Thanks to guessing both Northeastern games right, I retook the lead from Arlan in our race for the yearly six pack. Last week, I went 10-3 (.769) to improve to 126-49-19 (.698), while Arl
an went 8-5 (.615) to fall to 125-50-19 (.693). We’ve got some very interesting PairWise games this weekend, so let’s pick them!

Friday, Jan. 11

Quinnipiac-Dartmouth
Candace: The Bobats continue to get momentum for a big clash with Harvard. Quinnipiac 4-2
Arlan: The Bobcats carry a five-game winning streak into the new year. Quinnipiac 5-3

Clarkson-Brown
Candace: Rattray and Ambrose are back. Bad news for the Bears. Clarkson 4-1
Arlan: Brown takes its new-found offensive might for a spin against Clarkson’s suddenly-leaky defense. Clarkson 3-1

St. Lawrence-Yale
Candace: Second-half surge continues. St. Lawrence 4-1
Arlan: The Bulldogs always seem to be playing some team with considerably more talent. St. Lawrence 5-2

Princeton-Harvard
Candace: The Crimson continue to make Princeton pay for beating them a year ago. Harvard 5-1
Arlan: After shutting out Harvard last season, Princeton has allowed 28 goals in the four subsequent meetings. Harvard 5-1

Friday-Saturday, Jan. 11-12

Syracuse at Mercyhurst
Candace: The Orange have the potential, but the Lakers get it done. Mercyhurst 4-2, 5-2
Arlan: The Orange have been one of the surprise teams, and it wouldn’t shock me if they won, particularly in the first game. Mercyhurst 1-0, 3-1

North Dakota at Minnesota
Candace: North Dakota will put a scare into Minnesota, but the Gophers get the sweep. Minnesota 3-2, 3-2
Arlan: The last team to defeat the Gophers, North Dakota, gets the first chances to do so in 2013. Minnesota 2-1, 4-2

Ohio State at Wisconsin
Candace: I have a feeling this will be a split, and Nate Handrahan might even use this as motivation, but I don’t want to get the nights wrong. Wisconsin 3-2, 3-1
Arlan: Despite poor start, the Badgers were one of the country’s five best teams by December. Wisconsin 2-1, 3-2

Providence at Rensselaer
Candace: Have to go with the hotter team right now. Who would have thought that would be RPI? Rensselaer 3-2, 4-2
Arlan: Back in November, Providence would have been the big favorite. Rensselaer 4-3, Providence 2-1

Saturday, Jan. 12

Quinnipiac at Harvard
Candace: A big clash, with the home team eeking out the win. Harvard 3-2
Arlan: The two teams went toe-to-toe in the first meeting, but Quinnipiac just couldn’t score, a common problem versus the Crimson. Harvard 3-1

Clarkson at Yale
Candace: The Elis are just the opponent Clarkson needs after dropping two last weekend. Clarkson 4-1
Arlan: Yale has had much better performances this season, but only one win in its last dozen games. Clarkson 4-3

St. Lawrence at Brown
Candace: If Brown could score, this would be an interesting game. St. Lawrence 3-1
Arlan: Crucial points needed by both Saints and Bears. St. Lawrence 4-1

Princeton at Dartmouth
Candace: Princeton is mercurial, and so is Dartmouth. Go with home ice. Dartmouth 3-1
Arlan: Tigers give Big Green fits at least once a season, so this one likely goes to OT. Dartmouth 4-3

Vermont at Boston College
Candace: The Eagles continue to fly. Boston College 5-1
Arlan: Catamounts hung tough against BU, but the Eagles have been at another level. Boston College 7-3

Cornell at Northeastern
Candace: Northeastern needs a defense. Cornell 4-1
Arlan: The Huskies are allowing five goals per game thus far in 2013. Cornell 6-3

Saturday-Sunday, Jan. 12-13

Boston University at Maine
Candace: Even Brittany Ott can’t succeed by herself. Boston University 4-1, 5-1
Arlan: Maine’s road sweep of BU seems like longer than 12 months ago. Boston University 3-1, 6-2

Sunday, Jan. 13

Cornell at Boston College
Candace: Possibly the biggest game of the weekend. BC has been hotter. Boston College 5-3
Arlan: Eagles are looking like they will never lose again, meaning they probably will. Cornell 4-3

Wednesday, Jan. 16

Northeastern at Boston University
Candace: The Terriers continue to keep pace with BC. Boston University 4-1
Arlan: Northeastern has yet to win against another Boston team this season. Boston University 4-2

RIT enjoys signature weekend
RIT put together a more than respectable 2012 portion of the season. The Tigers entered the break with a 7-9-3 mark, including 2-3-3 in the CHA. Their worst defeat was a 7-0 setback versus Mercyhurst, but that came in the first weekend.

However, a summation of their season would likely have been “not bad,” rather than a more ringing endorsement for two reasons. RIT lacked any wins that would really make one take notice. Sweeping Sacred Heart was expected even when the Tigers played in D-III. The other wins came against Brown and Yale, two programs showing signs of a return to respectability but still having ground to cover, and Penn State and Lindenwood, teams making a similar exodus as the Tigers. In addition, RIT’s performance in the second game of a series had consistently dropped from the level of the series opener. Through its first seven series, the goal differential regressed by an average of three goals in series finales.

Neither criticism is valid any longer. The Tigers went on the road to face Robert Morris, the team with the best winning percentage in CHA play, and shocked the Colonials on Friday, 2-1. Perhaps even more impressively, a second victory on Saturday by the identical score proved that the first win was not a fluke.

Goaltender Ali Binnington led the way, stopping 29 of 30 shots on Friday and 31 of 32 on Saturday. RIT’s special teams also played a vital role. In each contest, RMU struck first, but the Tigers drew even with a power-play goal. RIT’s two-for-five conversion rate with the advantage stands in sharp contrast to the zero-of-eight power play of the Colonials. The turning point for the weekend may have come in Friday’s third period when the Tigers’ Carly Payerl was assessed a five-minute major for checking from behind at 2:29 while the score was tied, 1-1. The penalty kill held off RMU, and Lindsay Grigg scored the game-winner with five minutes remaining. Kim Schlattman fueled the Tigers’ offensive push with a goal and two assists over the two games.

