Another tough week in the picks department, though at least we were both over .500. I went 8-7 (.533), while Arlan went 10-5 (.666). Overall on the year, I am 12-15-1 (.446), while Arlan is a respectable 15-12-1 (.553). We’ve got some exciting series on tap this weekend, including the much-anticipated one between Boston University and Cornell, who played a triple OT thriller in the NCAA tournament back in March. Time to dive in!

Friday-Saturday, October 19-20

Minnesota-Duluth at Minnesota State
Candace: If this series was last weekend, I’d have called a split, but after the Bulldogs swept Wisconsin, I’m inclined to think Minnesota-Duluth gets the sweep. Minnesota-Duluth 3-2, 3-1
Arlan: Hopefully, if there is any drama, it will be on the scoreboard. Minnesota-Duluth 4-1, 2-1

Ohio State at Minnesota
Candace: The Buckeyes are the surprise of the WCHA, sitting atop the standings, but that ends after this weekend. Minnesota 4-1, 5-1
Arlan: The last 21 head-to-head meetings have not been kind to Ohio State. Minnesota 4-2, 2-1

St. Cloud at North Dakota
Candace: Surely the Sioux have to get untracked at some point. No better time than this weekend. North Dakota 4-2, 4-1
Arlan: The Huskies’ October road trip continues. North Dakota 4-1, 3-1

Clarkson at Mercyhurst
Candace: I think this could end up being a split, but getting the nights right is tricky, so I’ll go with the home team both nights. Mercyhurst 3-2, 4-1
Arlan: Another of the excellent series on tap for this weekend. We should learn something about each team. Mercyhurst 3-2, Clarkson 1-0

Quinnipiac at Syracuse
Candace: Despite Syracuse beating up on Penn State, Quinnipiac is at another level still. Quinnipiac 4-1, 4-0
Arlan: Interesting year for the Orange, as schedule provides some confidence-boosting weekends; this isn’t one of them. Quinnipiac 5-3, 4-2

Friday-Sunday, October 19 and 21

Bemidji at Wisconsin
Candace: Bemidji is looking like it is in for a rough rebuilding year, and I can’t remember the last time Wisconsin lost three in a row, or back-to-back series. Wisconsin 4-1, 4-1
Arlan: Bemidji State gets to appear in some historic photos as LaBahn Arena opens and the Badgers play the program’s 500th game. Wisconsin 5-0, 3-2

Friday, October 19

Princeton at RIT
Candace: This would be a confidence-builder for the home Tigers, if they can pull it out. RIT 3-2
Arlan: I love these games where I can say with total confidence, “I like the Tigers in this one.”  Princeton 4-3

Saturday-Sunday, October 20-21

Cornell at BU
Candace: This should be a thriller. The Terriers look mighty strong out of the gate, and Cornell is playing its first games on the year. Last year, Cornell swept, outscoring the Terriers 10-2. You might as well flip a coin here. Boston University 4-2, Cornell 3-2
Arlan: Once again the teams play six periods, but this time they get two days to do so. Boston University 3-1, Cornell 4-3

Boston College vs. New Hampshire
Candace: New Hampshire fell back to earth Tuesday. Boston College 3-1, 4-2
Arlan: Faulty third period against Vermont robbed the Wildcats of much of their momentum. Boston College 4-3, 5-2

Saturday, October 20

Princeton at Robert Morris
Candace: Will Rebecca Vint have a sophomore slump? If so, not in this game. Robert Morris 4-1
Arlan: I believe the Colonials goaltending situation is more evolved. Robert Morris 3-1

Tuesday, October 23

St. Lawrence at Cornell
Candace: If Cornell gets swept by Boston University, this game could be even uglier. Cornell 4-1
Arlan: Fifth game of a rugged start for St. Lawrence, as the Big Red will want revenge for ECAC championship. Cornell 4-2

Strong out of the blocks
Of the 34 teams that make up the four Division-I conferences, only seven, the six Ivies and Robert Morris, have yet to play their first game. Among those 27 teams that are underway, five have perfect records: Boston University, Clarkson, Minnesota, New Hampshire, and Northeastern. Mercyhurst, with one tie through six games, is also unbeaten.

