Last week:
Dan: 4-6-2Chris: 5-5-2
On the season:
Dan: 42-33-13 (.551)Chris: 46-29-13 (.597)
This Week’s Picks:
Friday, November 25 and Saturday, November 26Niagara at American InternationalDan: I apparently gave AIC the kiss of death when I said they were for real. I still think they’re going to be a force to be reckoned with, and every team goes through these lulls at some point in a season. On the flip side, Niagara is also playing some of their best hockey, but I think the travel aspect plays a role. Home cooking gets AIC at least a win. AIC wins on Friday, Niagara on Saturday.Chris: This is the only two-game league series this weekend. AIC is 0-2-4 in its last six games while the Purple Eagles have won two of their last three. But I’m thinking split, with AIC winning Friday and Niagara coming out on top on Saturday.Friday, November 25Mercyhurst at CanisiusDan: There’s something classic about this weekend. Even though Brandon Wildung got back on the right track, I think Charles Williams is a hair ahead. In a battle of goaltenders, I’m taking the Golden Griffins. Canisius wins.Chris: This is the 85th meeting between the schools. Canisius has dominated lately, and I think that continues here at HarborCenter. Canisius wins.Denver at Air ForceDan: The altitude effect is very real for opponents, even those that play in Colorado. Over the last couple years, the Falcons knocked off Denver and Colorado College, earning another tie against the Pioneers three seasons ago. Even though Denver is a mile high, they have to elevate another 2,000 feet in order to play at Cadet Ice Arena. So even though the Pioneers are #2, I smell an upset brewing. Air Force wins.Chris: Air Force has been known to knock off its Colorado rivals from time to time, but I think Denver, ranked No.2 in the latest USCHO poll, is just too strong this season. I’m going with the Pioneers to win.Holy Cross at Notre DameDan: I like Holy Cross to make this game interesting, but I think the Irish are just in the right spot at the right time to win the first game of their home tournament in South Bend. Notre Dame wins.Chris: The Crusaders will face off against the No. 12 Fighting Irish in the first round of Notre Dame’s Shillelagh Tournament. I’m going with the higher seed and home team. Notre Dame wins. Saturday, November 26 and Sunday, November 27Dartmouth at Robert MorrisDan: Stat to watch – Dartmouth’s power play, which is 2-53 this season. RMU, meanwhile, is third in the nation at 26.9% (14-52). The Colonials will win at least one thanks to an extra man goal. Either that or Dartmouth’s inability to score on the power play costs them a win. RMU wins on Saturday. Dartmouth wins on Sunday.Chris: The Big Green are 2-2-2 on the season so far, and I think they’ll leave Moon Township still at .500. RMU night take at least three points here, but I’m going with a split and picking RMU to win on Saturday and Dartmouth on Sunday.Saturday, November 26Air Force at Colorado CollegeDan: Amazingly, the road trip from the academy to Colorado College will shave about 1,000 feet off of the elevation as the cadets go from over 7,200 feet down to Colorado College, which is in Colorado Springs’ city proper (at 6,000 feet). Being from Massachusetts, this is something that’s unfathomable to me. Air Force wins.Chris: The CC Tigers got trounced last weekend by St. Cloud, but I think they’ll rebound here. I’d go with Air Force at Cadet Ice Arena, but this one’s 15 miles down Route 25 at the CC’s World Arena. I think Colorado College prevails in a close one.Bentley at HarvardDan: Bentley’s made a habit of ruining Harvard’s home ice advantage in the stands in recent years, packing Bright-Landry Hockey Center in each of their three meetings. But they haven’t won. Jayson Argue is playing out of his mind in goal, but Harvard’s offense is really clicking to start the season. Harvard wins.Chris:I think this has become a rivalry game for Bentley, but not so much for Harvard, which has won all three previous meetings. I think that trend continues. Harvard wins.Sacred Heart at ConnecticutDan: Sacred Heart failed to turn the state red when they played Yale. I would love to see them do it against a UConn team that has only one win since they beat Notre Dame in late October. That said, that UConn win was 4-0 over Boston University. UConn wins.Chris: The Pioneers have had recent success against their Nutmeg State rivals, but not this time. UConn wins.Holy Cross at Clarkson/YaleDan: Yale’s defensive struggles to start the season give Holy Cross an opening to hold a goaltending advantage should they meet in the second game of the Shillelagh Tournament. That contrasts with a Clarkson team capable of rolling out two netminders with save percentages over .900. Holy Cross loses to Clarkson but beats Yale.Chris:I like the Crusaders to defeat Yale if they meet in their the championship or consolation, but not against Clarkson which is undefeated on the road so far this season. So a win against Yale or a loss to CU.