Robert Morris loses much of the edge gained by its December sweep of Mercyhurst. The Colonials were a team under consideration in the PairWise Rankings and were poised to break into the top 10 in the polls. Now they find themselves looking up at two teams in the CHA standings.

Colgate ends Vermont unbeaten streak
Vermont advanced its program-record unbeaten streak to six games with a 2-1 win over Colgate on Saturday. Freshman defenseman Gina Repaci scored her first collegiate goal on a third-period power play to decide matters, and senior Kelci Lanthier turned aside 31 shots in improving her personal record to 2-2.

The Raiders exacted some revenge on Sunday. On three separate occasions, Vermont scored to erase one-goal deficits, the latest coming from Emily Walsh with under two minutes remaining in regulation. When the Raiders’ Jocelyn Simpson scored with a minute to go in overtime to make the score 4-3, the contest ended with no further opportunity for the Catamounts to answer, and the Vermont string was snapped. The goal was Simpson’s second of the game, to go with two assists. Klara Myren had a goal and two helpers for Vermont.

Short Knights
No. 5 Boston College and No. 9 Northeastern of Hockey East traveled to New York’s North Country to face ECAC squads, No. 2 Clarkson and unranked St. Lawrence. The Saints proved to present the more formidable challenge, as two top players for the Golden Knights, forward Jamie Lee Rattray and defenseman Erin Ambrose, were playing for Canada at the Meco Cup in Germany.

Clarkson was no match for the Eagles on Thursday. BC’s power play clicked on three of five chances in a 5-1 win, as 10 different Eagles recorded points, with Dana Trivigno, Emily Field, and Haley Skarupa each producing two.

The Knights put forth a better effort on Friday against the Huskies, taking a 3-1 lead on a Vanessa Gagnon goal early in the third period. Clarkson only had 14 skaters dressed, and that may have taken a toll, as Northeastern stormed back with three straight goals to win, 4-3. Rookie Paige Savage had a monster game for the Huskies, scoring the game-winner at 13:51 after assisting on the first three tallies.

Meanwhile, SLU showed early signs of making a second-half run as it did a year ago. The Saints outclassed Northeastern by a 6-0 score on Thursday. Rylee Smith had two goals and an assist, while Carmen MacDonald was flawless in a 27-save shutout.

Friday, Alex Carpenter had a goal and two assists as Boston College took a 3-1 lead, but St. Lawrence staged a third-period rally with Abbey McRae and Kelly Sabatine scoring to force overtime. However, Blake Bolden scored on the only shot of OT to give the Eagles the 4-3 triumph, stretching their unbeaten streak to 14 games, the last nine of which have been wins.

How the rest of the top 10 fared
No. 4 Harvard was the only other ranked team to play an official game; No. 1 Minnesota, No. 3 Cornell, No. 6 Boston University, No. 7 Mercyhurst, No. 8 Wisconsin, and No. 10 Ohio State were either idle or playing exhibitions.

The Crimson improved to 11-1-1 on the season by demolishing Union, 9-0, and edging past Rensselaer, 2-1, on the strength of a third-period power-play goal by defenseman Kelsey Romatoski. Jillian Dempsey spurred the rout of the Dutchwomen with a pair of goals and three assists.

Each side claims a battle of the Bears
Maine traveled to Providence for two games on the weekend, defeating Brown, 4-2, in the opener. Kelly McDonald and Brianne Kilgour each contributed a goal plus an assist for the Black Bears. Sunday was the Brown Bears’ turn, as the hosts’ offense ended a long hibernation with a 6-5 victory. The six goals were the most scored by Brown since a 6-1 win over Quinnipiac on January 11, 2008. One has to go back to December of 2004 to find a game where the Bears have tallied more than six times. Maine’s Brittany Dougherty and the Brown duo of Laurie Jolin and Lauren Vella all had three-point games.

Well, we closed the first half in a neck-and-neck race. Arlan pulled ahead of me by one game in correctly picking a Wisconsin sweep of North Dakota, as he went 13-2-4 (.789) to finish the first half 117-45-19 (.698), while I went 12-3-4 (.736) to finish the first half 116-46-19 (.693). We’ve got a few interesting contests in store this week, so let’s get to it.

Thursday, Jan. 3

Boston College at Clarkson
Candace: The Eagles have been hot to close the first half, and I think they should take a very close game here. Boston College 2-1
Arlan: Don’t know if Clarkson would be a ranked team without Jamie Lee Rattray and Erin Ambrose. Boston College 3-1

Northeastern at St. Lawrence
Candace: The Saints have been pretty up and down, but so has Northeastern, so this is a tough game to pick. I’ll go with home ice. St. Lawrence 2-1
Arlan: Neither the Saints nor the Huskies have managed an impressive win to date; good chance of OT. Northeastern 2-1

Friday, Jan. 4

Northeastern at Clarkson
Candace: This is another that is really tough to pick, especially if the Huskies lose to St. Lawrence. Even with Howe, I wonder if the Golden Knights have enough sans Rattray and Ambrose. Northeastern 3-2
Arlan: The Golden Knights have just enough to sneak by the Huskies. Clarkson 3-2

Boston College at St. Lawrence
Candace: The Eagles continue to stay hot. Boston College 4-2
Arlan: Eagles’ comeback win in NCAA quarterfinal seems to have put SLU in a funk. Boston College 5-2

Friday-Saturday, Jan. 4-5

RIT at Robert Morris
Candace: I went against my gut and picked Merchyhurst to sweep the Colonials, and lost both. I’ll go the other way this time. Robert Morris 2-1, 3-1
Arlan: After a 10-game road trip, the Colonials are now in the midst of eight consecutive skates at home. Robert Morris 2-1, 4-2

North Dakota at Lindenwood
Candace: I feel more confident picking these games than any other. North Dakota 5-1, 6-1
Arlan: The ‘Lams combined for 13 points in the teams’ only meeting a year ago, and this will be the Lions’ third and fourth games in five days. North Dakota 7-1, 10-0

Saturday, Jan. 5

Providence at Yale
Candace: The Elis have played several teams very close, but I think Providence should take this. Providence 4-2
Arlan: After starting well, the Friars have lost four straight and need a win to climb back to .500. Providence 4-3