Which of these teams is the biggest surprise thus far? Maybe UNH, although the Wildcats have just played twice, winning over Syracuse and Colgate. They are also least likely to still own a perfect mark a week from now, as the ‘Cats will see Vermont on Tuesday and play a home-and-home series against Boston College Saturday and Sunday. BU also has a tough week ahead, hosting Northeastern on Tuesday and Cornell on Saturday and Sunday. Friday and Saturday, Mercyhurst welcomes Clarkson to Erie. With that slate, a first blemish is certain to appear on the ledger of a few squads over the next week.

Things are wild out West
With 28 conference games per team on the docket, league action ramps up sooner in the WCHA than in other circuits, and the early returns in the WCHA continue to buck expected trends. Wisconsin, last season’s regular-season champion, returned home from Duluth with nary a goal to show for its 120 minutes versus the Bulldogs, and those two teams will be the subject of this week’s column. The Badgers remain stuck on five league points, good for only sixth in the standings. The sweep moved UMD into a four-way tie for second in the conference with North Dakota, Minnesota, and St. Cloud State.

The Huskies climbed into that tie on the strength of a pair of wins at Bemidji State. SCSU joins Wisconsin as the only road teams to sweep at the Sanford Center since the Beavers moved into their new home two seasons ago. The Badgers have triumphed in all four appearances in the building.

So who sits atop the WCHA? None other than Ohio State, a team I pegged to finish seventh in the league. Brilliant. The Buckeyes followed up their sweep of UMD with a split versus North Dakota and will try to remain on the top perch this weekend as they travel to Minneapolis for a series with the Gophers, the only team without a conference loss. Minnesota and last-place Bemidji State have only played a pair of conference tilts while the rest of the league teams have each played four.

Showing improvement
Lindenwood, now a member of the CHA, has only had series versus WCHA opponents to date. Although outscored by a 34-6 aggregate over those six games with Ohio State, Wisconsin, and Minnesota State, that’s better than the 63-5 margin the Lions endured over six games against WCHA teams last year. Lindenwood is now off until November, when it will make its CHA debut by hosting Mercyhurst.

Padding the stats
Not everyone is embracing the latest wave of parity and tightly-contested games. Clarkson and Northeastern have outscored opponents 13-4 and 14-3 respectively, each through four games. After six outings, Mercyhurst has scored 32 goals and yielded but a dozen.

However, nobody has managed to tilt the ice to the degree that Minnesota has, building a 40-1 margin through six contests. The Gophers have recorded some gaudy numbers in the national statistics as well, boasting the leading goaltender and top-scoring power play, defenseman, and rookie. Perhaps nothing sums up the team’s dominance to date better than its numbers on the penalty kill; Minnesota is a perfect 100 percent on the kill, with four short-handed goals.

Babstock is rising
If a statistical category is not led by a Minnesota player, the odds are good that the leader is from Quinnipiac. Sophomore Nicole Kosta is tops in assists per game at 2.5, while junior Kelly Babstock reigns in goals per game with 2.0 and points-per-game with 3.5. Babstock, who piled up 30 goals and 59 points as a rookie, saw those numbers drop to 18 and 40 under increased scrutiny as a sophomore. At her current sizzling pace, one has to like the odds that both she and the Bobcats will post record seasons.

Crimson suffering early losses
Harvard was my preseason pick to claim the ECAC title, in part due to the talent and depth found on its blue line. However, its two top-scoring defensemen from last season, Marissa Gedman and Josephine Pucci, have reportedly suffered season-ending injuries and are no longer listed on the team’s roster. The Crimson begin competition with an exhibition versus McGill on Saturday.

Well, with all the upsets, last weekend I got hammered in my picks, and Arlan didn’t do much better. I went 4-8-1 (.346) while Arlan went 5-7-1 (.423). Ouch, if we continue that way, Vegas better not come calling. We’ll challenge ourselves with some interesting games this week.

Friday-Saturday, October 12-13

North Dakota at Ohio State
Candace: OSU caught us by surprise last week, sweeping Minnesota-Duluth. Will home ice help them to a win? Will the Sioux come out flat in the first game, as they did last weekend? Decisions, decisions. Last year, the Sioux split on the road in Ohio. Ohio State 3-2, North Dakota 3-2
Arlan: Last season, UND outscored the Buckeyes 25-10, but last weekend’s results could foreshadow a new pecking order. North Dakota 5-2, 2-1

