Weekend picks: Jan. 16

We get back to conference play this weekend after what has seemed like an eternity of nonconference games.

Candace and Matt get out their respective crystal balls to pick this weekend’s top games.

Friday-Saturday, Jan. 16-17

No. 9 Amherst at No. 4 Middlebury
Candace: I have to think this is a split, but which night? Middlebury 4-2, Amherst 3-2
Matt: Wow. This set could go either way. Does Amherst have the firepower to at least win one? Can Middlebury sweep? Might be too close to call, but I’ll go with a split here as Middlebury wins Friday night, 4-3, and then Amherst gets an overtime win Saturday night. I have Emily Flom as the OT hero.

No. 7 Wisconsin-River Falls at St. Scholastica
Candace: I have trouble seeing this as anything but a River Falls sweep. Wis.-River Falls 4-1, 4-2
Matt: St. Scholastica is unranked, yes, but does have a respectable 7-6-1 record. Not too shabby by any means. River Falls is 11-3-0 and on paper, the better team stats-wise. And the better team this weekend wins-wise as the Falcons sweep the Saints. Angie Hall gets a shutout Friday night.

Tuesday, Jan. 20

No. 3 Norwich at No. 1 Plattsburgh 
Candace: The game of the week. Can anybody stop the Cardinals? Possibly, but I don’t see if happening this time. Plattsburgh 4-2
Matt: Norwich plays St. Anselm and Castleton this coming weekend and should win both, but then the quick turnaround to play the top-ranked Cardinals? Yikes. I see Plattsburgh winning 6-3 over a tired Cadets’ squad after winning both this weekend at William Smith.