Saturday-Sunday, Jan. 5-6

Colgate at Vermont
Candace: Since getting blown out by Cornell, the Raiders have done well, including an upset of Clarkson, while Vermont has recovered from its injury plague to go undefeated over its last five, but three of those were against Connecticut. A tough series to pick. This will probably be a split, but I don’t want to get the dates wrong. Vermont 2-1, 1-0
Arlan: Interesting matchup of former D-III coaches whose teams were playing better by the end of the first half. Vermont 2-1, 4-3
Tuesday, Jan. 8

Boston University at Connecticut
Candace: The Terriers need a win to keep pace with Boston College. Boston University 5-2
Arlan: The Huskies were able to shake the rust off versus Princeton, but the odds favor a rusty BU. Boston University 5-2
Wednesday, Jan. 9

Boston College at Northeastern
Candace: The Eagles took two close ones earlier in the year, and need this one to be able to capture Hockey East. Boston College 4-3
Arlan: NU is due to win one of these meetings eventually. Boston College 5-3

As we close the books on 2012, let’s look ahead to games or series that will go a long way toward deciding conference pecking orders and the teams likely to get a nod from the NCAA Selection Committee.

One could easily compose another such list from games that don’t appear here. For example, Clarkson entertains BC and Northeastern on January 3 and 4, but because the Golden Knights will be without forward Jamie Lee Rattray and defenseman Erin Ambrose, some of the luster is gone from those games.

January 9, Boston College at Northeastern
Despite the success that the Huskies have enjoyed in recent years, the Eagles have presented a tough riddle to solve. NU is winless in the teams’ last 10 meetings, although a shootout allowed it to advance in the Beanpot in 2012. For the Huskies to climb back into tournament consideration and gain the NCAA berth that just eluded them in March, salvaging this third game in the season series would be a big step.

January 13, Cornell at Boston College
This matchup of Frozen Four teams that did not meet in Duluth will be BC’s second encounter with top-four teams from the ECAC before 2013 is two weeks old. Both the Big Red and the Eagles feature top-five offenses, but neither has been as accomplished defensively to date, so this game figures to be entertaining. BC has been one of the country’s hottest clubs, unbeaten in its last 12 games after starting just 1-3, and a triumph over Cornell could loom large in determining who hosts an NCAA quarterfinal or heads on the road.

January 18-19, Boston College at Mercyhurst
While BC wants these games, Mercyhurst needs them, because they are two of the three remaining contests the Lakers have versus the top 10. For a team hovering at a precarious seventh in the PairWise, a couple shots at the Eagles on home ice are the greatest opportunity to make a move in a positive direction.

January 18-19, Quinnipiac at Robert Morris
Both the Bobcats and the Colonials are programs on the rise. RMU’s Kristen DiCiocco cracks the top 10 in save percentage as well as winning percentage, while Quinnipiac’s Kelly Babstock has done damage to many goaltenders’ statistics during her three seasons. Babstock is sixth in the country in points per game, and the winner of her head-to-head battles with DiCiocco likely has the edge in the series. Currently, these are the final two teams under consideration. A sweep by either greatly bolsters its at-large dreams, while being swept could prove a death knell to such hopes.

January 18-19, Wisconsin at North Dakota
North Dakota carried a lot of momentum into the teams’ recent series in Madison and played well, but received no reward for its effort. The Badgers have been UND’s biggest nemesis over the years, and depending on how its series in Minneapolis the weekend before unfolds these could be must wins. Wisconsin’s defense has typically proved stout enough to blunt the North Dakota attack.

January 19, Clarkson at Cornell
The Golden Knights got the deciding goal from Shannon MacAulay on a third-period power play in November in Potsdam, and have been troublesome for the Big Red in previous seasons as well. Will Cornell’s young roster mature enough for it to gain a measure of revenge in the rematch in Ithaca?

January 25 and 27, Minnesota at Wisconsin
If the Gophers’ winning streak is still intact, expect it to end here. Four more wins out of the break is hardly a given, as the Gophers also host North Dakota, the last team to defeat Minnesota. Wisconsin has lost the last four meetings, and that is pushing the upper limit of such streaks in this rivalry. The Badgers have shown signs of moving beyond the recent losses to graduation and injury and adapting to the current state of their roster. Adversity for the Gophers has meant still being tied in the third period, and Wisconsin has been one of only two teams to pose that obstacle.

February 5 and 12, Beanpot at Northeastern
Given the current strength of the Boston quartet, four games matching them will be pivotal. The tournament held at Northeastern kicks off with Boston College versus Harvard and Boston University meeting the hosts. The winner of the first semifinal likely becomes the favorite in the championship, but it is not hard to envision the Terriers emerging victorious or even the Huskies making it back-to-back Beanpots. If Harvard can continue its performance of not yielding more than two goals in any game, then the Crimson seem to have the best odds in this balanced field.

February 8-9, Robert Morris at Mercyhurst
Paul Colontino is 4-2-1 against his former team since taking over behind the RMU bench. Such a challenge to the Lakers’ dominance is unprecedented in the CHA. To reassert its authority, Mercyhurst will need to find more offense than the single goal it managed in each of its earlier setbacks at the hands of the Colonials.

February 15, Harvard at Cornell
Cornell has been the boss of the ECAC ever since administering a 6-2 pasting to Harvard on March 12, 2010. The Crimson could regain the top perch of the conference with points in this game, combined with a continuation of the strong play that has them cruising along with a perfect conference slate. Harvard’s success has largely been due to possessing a defense that allows less than a goal per outing, despite losing two blue-line stars in the preseason. If that proves to be more than smoke and mirrors, the trophy appears bound for Cambridge.

February 15-16, Ohio State at North Dakota
Five teams figure to be in the running to host WCHA quarterfinals, so this series in Grand Forks on the league’s penultimate weekend could potentially send one of these teams on the road or force a first-round series with Minnesota-Duluth, the current fifth-place team. The Buckeyes hope that the ice in Ralph Engelstad Arena is kinder than it was a year ago, when they suffered 11-1 and 7-1 thrashings.

February 23, Clarkson at Harvard
It seems strange to consider an ECAC race where a game not involving Cornell could decide the title, but the Big Red lost the first meeting with both of these squads. The Golden Knights and Crimson will also clash four weeks earlier. Ranking third in goals allowed per game, Clarkson is nearly as difficult to score against as Harvard is. In order to claim their first championship, the Knights will have to find a way to slow the speedy Crimson down.