Providence at Mercyhurst
Candace: Providence looked impressive in Saturday’s beat down of Bemidji, while Mercyhurst looked a little vulnerable in a tie with Quinnipiac. This is the type of game the Friars need to win to get to the NCAAs. Mercyhurst 4-2, Providence 3-2
Arlan: A lot of youth for both the Friars and Lakers. Mercyhurst 4-1, 4-3

Maine at Quinnipiac
Candace: Maine is a much better home team, but they should have enough to get a split. The question is, which night will they win? Quinnipiac 3-2, Maine 3-2
Arlan: In their series a year ago, also in Connecticut, the Bobcats found three-goal leads to be every bit as vulnerable as two-goal leads. Quinnipiac 2-1, 4-2

Minnesota at St. Lawrence
Candace: After getting swept by Clarkson, St. Lawrence needs this series, but early-season woes affect them again. Minnesota 4-2, 5-2
Arlan: Playing a similar style, Saints present toughest test of new season for Gophers. Minnesota 2-1, 3-2

Friday and Sunday, October 12 and 14

Wisconsin at Minnesota-Duluth
Candace: After getting swept last weekend by Ohio State, I am of the opinion that the first half of the season might be a rough one for the Bulldogs. Wisconsin 3-1, 4-2
Arlan: Traditionally, UMD would be very dangerous coming off a series like the sweep by OSU. Are the ‘Dogs healthy enough for that to be the case here? Wisconsin 3-2, 2-0

Saturday-Sunday, October 13-14
Syracuse-Penn State
Candace: Penn State split its opening series with Vermont. Syracuse should present a tougher test. Penn State 4-3, Syracuse 4-2
Arlan: Historic first home game figures to be emotional for Penn State. Syracuse 4-3, 5-2

Tuesday, October 16
Northeastern at Boston University
Candace: I think I might have underestimated the Terriers slightly, but we’ll see if they fall flat after a victory over Boston College in their opener. Boston University 4-2
Arlan: Northeastern takes a step up in caliber of opponent. Boston University 4-3

Vermont at New Hampshire
Candace: Admittedly, I thought the Wildcats would beat Syracuse by a more dominating score, but at least they won. New Hampshire 3-2
Arlan: Vermont took two of three meetings last season. New Hampshire 3-1

Early women’s results not following form
In the movie “Moonstruck,” the character played by Olympia Dukakis speaks the line, “What you don’t know about women is a lot.”

I was reminded of that over the weekend, as once again I was forced to conclude that what I don’t know about women’s hockey is a lot. I’ve been told as much by a number of readers and even an assistant coach of one team.

However, consider the NFL, where ESPN analysts spend all summer poking around every team headquarters and training camp site, dredging up all sorts of news about what case of turf toe doesn’t seem to be improving and which star running back is unhappy with his current contract. They take these nuggets of information, combine them with more statistical data than the U.S. Census Bureau would ever think to gather, factor in the eyewitness reports of an army of former players and coaches, and tell us the order in which the league’s teams will finish. The season begins, and voilà, they’re wrong about as often as the average broken clock.

So here are a few of the revelations and curious happenings over the weekend. We’re now left to wonder whether they are predictors of how the season will unfold or deceptions dealt to us by the hockey gods.

Mavericks spoil North Dakota’s opener
Minnesota State went on the road to Grand Forks and caused No. 5 North Dakota to stumble on the opening night of the farewell tour of the Lamoureux sisters. After blowing a two-goal, third-period lead to lose, 3-2, UND righted the ship on Saturday and bounced back with a 4-1 win.

One surprise in the upset was that the highly-touted UND offense was held to just 18 shots on goal for the game, including only two in the second period. It did have to play without Michelle Karvinen, the WCHA’s most recent Rookie of the Year, who missed the action due to injury.

Another problem for the hosts was that they were whistled for 16 minutes in penalties, and that issue continued in the Saturday win, as another 21 penalty minutes were assessed to North Dakota. The team led the nation in penalty minutes per game each of the last two seasons, and one weekend into 2012-13, UND is back on top of that statistical category.

Looking at the upset from the other side, it isn’t entirely a shock in hindsight. MSU debuted with a series versus Wisconsin a week before, and one would think that would help them to be better prepared for 60 minutes of hockey.

Eric Means has been serving a WCHA mandated suspension, so thus far, the Mavericks have been without their head coach, and their results were better than expected both versus Wisconsin and North Dakota. In 2009, then Mavericks coach Jeff Vizenor resigned in January, MSU got hot in February and advanced to the WCHA semifinals for the only time in its history. Maybe Mankato players respond better under interim coaches.

