we’ll start this week.

How the Top 10 fared
The highlight of the week came on Sunday when two Frozen Four participants from 10 months ago met, as No. 4 Cornell visited No. 3 Boston College. For the second time in just over a week, the Eagles came away with a 4-3 win in overtime against an NCAA tournament team from last year. Sophomore Emily Field made something happen on a seemingly innocent rush and whipped a forehand from below the faceoff dot into the top corner on the far side that eluded Lauren Slebodnick’s glove 91 seconds into the extra session. Haley Skarupa scored an extra-attacker goal in the final minute of regulation to draw the hosts even, her second tally of the game. Freshman Monika Leck had staked Cornell to a 3-2 lead late in the middle period. The difference was likely that the Eagles’ stars were able to impact the game more positively than the top players for the Big Red. Field, Skarupa, Alex Carpenter, and Blake Bolden combined for three goals, five assists, and a plus-8 aggregate; Brianne Jenner, Jilliane Saulnier, Lauriane Rougeau, and Laura Fortino collectively countered with a single assist and an even rating.

That was BC’s third triumph of the week, as it pulled away from No. 9 Northeastern over the final two periods for a 6-2 victory and smoked Vermont, 7-2, behind a five-point hat trick from Skarupa and 62 shots on goal. Corinne Boyles has started nine straight games in net for the Eagles, all wins, and is now 14-1 on the campaign.

Northeastern fell to the Big Red on Saturday, 4-2, despite leading 2-1 at the midpoint of the game. Jenner had three points and Jessica Campbell two goals, including one while short-handed, to fuel Cornell. It remains to be seen whether that costs that Huskies in the polls, because the teams closest on their heels in the voting each suffered a pair of defeats as well.

No. 10 Ohio State couldn’t get its offense untracked in Madison and went down by scores of 4-1 and 2-1 to No. 8 Wisconsin. The Badgers got 49 saves from Alex Rigsby and two goals and two assists by Brianna Decker in the series.

Sitting just outside the rankings, North Dakota did better offensively than anyone else has this season against No. 1 Minnesota, but had no answers for Amanda Kessel and Hannah Brandt at the other end of the ice and lost consecutive 6-3 decisions. Kessel got loose for six goals, including a four-goal game on Friday, and added four assists, while Brandt had a seven-point weekend. UND provided the Gophers with some film to analyze, as four of its goals came on the power play, including three from Michelle Karvinen.

No. 2 Harvard got shutouts from Laura Bellamy and Emerance Maschmeyer and took care of Providence, 3-0, and Quinnipiac, 4-0. The Crimson have opened up a four-point gap in the ECAC race.

No. 5 Clarkson squeaked out a sweep on the road. Brittany Styner supplied both goals to best Brown, 2-1. Goalie Erica Howe made Jamie Lee Rattray’s first-period, short-handed goal stand up for a 1-0 win at Yale.

No. 6 Boston University ventured to Maine and came home with 5-2 and 4-2 victories. Louise Warren had a goal and an assist in each contest, including a successful penalty shot on Sunday. Warren had the same line on Tuesday at Connecticut in another 4-2 triumph, while her linemates, Isabel Menard and Kayla Tutino, each had a goal with two helpers.

Sophomore Amanda Makela limited Syracuse to one goal on 54 shots as No. 7 Mercyhurst claimed 1-0 and 4-1 verdicts. Rookie Emily Janiga opened the second game with a pure hat trick.

CHA chaos
If something unexpected is going to happen, expect it to happen in the CHA. Lindenwood recorded its first road win in the conference by taking down Robert Morris on Friday by a 5-2 margin. Alison Wickenheiser and Kendra Broad each scored twice. The Colonials reversed the score on Saturday behind a pair of goals by Maddie Collias.

RIT lost its second one-goal decision of the season to Colgate of the ECAC. An early two-goal lead for the Tigers evaporated, and the Raiders’ Brittany Philips completed her own pure hat trick in OT for a 3-2 win.

Penn State fell a goal short both days at Union; the Dutchwomen posted 1-0 and 2-1 wins to up their win total to a program-best seven.

Big week for Big Green
Dartmouth earned three wins in a span of four days versus Vermont, Quinnipiac, and Princeton by scores of 4-2, 5-2, and 6-2 respectively. The offensive highlight was yet another natural hat trick, this time courtesy of Camille Dumais versus the Tigers. The Big Green improve their record to 11-5-2 on the season.

Storied programs trying to rally
Three teams with no shortage of past glories but coming off of rough first halves registered much-needed sweeps. Senior Jessica Wong moved back up front for Minnesota-Duluth, centering Jamie Kenyon and Jenna McParland as their line accounted for seven goals in 3-1 and 8-2 wins over St. Cloud State. Haley Frade had a three-point weekend for Providence to enable the Friars to escape Rensselaer by scores of 2-1 and 3-2. St. Lawrence got at least one scoring point from 10 different skaters in beating Yale, 5-1, and eight more Saints contributed offensively in a 4-3 win at Brown.