Wrapping up before Christmas
Although most teams have entered the holiday break and are focused on exams and Christmas shopping rather than hockey, we still had four games to entertain us. While not the quantity of action to round up per a usual Monday, it provides a chance to discuss some lower-ranked squads a bit more. Plus, one of the teams competing, Maine, always seems to provide an abundance of story lines.

Union records historic sweep
The Dutchwomen began playing at the Division I level in 2003-04. Since that time, Union had not swept a two-game series from a true D-I opponent … until this weekend. The asterisk is that Union had a number of sweeps over Sacred Heart, sometimes even twice in a season. Not to pick on the Pioneers, but though their official designation is D-I because of other sports in their athletic department, the intent is not to be competitive at that level in women’s hockey.

Claudia Asano Barcomb’s charges traveled to Orono and did nothing to make Maine’s holidays any happier, coming away with victories of 4-3 and 3-2 by winning the third period in each contest. In Friday’s first game, the Dutchwomen came from a goal down. Courtney Turner tied it up on a power play, and Jessica Kaminsky gave Union the lead 42 seconds later. After Brittany Huneke scored to draw the Black Bears even, senior Nicole Bartlett notched her first goal of the season with two and a half minutes remaining to decide the tilt. Freshman Rebecca Babiak had the other Union goal, her first.

Saturday’s finale was scoreless entering the final 20 minutes. Christine Valente tallied unassisted 27 seconds into the frame and Bartlett found the net again at the 8:56 mark. Brittany Dougherty put Maine on the scoreboard, halving the deficit, but sophomore defenseman Kelly McGrath scored her first goal as a collegian to bump the lead back to two. That proved to be the game-winner after Dougherty closed the scoring with an extra-attacker goal while on a power play.

Union’s Shenae Lundberg made a total of 67 saves on the weekend in improving to 4-6-3. The Dutchwomen head into 2013 already possessing five wins, matching the program high for an entire season. Given none of those wins came over Sacred Heart, it’s safe to conclude that this is their best start ever.

Looked at from a Maine perspective, little has gone right in the opening months. The Black Bears had more than double the shot total of the visitors in both games, but came away empty. Brittany Ott started in net on Friday, but left in favor of Kylie Smith after surrendering the third goal. Smith was tagged with Bartlett’s goal and took the loss. Coach Maria Lewis turned to Meghann Treacy on Saturday, and she was perfect through 40 minutes, but got the hook after allowing the second goal. It was Ott’s turn once more, and she was charged with the defeat. Nothing sums up Maine’s first half, that saw it go 2-14-1, better than the fact that the Black Bears had a 14-3 advantage in shots in the final stanza, but lost when every Union shot lit the lamp.

RIT takes three points from first clashes with Lindenwood
The weekend’s other series host fared better, as the Tigers pulled away to a 5-1 triumph on Saturday, and then rallied for a 1-1 tie Sunday. In the opener, RIT won every period on the scoreboard, as evidenced by the shot chart. Celeste Brown had two goals plus an assist, and Ariane Yokoyama, Jess Paton, and Kourtney Kunichika also scored, offsetting the lone Lions’ tally from Lyndsay Kirkham. Ali Binnington recorded 19 stops for the victors.

The goalies won nearly all of the battles on day two. Binnington turned aside 27 shots, while Nicole Hensley saved 43 out of 44 for Lindenwood. The only attackers to have success were the Lions’ Alison Wickenheiser and RIT’s Teneica Hiller, the latter via an early third-period power play.

An interesting subplot lies in the game’s penalties. The Tigers skated to the box for five of the first six infractions; the last six calls went against the Lions. Included in the penalties on RIT was a bench minor followed by a checking call seconds later. That whistle, 15:10 into the game, was the final charge against the Tigers. One explanation would be that the teams took turns not quite understanding the rules. Another would be that the officials were taking part in the long-rumored tradition of trying to even out the marbles in each pocket. Or maybe, just maybe, if a coach thinks his team is getting the short end of the calls, he has to voice that opinion, even if it proves costly in the short term.

Lakers skate for charity
Just because student athletes don’t have any games scheduled, that doesn’t mean they aren’t representing their programs. One example came Friday, as Mercyhurst held its third annual Skate with the Lakers, giving children and other fans a chance to get on the ice with some of their favorite players, plus obtain some autographs. Coach Mike Sisti and his captains also presented $500 donations to Toys for Tots and the Erie City Mission. The team’s effort is typical of the selfless giving in which most programs take part throughout the year.

More signings
The Lakers were also one of the teams that have released news of their National Letter of Intent signings, joining Minnesota State, North Dakota, and Wisconsin, which were listed in a column last month.

Bemidji State:
Carly Esse, D, Cloquet, Minn./Cloquet-Esko-Carlton HS;
Madison Hutchinson, D, Manitou, Man./Pembina Valley Hawks;
Lauren Miller, F, Brockville, Ont./Napean Wildcats;
Brittni Mowat, G, Glenboro, Man./Pembina Valley Hawks;
Ciscely Nelson, F, Roseau, Minn./Roseau HS.

Mercyhurst:
Taylor Accursi, F, Ancaster, Ont./Burlington Barracudas;
Paige Horton, D, St. Thomas, Ont./London Jr. Devilettes;
Brianna Kennelly, F, Dundas, Ont./Stoney Creek Jr. Sabres;
Megan Whiddon, F, Redondo Beach, Calif./National Sports Academy.

Minnesota:
Dani Cameranesi, F, Plymouth, Minn./Blake HS;
Kelsey Cline, D, Bloomington, Minn./Bloomington Jefferson HS;
Kate Flug, F, Roseville, Minn./Roseville Area HS;
Paige Haley, D, Red Wing, Minn./Red Wing HS;
Sidney Peters, G, Geneva, Ill./North American Hockey Academy;
Kate Schipper, F, Brooklyn Park, Minn./Breck HS;
Megan Wolfe, F, Eagan, Minn./Eagan HS.

Minnesota-Duluth:
Lina Backlin, D, Gavle, Sweden/Brynäs IF;
Ashleigh Brykaliuk, F, Brandon, Man./Westman Wildcats;
Demi Crossman, F, Livonia, Mich./Honeybaked;
Maria Lind, F, Ornskoldsvik, Sweden/MODO Hockey Club;
Sidney Morin, D, Minnetonka, Minn./Minnetonka HS.