Boston University bounces Boston College
In the first game of the year for each, No. 3 Boston College fell at home to No. 6 Boston University by a 4-2 score. Newcomer Sarah Lefort had both the tying and winning goals for the Terriers. BC lost its opening game for the second straight year, but that didn’t prevent it from ultimately reaching the Frozen Four last season. Whether or not one considers this result an upset is likely dependent on how one views BU. When the Terriers played well last season, they were one of the country’s premier teams, but they also had stretches where their level dropped. If they’re healthy, the Terriers will be dangerous.

Clarkson sweeps St. Lawrence
No. 7 St. Lawrence lost a pair of one-goal decisions to neighboring Clarkson, a team just outside of the top 10, in a home-and-home series, as Erica Howe out-dueled Carmen MacDonald in a battle of two of the ECAC’s top goaltenders. These were nonconference meetings and serve as a prelude to the Saints and Golden Knights ECAC home-and-home series scheduled for February.

Ohio State invades Duluth
The unranked Buckeyes took down No. 8 Minnesota-Duluth on consecutive days by 3-1 and 3-2 scores. The road wins served notice that OSU will be stronger than expected after graduating two of the top scorers in program history in Laura McIntosh and Natalie Spooner. Chelsea Knapp backstopped both wins, as Ohio State featured a balanced attack. The Buckeyes have little time to rest on their laurels, as they’ll see North Dakota and Minnesota over the next two weekends.

The Bulldogs have been beset by injury and illness, but they’d best get well soon, because No. 4 Wisconsin comes calling this weekend.

Lakers win series at Quinnipiac
No. 9 Mercyhurst earned some crucial points on the road with a 4-4 tie and 4-3 win versus Quinnipiac. Both the Lakers and Bobcats host Hockey East opponents next weekend in Providence and Maine respectively.

Penn State launches program in style
Penn State earned its first Division-I victory in its inaugural game by a 5-3 margin at Vermont. Shannon Yoxheimer scored the program’s first goal and later added another; Micayla Catanzariti also tallied twice. Nicole Paniccia was between the pipes for the historic win. The Nittany Lions didn’t have to wait much longer to experience defeat as the Catamounts turned the tables with a 3-1 triumph on Sunday thanks to two third-period goals.

It’s that time of year, which means Arlan and I are off to the races in our picks race. I won the regular season last year by one game, going 188-64-24 (.724) against Arlan’s 187-65-24 (.721). I also did well in the playoffs. We’ll see who gets the Picks Champion title and six-pack of beer that goes along with it. Some interesting games are on tap this weekend, so let’s dive right in.

Friday, Oct. 5
Boston University at Boston College
Candace: BU ended last season on a roll before falling in a triple-OT heartbreaker to Cornell in the NCAA tournament, while BC made it to the Frozen Four for the second straight year. BC lost the season series to BU last year, but they didn’t lose as many key cogs as the Terriers in the off-season. Boston College 3-2
Arlan: First game of the season and I’m already befuddled. Boston College 4-2

Northeastern at Colgate
Candace: Despite losing Florence Schelling, I think Kendall Coyne and the Huskies should be a solid threat again. This should get them off to a good start. Northeastern 4-1
Arlan: Colgate struggled against speed in its opener; the Huskies are speedy. Northeastern 6-1

Friday-Saturday, Oct. 5-6
Ohio State at Minnesota-Duluth
Candace: The Bulldogs looked good in sweeping the professional Minnesota Whitecaps last weekend in an exhibition series. Without Natalie Spooner, the Buckeyes will struggle early season. Minnesota-Duluth 4-2, 4-1
Arlan: No Spooner, no McIntosh, no road magic. Minnesota-Duluth 3-2, 5-3

Minnesota State at North Dakota
Candace: The Mavericks surprised by getting a tie against Wisconsin last weekend in a game they should have won. However, the Sioux have the high-flying Lamoureux twins, and in this case, offense trumps defense. North Dakota 5-1, 6-1
Arlan: The Mavericks will be the first of many teams this season to find Grand Forks inhospitable. North Dakota 6-1, 7-4

