The WIAC provides the feature game as a pair of top 10 teams clash, while the NCHA gets second billing as exiting and combustible offensive units hit the ice.
Friday, Jan. 31
ECAC East
Southern Maine at No. 4 Norwich
Norwich junior goalie Taylor Fairchild is a clean 4-0-0 at Kreitzberg Arena. On the other side of the ledger, the Huskies have had visible difficulty putting the puck in the net, as evidenced by a total of four goals in their last five contests. Two weeks ago in Gorham, the Cadets narrowly outshot their hosts 18-17 in a 2-1 win, in which Norwich leading scorer Tori Charron was held pointless for only the fourth time this season. Norwich 4-1
NCHA
St. Scholastica at No.10 Adrian
Adrian has reeled of 10 consecutive wins since its last loss, a 7-3 thrashing by St. Scholastica on the Saints’ home ice last Nov. 23. For a majority of the first half of the season, the Saints offense, led by the Waidacher trio, topped the nation in scoring. Since the calendar flipped to 2014 however, the Saints have struggled. In a three-game stretch earlier this month with WIAC opponents, the Saints suffered three shutouts. The top three scorers in the nation will be featured, with Adrian’s Kelsey Kusch (18-18-36) and the Saints duo of Nina (22-14-36) and Isabel Waidacher (15-21-36). Adrian’s second half consistency and scoring strength take this one. Adrian 5-2
Saturday, Feb. 1
ECAC West
Potsdam at No.1 Plattsburgh
Potsdam freshman forward Jordan Ott has collected seven points in her last three games, and is among the leading freshman point scorers in the nation. And while the Bears hold a healthy .625 win percentage away from home, taking out the Cardinals, who have allowed two tallies in nine home games, would be monumental. Plattsburgh 6-0
WIAC
No. 5 Wisconsin-River Falls at No. 8 Wisconsin-Superior
St. Thomas short-circuited the Falcons 14-game unbeaten streak Wednesday night, taking a 2-1 victory. WRF nabbed a 5-2 win over the Yellowjackets’ last November, but senior goalie Shanley Peters has pieced together an outstanding second half for Wis.-Superior. Peters, on point for her career best campaign, rolled out four consecutive shutouts in her last four starts. Peters’ counterpart at the opposite end of the rink, senior Ashley Kuechle, is currently on a six-game unbeaten run as well. Wisconsin-Superior 5-4