Ohio State:
Breanne Grant, D, New Liskeard, Ont./Toronto Jr. Aeros;
Claudia Kepler, F, Verona, Wis./Madison Capitals;
Katie Matheny, F, Chesterfield, Mo./St. Louis Lady Blues;
Alexa Ranahan, D, Salmon Arm, B.C./Okanagan Hockey Academy;
Haley Studler, F, Gross Isle, Man./Balmoral Hall.

Penn State:
Laura Bowman, F, Minnetonka, Minn./Minnetonka HS;
Sarah Nielsen, F, Edina, Minn./Edina HS;
Amy Peterson, F, Minnetonka, Minn./Minnetonka HS;
Kelly Seward, D, Williamsville, N.Y./Buffalo Bisons.

Providence:
Cassidy Carels, F, Bruxelles, Man./Pembina Valley Hawks;
Kendra Goodrich, F/D, Rosemount, Minn./Rosemount HS;
Liv Halvorson, D, Richfield, Minn./Benilde-St. Margaret’s HS;
Ari Reid, F, Lakeville, Minn./Lakeville South HS.

Quinnipiac:
Taryn Baumgardt, D, Innisfail, Alb./Warner Hockey School;
Emma Greco, D, Burlington, Ont./Toronto Aeros;
Danielle Marmer, F, Dorset, Vt./Connecticut Polar Bears;
Mika Nervick, F, Lakeville, Minn./Shattuck-St. Mary’s;
Sydney Rossman, G, Excelsior, Minn./Minnetonka HS;
Meghan Turner, F, Bedford, N.H./Assabet Valley;
Emma Woods, F, Burford, Ont./Cambridge Rivulettes.

St. Cloud State:
Lauren Hespenheide, F, Shakopee, Minn.

Old year nearly in the books
The action in 2012 may be winding down, but it is going out with a bang. A number of crucial games were played that figure to have implications regarding placement in conference races and national rankings.

Bobcats streak into 2013
Quinnipiac put the old year to bed in fine fashion, taking both ends of a home-and-home series with Princeton by 3-2 and 4-0 scores. The Bobcats have now won five straight games, and the four points earned over the weekend gives them the points lead in the ECAC race. At Princeton, goals from Brittany Lyons, Nicole Connery, and Kelly Babstock gave the Bobcats at three-goal lead 14 seconds into the second period. The Tigers mounted a comeback on tallies by Kelly Cooke and Brianna Leahy, but they were unable to complete the rally. Back on home ice, Victoria Vigilanti pitched her first shutout of the season, getting goal support from Nicole Brown, Erica Uden Johnansson, Babstock and Lyons.

Colonials inflict first ever CHA sweep on Lakers
No. 4 Mercyhurst finally has an inkling of how those conference foes have felt over the years. Robert Morris used strong goaltending by Kristen DiCiocco and some gritty goals to hand the visiting Lakers a pair of defeats by 3-1 and 2-1 margins. RMU held Mercyhurst to 20 shots on Friday, but even though MU more than doubled its attack on Saturday, DiCiocco turned aside 40 of them. The Colonials struck for a pair of power-play goals each day, and had five different goal scorers on the weekend. The Lakers still retain the conference lead by two points, but RMU has a couple of games in hand.

Buckeyes tame Tigers
For the third straight weekend, Ohio State went into a weekend in need of a sweep to remain in the thick of the national picture, and this time the Buckeyes were at home and got the job done with 3-1 and 6-2 victories over RIT. Hokey Langan led the way on Saturday with a goal and an assist while Chelsea Knapp was recording 25 saves. Sunday saw both Ally Tarr and Julia McKinnon find the twine twice. Casidhe and Kourtney Kunichika supplied the Tigers’ goals in game two, the latter coming on a penalty shot.

In the ECAC, Dutchwomen are still looking
Union came close to that elusive first conference win, yet couldn’t score enough to make it a reality. Friday saw it reach a 1-1 stalemate with Yale, Union’s third league draw. Yale’s Jamie Haddad and Union’s Alex Tancrell-Fontaine traded goals. The next day, Brown’s Aubree Moore bested Shenae Lundberg in goal as the Bears claimed a 1-0 win. Vanessa Welten scored unassisted for the game’s only tally.

A couple former champs aren’t dead yet
The first half of the season is usually too early to speak of must-win games. However, as the losses have mounted in Madison and Duluth, that’s the situation No. 9 Wisconsin and Minnesota-Duluth found themselves in as they entertained a couple of ranked teams.

No. 8 North Dakota visited the Badgers in search of a first win over UW outside of an Olympic year. UND will have to look elsewhere. It scored the first two goals of the series and the final one, but Wisconsin scored six times in between and came away with 3-2 and 3-1 wins. Madison Packer and Brianna Decker both had a goal plus an assist in each contest. Alex Rigsby made 59 saves in the series as the Badgers held the Lamoureux sisters to one point combined. That task was made easier when Jocelyne got the boot for a check from behind midway through the second game.

Meanwhile, UMD began a new rivalry, as the Bulldogs met No. 7 Boston University for the first time. Little was decided, as the games ended in 2-2 and 0-0 deadlocks. Kathryn Miller scored her first goal of the season to salvage a tie for the visiting Terriers after Zoe Hickel had given the Bulldogs the lead. On Sunday, only goalies Kerrin Sperry of BU and the Bulldogs’ Kayla Black got their names onto the score sheet in a laudable fashion.

How the rest of the top 10 fared
Vanessa Plante and Carly Mercer scored third-period goals for No. 2 Clarkson to allow the Golden Knights to come from behind on Friday and defeat Syracuse, 3-2, after Sadie St. Germain had scored short-handed to give the Orange a lead. On Saturday, Clarkson built a 5-2 lead and withstood a late Syracuse rally in a 5-4 win. Jamie Lee Rattray had a goal and three assists.

No. 5 Harvard had more than enough offense in spanking Providence, 8-1, thanks to four goals from Jillian Dempsey. The attack was far more sparse the next day in New Hampshire; Dempsey’s third-period goal allowed the Crimson to salvage a 2-2 tie. Nicole Gifford had a pair of assists for the Wildcats, who have now taken points from all four Boston teams.