Clarkson-St. Lawrence
Candace: A home-and-home between two arch-rivals to start the year. St. Lawrence came on real strong in the second half of the year last season. Tough one to call. Carly Mercer and Erica Howe are back as juniors, and should keep the Golden Knights near the top of the ECAC. The Saints however, have more offense. I’ll go against the grain and pick a Saints sweep. St. Lawrence 3-2, 3-1
Arlan: First looks at two teams on the rise; I’ll go with home ice. St. Lawrence 3-2, Clarkson 2-1

Bemidji State at Providence
Candace: Two teams who lost all-star goaltenders to graduation. I’m thinking split. Providence 4-2, Bemidji State 4-3
Arlan: The Beavers have typically not started the season as slowly as the Friars. Bemidji State 4-2, 4-3

Mercyhurst at Quinnipiac
Candace: The Lakers reload every year. Quinnipiac is a growing team, especially with offensive stalwart Kelly Babstock, but I think Mercyhurst gets the sweep in this one. Mercyhurst 4-2, 3-1
Arlan: Series like this are especially crucial for the Lakers this year. Mercyhurst 4-1, Quinnipiac 2-1

Saturday, Oct. 6
New Hampshire at Syracuse
Candace: The Orange have beaten the Wildcats the last two years, but I don’t see it happening this go-round. New Hampshire 4-2
Arlan: The Wildcats avenge a loss from the teams’ last meeting. UNH 5-2

Well, I correctly picked both semifinal games to raise my postseason record to 28-12 (.700). Just one more game, with me trying to stay over .700 for both the postseason and the regular season. It’s the marquee game that almost everyone has anticipated during the postseason.

Minnesota vs. Wisconsin
I’ve voted these two teams 1-2 for most of the season. They finished 1-2 in the PairWise, and 1-2 in the last USCHO poll. Minnesota won the season series, 2-1-1, with Wisconsin winning the tie in a shootout. The other games were all decided by one goal. The Badgers do have Stephanie McKeough back in the lineup. This game is pretty much a coin flip, and even multiple overtimes wouldn’t surprise me, especially given the goaltending prowess of Wisconsin’s Alex Rigsby and Minnesota’s Noora Räty. I have to take the defending champs, in a total nail-biter. Wisconsin 2-1

It’s down to four teams. In last week’s picks, I went 3-1 (.750), missing only the BC-St. Lawrence game. I seem to have trouble picking BC games of late. For the postseason, I am now 26-12 (.684). Let’s see how I do on the last three games. I’ll pick the semis first, and will update for the finals before Saturday morning.

Boston College vs. Wisconsin
A rematch of last year’s Frozen Four semi, won by the Badgers in a close contest. The problem picking this game is both teams have exhibited a lot of streaky play in recent weeks. I figure that the Badgers’ depth will be too much for the Eagles over 60 minutes, especially since BC has a tendency to go to sleep defensively for about five minutes per game. Wisconsin 4-2

Cornell vs. Minnesota
Before Cornell gave up seven goals to Boston University, I thought this game might be closer. Minnesota’s offensive balance and depth is outstanding. Cornell can’t afford to get into a shootout with the Gophers, because Noora Räty won’t give up eight goals. I expect Cornell to play better this weekend defensively, but fall short. Minnesota 5-2

Four visitors evicted
Saturday’s first round of the NCAA tournament had a little of everything. Whether you like wide-open offense, defense clamping down for 60 minutes, great saves, soft goals, goalie changes, video review, or overtime tension, there was something to offer — and that was just in Ithaca, N.Y. When the goal lights had been illuminated for the last time and the final buzzer sounded, all of the seeded teams advanced. That outcome was the same as last year’s quarterfinals, and in sharp contrast to the slew of upsets in the conference tourneys.

Boston College 6, St. Lawrence 3
In most years, the game at Chestnut Hill would have been called wide open, although on Saturday, another contest gave new meaning to the phrase. Still, by the second intermission at Kelley Rink, each team had held and surrendered a lead.

The Eagles scored the only goal of a fairly even first period. Alex Carpenter and Emily Field combined on a short-handed, two-on-one attempt that was stopped by goaltender Carmen MacDonald. As the Saints continued to arrive on the scene and offer ineffective resistance, the BC duo fired away until MacDonald, in an effort to push the puck away from danger, instead put it on the stick of Carpenter, and the Eagles’ leading scorer sniped a shot upstairs.

Once the second period got underway, St. Lawrence rediscovered the post-season magic that had carried it to the NCAAs. Cracks in the Boston College defense appeared, and after a quick flurry of odd-man rushes and juicy rebounds, SLU led 3-1 just 3:33 into the second stanza.

This time, however, the Saints’ magic faded. MacDonald, who had been the foundation of the team’s ECAC championship, began to wobble. Her glove failed to capture a soft shot by Field, and Boston College was back in it. Defenseman Blake Bolden scored a back-breaking goal with just 11 seconds remaining in the second period, and the game was even. MacDonald’s blocker failed her on a shot from Danielle Welch that snuck into the top corner of the net, and BC owned a lead that would endure. MacDonald on one shot proved more effective without equipment, catching a shot with her bare hand after her glove had been knocked off. The Eagles added an insurance goal plus an empty-net tally for the 6-3 final and a second straight trip to the Frozen Four.

Cornell 8, Boston University 7 — 3OT
Records are made to be broken, and this game succeeded in breaking a few of them. The previous mark of seven goals by one team in an NCAA tournament game was eclipsed; the record of nine goals by two teams combined was obliterated.

Usually, the concept of a team going on a run is used in basketball, not hockey. Discovering runs in limited hockey scoreboard activity requires as much imagination as discovering constellations in the night sky. However, this match saw each team rattle off a string of at least three goals multiple times.

When Kasey Boucher scored at 16:45 of the opening period to make it 3-0, the Terriers had to feel like they were in control. They would learn that no lead was safe, and it took less than seven and a half minutes of game time for the Big Red to put BU on the short end of a 4-3 score. When Marie-Philip Poulin scored later in the period to tie things up, it took just over a minute for Cornell to take a 5-4 lead. By 6:19 of the third period, Rebecca Johnston had completed a hat trick, and the advantage had mounted to 7-4. The Terriers answered with a run that spanned nine minutes and three power plays, and regulation play ended with the unlikely score of 7-7.

Overtime signaled the start of an offensive drought. To that point, the goaltenders had recorded save percentages more likely to be seen in lacrosse. Cornell’s Amanda Mazzotta saved seven of 10 shots, and her day was done after 20 minutes. Replacement Lauren Slebodnick fared no better over the next two periods, yielding four goals against only eight saves. At the other end, Kerrin Sperry was pummeled for all seven goals while stopping 29 shots. Perhaps the goalie coaches showed up for overtime, the team defense tightened, or the attackers were just worn out from all of those post-goal celebrations, but the next 59 minutes and 50 seconds passed with no change in score. Finally, junior defenseman Lauriane Rougeau of the Big Red found the energy to carry the puck end-to-end, and nobody for the Terriers could match her effort. Rougeau cleared the last defender and flicked a backhand that found the five-hole, and Cornell was able to empty the tank on one final celebration.

Minnesota 5, North Dakota 1
In comparison, the games out West were tame affairs, particularly the all-WCHA contest in Minneapolis. The Gophers led for all but the game’s first minute and 28 seconds, and put the game out of reach with a three-goal middle period. Minnesota’s five top-scoring forwards each found the net once, highlighted by the 30th goal of the year for Amanda Kessel on a solo short-handed effort.

As the deficit grew, the only remaining drama was whether North Dakota could snap the shutout string of Noora Räty that had grown to more than four games. UND succeeded in that regard in the final period, but it had to pull its goaltender while on a five-on-three power play to do so.

While the Fighting Sioux were disappointed that their first venture into the NCAA tournament had been brief, they were not shocked by their fate.

“We just ran into a better club,” coach Brian Idalski said. “That’s really the bottom line.”

Wisconsin 3, Mercyhurst 1
A year ago, the Badgers started their march to a fourth NCAA title with a narrow 2-1 quarterfinal win over Minnesota-Duluth. Their 2012 NCAA tournament began in quite similar fashion. Carolyne Prévost staked the hosts to a 1-0 lead 12 minutes into the game, but Kelley Steadman responded for Mercyhurst in the final minute of period two. Twelve minutes later, Prévost struck again. The senior set up Hilary Knight perfectly on a two-on-one rush while short-handed, and Knight doesn’t miss from point-blank range. Wisconsin added a goal into an empty-net and safely advanced to its sixth Frozen Four in seven seasons.

It’s ironic that the winning goal was scored at the Lakers’ expense while their power play was on the ice. Mercyhurst owns the nation’s best conversion percentage, and had not yielded a short-handed goal this season.