No. 6 Boston College struggled earlier this season in Durham, but not on Wednesday. The Eagles scored three unanswered goals in the final period to defeat the Wildcats, 4-1, and wrap up 2012 on a 12-game unbeaten string.

Amanda Kessel supplied three assists one day, and a hat trick the next, to lead No. 1 Minnesota to its 10th straight sweep of the season. Bemidji had proven a tough location for the Gophers in the past, but not this time, as the visitors took 5-1 and 5-0 decisions. The shutout was Noora Räty’s eighth this season.

No. 10 Northeastern got two goals from Kendall Coyne, the second at 2:08 of overtime to topple Dartmouth, 3-2. The Big Green then swept Maine over the weekend to end a five-game winless stretch.

Well, my lead didn’t last long. Thanks to incorrectly picking Dartmouth and Cornell, I went 16-4 last week (.800), while Arlan went 17-3 (.850). Overall on the year, both Arlan and I are 104-43-15 (.688). This is the last big weekend of games, so let’s see how we can do.

Friday, Dec. 7

Harvard at Providence
Candace: Providence is a perfect mid-tier team; the Friars beat the teams below them and lost to those above. Harvard is above. Harvard 5-2
Arlan: Tough stretch for the Friars continues. Harvard 4-0

Yale at Union
Candace: Yale hasn’t won on the road yet, so I don’t see it happening here. Union 3-2
Arlan: I have no idea, but given Union is the only team without a conference win, I feel obligated to pick the Dutchwomen. Union 1-0

Friday-Saturday, Dec. 7-8

Mercyhurst at Robert Morris
Candace: The Colonials don’t seem as strong defensively as a year ago. Expect the Lakers to light it up. Mercyhurst 5-2, 4-1
Arlan: The Colonials seem a little off, and I don’t think that’ll be good enough against the Lakers. Mercyhurst 4-1, 3-2

Quinnipiac vs. Princeton
Candace: A potentially dangerous home-and-home for the Bobcats, but I think Babstock and Kosta are too strong. Quinnipiac 3-2, 5-2
Arlan: The good news is these are the final Princeton games I have to guess at in 2012. Quinnipiac 2-1, 5-2

Syracuse vs. Clarkson
Candace: Will Clarkson’s Saturday night curse continue in this home-and-home? Something tells me not. Clarkson 3-1, 3-2
Arlan: The Orange catch the Golden Knights at a bad time. Clarkson 3-0, 2-1

Minnesota at Bemidji State
Candace: Even with the potential letdown after sweeping Wisconsin last weekend, the Gophers are just too good. Minnesota 4-2, 4-1
Arlan: Bemidji State was the team with the best winning percentage against Minnesota last season, but the biggest reason for that is no longer in BSU’s net. Minnesota 4-2, 4-1

Saturday, Dec. 8

Harvard at New Hampshire
Candace: New Hampshire has done more to mess up my picks than any other team so far, but I think the Crimson are too strong. Harvard 4-2
Arlan: The Wildcats already own a win against all the other Boston teams. Harvard 3-0

Saturday-Sunday, Dec. 8-9

Dartmouth at Maine
Candace: The Big Green have been struggling, but Maine has struggled more. Dartmouth 3-2, 5-1
Arlan: Each team finds itself in a five-game winless streak; hope that doesn’t mean two ties. Dartmouth 4-2, 3-1

RIT at Ohio State
Candace: The Buckeyes better be prepared for a war, but I think they have too much. Ohio State 4-1, 3-2
Arlan: Getting a needed sweep against teams named Tigers has been problematic for the Buckeyes in the past. Ohio State 3-2, 2-0

North Dakota at Wisconsin
Candace: This is probably a split. Historically, North Dakota wins the second game. Wisconsin 4-2, North Dakota 3-2
Arlan: This is likely a split, but I am down to one split a week and will use it elsewhere. Wisconsin 2-1, 3-2

Boston University at Minnesota-Duluth
Candace: The Terriers have looked a little more vulnerable in recent weeks. This is a hard one to call. Boston University 4-2, 4-3
Arlan: After getting swept three times already, the Bulldogs simply can’t afford another. Minnesota-Duluth 2-1, Boston University 5-2

Raiders Rallying?
At first glance, things don’t appear to be going very well for Colgate. The Raiders have been outscored 27 to 72 on the season. However, given the margin was 36-2 in four defeats inflicted by Minnesota and Cornell, the 36-25 deficit and 4-7-2 record in the rest of their games becomes much more respectable. Especially when one considers the team’s last three efforts, all on the road:  the tie with Dartmouth a week ago, a 4-3 loss to St. Lawrence on Friday night in which the Raiders held a third-period lead, and a 2-1 shocking of No. 2 Clarkson on Saturday. Ashlynne Rando played the game of her young career, turning aside all but one of the Golden Knights’ 37 shots.

Streaking Catamounts
Vermont remembered to pack its defense for its trip to Connecticut. The Catamounts didn’t allow a Connecticut goal over 120 minutes as they swept a pair of games and ran their unbeaten streak to five games, the longest in program history since moving to D-I. Roxanne Douville stopped all 63 shots UConn mustered in notching the two shutouts, and Meghan Huertas and Erin Wente each struck for a pair of goals on the weekend.

Buckeyes attempt to bounce back
A week after being upset at Princeton and falling out of the top 10, Ohio State was back on the road, traveling to Minnesota State. Goaltenders Chelsea Knapp of OSU and Danielle Butters ruled on Friday. Each was perfect through 65 minutes, with Knapp recording 34 saves and Butters piling up 45. For the shootout to determine the extra point, the Mavericks replaced Butters with backup Erin Krichiver, a move that worked earlier in the season versus Minnesota-Duluth. This time the strategy backfired, as Krichiver was unable to reject any of the Buckeyes’ shooters: Hokey Langan, Ally Tarr, or Taylor Kuehl. Langan scored twice on Saturday, Julia McKinnon scored a power-play goal to break a 3-3 tie in the second period, and OSU returned home with five of a possible six points. While the Buckeyes did not quite sweep, none of the prior four visitors to Mankato for series fared any better.