Well, my second week in the playoffs I didn’t do so well. Just far too many upsets. I did great the first day, but it was all downhill from there, as I finished 7-5 (.583), dropping to 23-11 (.676). Arlan did a great job previewing the games this weekend, so let’s see if I can pick them properly.

Mercyhurst at Wisconsin
Even though Wisconsin lost to Minnesota-Duluth, I have to think Wisconsin is on a collision course with Minnesota for the NCAA finals. The Badgers are very deep, and while the Bulldogs contained their high-powered offense, I don’t think Mercyhurst will. Wisconsin 4-2

North Dakota at Minnesota
The poor Sioux. They finally make the NCAA Tournament and get to play the same team that has crushed them in two of the last three games. I think this will be closer, but expect the Gophers to prevail. Minnesota 3-2

Boston University at Cornell
A rematch of last year’s Frozen Four game. Though Cornell exacted a measure of revenge by sweeping the Terriers earlier in the season, it was a different Terriers team than the one that hasn’t lost since January. Having said that, when anybody on the other side of the ice doesn’t have “Boston College” on their jerseys, the Terriers haven’t looked nearly as invincible. Cornell 4-2

St. Lawrence at Boston College
I still think that St. Lawrence’s win over BC at the beginning of January is what kicked off the Saints’ incredible run. I haven’t had much luck picking Eagles’ games lately, and while I correctly called St. Lawrence to beat Dartmouth and Harvard, I didn’t see them beating Cornell. I think I’ll pick against BC and then get it wrong. Oh well. St. Lawrence 3-2

Robert Morris celebrates its CHA tournament title

A more equal parity
Our sport has long been hungry for parity. Every time a team has knocked off an opponent ranked a few spots above them in a mid-January game, someone has been quick to herald its arrival.

This past weekend, however, was different. These were games that mattered greatly to both teams. In my memory, only the NCAA quarterfinals in 2007 rivaled this weekend for lack of success by the higher-seeded teams in the postseason.

Four conference tournaments were down to four teams, and the top seed didn’t win even one. While that alone might suggest parity, analysis suggests that none of these upsets were entirely shocking, and that serves to reinforce to a greater extent that the base of power is expanding.

CHA tournament
There are three certainties in this world. Death. Taxes. Mercyhurst claiming every CHA title being contested. I guess we’re now down to just death and taxes.

The semifinals unfolded true to form, with the top-seeded Lakers defeating Syracuse, 4-3, while Robert Morris edged Niagara, 3-2.

Mercyhurst has the country’s most effective power play, converting 28.3 percent of the time. To have any chance in the championship, the Colonials figured to have to stay out of the box. In that regard, they failed miserably. RMU paraded to the box 15 times for 30 minutes, giving that potent power play a dozen opportunities. In fact, the Colonials committed as many penalties as they produced shots on goal, as they could only muster 15 of those as well. Somehow, that proved to be enough.

Katelyn Scott, Thea Imbrogno, and Brianna Delaney scored goals in the trenches, and by the time Bailey Bram converted the Lakers’ second power-play goal of the game with seven seconds remaining, it was only changing the final score, not the fact that the Colonials would win, 3-2, and claim the first championship in program history. Junior Kristen DiCiocco turned away 45 shots and was named tournament MVP.

ECAC Hockey championship
St. Lawrence has accomplished a lot of things over the years, but until Saturday, winning the ECAC tournament had not been one of them. Entering the day, the Saints were 17-0-1 since Thanksgiving against everyone other than Cornell, and 0-2 versus the Big Red. Apparently, SLU has now figured out Cornell as well.

Regular season champion Cornell posted a 5-1 win over Quinnipiac in the semifinal, scoring twice in the last 100 seconds of the middle period to break a 1-1 tie. League Player of the Year Rebecca Johnston scored her team’s first two goals and assisted on the next three.

Meanwhile, fifth-seeded St. Lawrence needed to go to overtime for the second weekend in a row to get by No. 2 seed Harvard, 2-1. Kelly Sabatine was the hero once more, scoring her second of the game at 3:14 of OT. Carmen MacDonald made 29 saves to record the 20th win of her rookie campaign.

In the final, the Saints tweaked the script only slightly. Sabatine scored her third game winner in four games, but struck with 1:50 remaining in regulation this time. Alley Bero scored into an empty net 29 seconds later for the final verdict, 3-1. MacDonald turned away another 33 shots and took the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player designation.