How the top 10 fared
Judged by the polls, the key clash of the week occurred in Potsdam, N.Y. on Friday night when No. 3 Cornell challenged No. 2 Clarkson. An even contest saw each team put 30 shots on net and trade second-period goals, with Brittany Styner giving the hosts the lead and Lauriane Rougeau countering for the visitors. Ultimately, the Big Red were done in by penalties, committing nine infractions to four on the Knights. Shannon MacAulay capitalized on the game’s final power-play opportunity and Clarkson claimed a 2-1 win and a crucial two points in the ECAC standings. However, Cornell made that ground up on Saturday as it triumphed over St. Lawrence, 4-2, while Clarkson was falling to Colgate.

Another match of ranked teams occurred in Minneapolis. No. 10 Wisconsin crossed the border seeking revenge on No. 1 Minnesota for its defeat in the most recent NCAA title game. Instead, it was swept by the Gophers for the first time since January 2005. A total of 5,532 fans were treated to playoff-caliber hockey as Minnesota broke loose on Saturday for four second-period goals and won, 4-1. Goals proved more elusive on Sunday; it took 49 minutes and 14 seconds before Mira Jalosuo finally lit the lamp with 20 seconds remaining in a penalty on the Badgers. Amanda Kessel’s empty-net goal put the cherry on top of the weekend for the Gophers.

Two weeks after a six-goal drubbing of Providence, No. 7 Boston University found the Friars to be far less manageable in a home-and-home series. Three times the Terriers overcame Friar leads on Friday, the final equalizer coming off the stick of Shannon Doyle with just over five minutes remaining. Isabel Menard struck for the game-winner 40 seconds later in a 4-3 BU victory. Saturday’s game saw PC’s Nicole Anderson and BU’s Marie-Philip Poulin trade hat tricks with Jenelle Kohanchuk supplying a short-handed goal for a 4-3 BU lead. Rookie Molly Illikainen drew the Friars even with three and a half minutes to go, but Menard potted her second consecutive game winner with 87 second left. Kayla Tutino supplied an insurance score 29 seconds later, and BU had a 6-4 win and the sweep.

No. 5 Boston College had no such difficulty with Maine. The Eagles crushed the Black Bears by 7-2 and 10-0 verdicts. Sophomore Emily Field and rookies Dana Trivigno and Haley Skarupa all produced five-point games, with Trivigno and Skarupa celebrating hat tricks.

No. 9 Northeastern outscored opponents 10-7 over the course of three games. Unfortunately for the Huskies, most of those goals came in an 8-1 victory at New Hampshire on Saturday. In two games on home ice, NU managed just a goal apiece in 3-1 defeats at the hands of No. 6 Harvard on Tuesday and UNH on Sunday.

The Crimson also toppled Dartmouth, 6-0, on the strength of three-point games from Lyndsey Fry, Jillian Dempsey, and Hillary Crowe. Laura Bellamy turned in her third shutout in five starts.

Penn State and No. 4 Mercyhurst initiated their CHA rivalry, and the Lakers will likely have fonder memories of the series in Erie, Pa. The hosts outshot their guests 131 to 20 in taking down 5-0 and 7-1 decisions. Fourteen different Lakers contributed at least one scoring point on the weekend.

No. 8 North Dakota needed a power-play goal from Monique Lamoureux in the third period to gain a 3-2 win over RIT and avoid the upset on Friday. Saturday’s 8-2 thrashing by UND was far less captivating. Lamoureux and Michelle Karvinen each massed seven points over the series.

Arlan and I had one of those exceptionally rare weeks last week where we all picked the same winners, hence we both went 10-2-1 (.807), to bring our season totals to 87-40-15 (.660) and 88-39-15 (.672) respectively. I still hold the narrow edge, but we aren’t picking the same this weekend, so who knows where we will be next week.

Friday, Nov. 30

Cornell at Clarkson
Candace: Probably the hardest game to pick all weekend long. I’d feel happier about picking Cornell if they were home, or if they hadn’t lost to Harvard last weekend, but I think they will win the best game of the weekend. Cornell 3-2
Arlan: The teams appear equal, so lets go by records: Clarkson is 7-0 at home, Cornell is 3-2 on the road. Clarkson 2-1

Dartmouth at Harvard
Candace: The Big Green played Cornell tough last weekend, then played down to Colgate the next night. This should be a good game, but Harvard has been rolling. Harvard 4-2
Arlan: Katey Stone didn’t like her team’s performance against Northeastern, but I thought the Crimson looked good, especially early in the game. Harvard 4-1

Rennselaer at Quinnipiac
Candace: The Engineers have too much trouble scoring. Quinnipiac 4-2
Arlan: The Engineers haven’t won since October. Quinnipiac 5-0

Friday, Nov. 30, and Saturday, Dec. 1

Robert Morris at Syracuse
Candace: The Orange have been playing well of late, but so have the Colonials. Robert Morris 4-3, 3-2
Arlan: I’ll gamble on a split, although that’s what cost me the lead in the picks standings. Syracuse 3-2, Robert Morris 3-1

Maine at Boston College
Candace: The Eagles continue to soar. Boston College 4-1, 5-1
Arlan: The Black Bears have been unable to plug into the mojo thus far. Boston College 7-1, 4-2

Boston University vs. Providence
Candace: The Terriers demolished the Friars a couple of weeks ago. Little changes. Boston University 5-1, 5-2
Arlan: First meeting didn’t inspire much confidence in the Friars’ cause; these games should be closer. Boston University 5-3, 3-0

Ohio State at Minnesota State
Candace: This might have been a harder series to pick a month ago. Ohio State 3-1, 4-2
Arlan: Tight games usually await the Buckeyes in Mankato. Ohio State 1-0, 4-3

RIT at North Dakota
Candace: Watch the highlights of NoDak’s games against Minnesota-Duluth to see how explosive they are. North Dakota 4-1, 6-1
Arlan: Tigers present potential trap games for UND nestled between Bulldogs and Badgers. North Dakota 6-2, 5-3

Saturday, Dec. 1

Cornell at St. Lawrence
Candace: The Big Red have a lot more firepower than Connecticut. Cornell 5-2
Arlan: Saints didn’t get much done in earlier contest with the Big Red. Cornell 4-2

Saturday-Sunday, Dec. 1-2

Northeastern vs. New Hampshire
Candace: The Whittemore has been the graveyard for better Hockey East teams than Northeastern, but I can’t pick against the Huskies in this one. Northeastern 2-1, 2-1
Arlan: Wildcats are surprisingly close in the rankings, but Huskies have a big edge in scoring margin. Northeastern 4-2, 5-1

Minnesota-Duluth at Bemidji State
Candace: Neither of these teams is the power they used to be, but the Bulldogs are better overall. Minnesota-Duluth 4-2, 5-2
Arlan: “Z” must have taken the key to Sanford Center with her, because the Beavers have been locked out at home thus far. Minnesota-Duluth 4-2, 2-1

Wisconsin at Minnesota
Candace: Another hard series to pick. The Gophers have been on a roll though, and Wisconsin is still getting its mojo back. Minnesota 3-2, 4-2
Arlan: The Badgers have only been swept in Ridder two times, both in the building’s first three years. Minnesota 2-0, 3-2

Wednesday, Dec. 5

Boston College at New Hampshire
Candace: Don’t think the Eagles will underestimate the Wildcats this time. Boston College 4-2
Arlan: The Eagles don’t have an easy time of it in Durham. Boston College 4-3

Dartmouth at Northeastern
Candace: Something tells me the Big Green have just enough. Dartmouth 3-2
Arlan: Should be a fun game to watch. Northeastern 3-2

Longer hours on Black Friday
Shoppers are treated to extended store hours on Black Friday, and several teams did their part, as four out of 10 games on the day played beyond regulation.

In the only one of these contents to not reach a decision, Brown fought back from a 2-0 hole to tie Providence on goals by Laurie Jolin and Alena Polenska, the former on a second-period power play and the latter in the final minute with an extra attacker on the ice. Given neither team could break the 2-2 deadlock in the five-minute OT, Brown retained the Mayor’s Cup based on its win in the city rivalry game a year ago.

Yale also stormed back from two down in a semifinal game of the Nutmeg Classic. The Bulldogs completed the comeback at 2:15 of overtime on Kate Martini’s second goal of the game for a 4-3 win over Connecticut.

Jillian Saulnier scored 16 seconds into an overtime power play to allow No. 2 Cornell to survive an upset bid at Dartmouth, 2-1. The Big Green were so taken with bonus hockey that they played 65 minutes on Saturday, settling for a 2-2 tie with Colgate.

The wackiest action of Friday took place in Grand Forks. Josefine Jakobsen scored her first goal of the season in the final two minutes to break a 1-1 deadlock, and then hit an empty net a minute later to give No. 10 North Dakota a seemingly safe 3-1 lead with 47 seconds to go. Minnesota-Duluth’s Shannon Miller called timeout and apparently did some effective scribbling on the whiteboard, because Jamie Kenyon knocked in a ricochet with 13.4 seconds left. The UND defense then vanished with the exception of goaltender Jorid Dagfinrud and allowed a final Bulldogs’ rush into the zone. Dagfinrud poked the puck away from Jamie Kenyon, and threw out a leg pad to stop the puck a second time as it caromed off of Kenyon. However, she could not deny a sliding effort that carried Katie Wilson and the puck into the net just in advance of the horn. The furious rally went for naught when Monique Lamoureux took a drop pass from Allison Parizek, faked, and then snapped a shot by UMD’s Kayla Black for a 4-3 UND win. Lamoureux supplied a hat trick on Saturday as her team completed the sweep with a 5-2 victory devoid of similar tension.

Syracuse triumphs in only CHA play
In the part of the country where I grew up, November means several hunting seasons are in full swing, so one will see a lot of orange. Teams that ventured to Syracuse, N.Y., over the last week saw a lot of that color as well, as the Orange went three-for-three on their home ice. On Tuesday, Shiann Darkangelo came through with an extra-attacker goal while on a five-on-three power play in the final minute versus RIT to force overtime. At 2:45 of that extra session, Julie Knerr potted the game-winner in a 2-1 decision for Syracuse.

The weekend games required far less drama, as the hosts recorded back-to-back triumphs over Rensselaer by 4-0 scores. Kallie Billadeau and Jenesica Drinkwater earned a shutout apiece, while Margot Scharfe and Melissa Piacentini each totaled three goals versus RPI. After dropping its first two contests of the season, Paul Flanagan’s team has now pushed its record to 8-5-1.

St. Cloud State back in the WCHA basement
Bemidji State traveled to Mankato and claimed the Friday half of the weekend series with a 4-3 win on the strength of a Sadie Lundquist power-play goal in the third period. The senior had assists on each of the other BSU goals. The Mavericks regrouped on Saturday with a 4-1 victory, as senior Lauren Smith had a four-point game of her own, including a hat trick.

The points were enough to lift the Beavers above the Huskies in the standings, as SCSU was swept in Madison. The slumbering Badgers’ offense continued to show signs of awakening, dividing a dozen goals evenly between the games. Brianna Decker chalked up seven points.

How the rest of the Top 10 fared
A day after squeaking past Dartmouth, Cornell wasn’t as fortunate at No. 7 Harvard. Kalley Armstrong scored the deciding goal in the Crimson’s 3-1 win while the teams were skating four-on-four, and rookie Emerance Maschmeyer stopped 21 of 22 Big Red shots. Coupled with Harvard’s 4-1 defeat of Colgate on Friday, Harvard joins Clarkson as the only teams with perfect ECAC marks of 6-0-0. Both trail Cornell by two points in the league standings, but with two games in hand.

No. 5 Boston College crashed the Nutmeg Classic party, stifling Quinnipiac, 3-0, behind a pair of goals by Haley Skarupa and a 27-save Corinne Boyles shutout. The Eagles took care of host Yale, 5-0, in the final, with Emily Field leading the offense in support of Boyles, denying any of the Connecticut-based squads their state’s tournament.

No. 8 Ohio State could garner only a split at Princeton. The Buckeyes erased a two-goal deficit with a four-goal final frame on Friday behind Danielle Gagne and Ally Tarr, but were stymied on Saturday by 33 saves from Kimberly Newell and a late goal by Brianna Leahy to yield the Tigers a 2-1 decision.

Meanwhile, it was another week, another record for No. 1 Minnesota. The Gophers swept in New Hampshire by 10-2 and 4-0 scores, upping their streak of consecutive road wins to 15, matching the run by Mercyhurst completed on October 18, 2003. Amanda Kessel had seven points to push her ahead of teammate Hannah Brandt for the nation’s points lead with 45.