WCHA Final Face-Off
One of the few times fans of the nation’s No. 1 team, Wisconsin, had reason to cheer was when the scoreboard displayed a photo of reigning Patty Kazmaier Award winner Meghan Duggan. The Badgers spent much of their semifinal versus host Minnesota-Duluth looking like a team that suddenly missed its former captain. Newly-crowned conference Player of the Year Brianna Decker did her part, scoring a goal on an electric rush that drew oohs, but that proved insufficient, as the Bulldogs countered with three highlights-reel goals of their own. Jennifer Harss stopped 32 shots in bouncing UW from the bracket.

In North Dakota’s first foray into the league semifinals a year ago, they were shut out, 3-0, by Wisconsin. Its second appearance didn’t go any better. Minnesota’s Sarah Davis celebrated a hat trick, linemate Emily West scored twice, and Noora Räty recorded a 6-0 shutout.

UMD needed one more win to claim the league’s automatic bid and keep alive the dream of reaching the Frozen Four in Duluth. The dream faded as West scored on a power play, Räty completed a perfect weekend by earning tournament MVP recognition, and with a 2-0 win, Minnesota notched its first tournament title since the days when Natalie Darwitz and Krissy Wendell were college players, not high school coaches.

Hockey East Championship
Coming into its semifinal with Providence, top-seed Northeastern was likely haunted by the memory of a game two weeks earlier when the Huskies were unable to solve the Friars’ Genevieve Lacasse in a scoreless tie. Northeastern had the same problem on Saturday, and when PC’s Haley Frade scored 12 seconds into a power play at the end of the second period, the Huskies were in trouble. Not even nine minutes of penalties on the Friars in the third period, including a full two minutes with a five-on-three Northeastern advantage, were enough to best Lacasse and extend the career of Florence Schelling. Ashley Cottrell added an empty-net goal, and Lacasse negated all 41 shots in a 2-0 PC victory.

In semifinal two, Boston College fell victim to a pattern that has plagued it periodically throughout the season: outshoot the opponent, limit shots allowed, but lose handily. Marie-Philip Poulin had two goals and an assist as Boston University scored five times on 26 shots, Kerrin Sperry turned aside 33 of 35 shots on the other end, and the Eagles were sent to the sidelines with a 5-2 defeat.

The final proved that hockey can be a game of inches, a game of seconds, and even both. Midway through the first period, Laura Veharanta exploited a BU fumble into a 1-0 Providence lead that looked increasingly likely to hold up as the game progressed. Lacasse stopped the first 32 Terriers’ shots and was poised to be the fourth goalie on the weekend to be named a tournament’s premier player, but with each team having a player in the penalty box and Sperry pulled for an extra attacker, Poulin got the puck to the front of the net and Jenn Wakefield maneuvered it through Lacasse at 19:52 of the third period. In the second overtime session, Providence hit a crossbar, and as play transitioned to the other end, Wakefield’s shot hit a Providence player’s skate and went into the net at 2:15. Wakefield was awarded MVP, and BU wore the crown.

The NCAA Bracket
So what were the national implications of the weekend tournament action? Providence and Minnesota-Duluth, two teams that needed to win auto-bids to have any hope, fell just short. BU and St. Lawrence, tasked with the same mission, achieved it. Harvard and Northeastern, teams that were inside the field going into the weekend, couldn’t survive the combination of semifinal losses and the wrong teams earning automatic bids. Boston College came out smelling like the proverbial rose when all the teams around it floundered. North Dakota fell short of the opportunity to host that it desired, but apparently would have been denied by NCAA sanctions in any case; UND was at least invited to its first dance. Mercyhurst went from potential host to the Madison blues, whether by merit or voodoo economics is difficult to surmise.

The combination of the PairWise rankings and selection-committee discretion produced a bracket of:

Mercyhurst at No. 1 Wisconsin
St. Lawrence at No. 4 Boston College
North Dakota at No. 2 Minnesota
Boston University at No. 3 Cornell

How much any team profited or was wronged is always open to debate. For comparison, here is how the bracket would have looked seeded strictly by auto-bids and KRACH:

Boston University at No. 1 Wisconsin
Minnesota-Duluth at No. 4 North Dakota
St. Lawrence at No. 2 Minnesota
Boston College at No. 3 Cornell

Those pairing may serve to put in perspective any indignation fans that Lakers’ fans may be feeling. I have no such comforting thoughts to offer to the UMD faithful.