Player of the week: Chase Polacek, RPI
No stranger to the spotlight, Polacek scored twice – including the game-winner – in Friday’s tight win over Harvard, and added another GWG (this one on the power play) and an assist in Saturday’s romp over Dartmouth. The senior is now second in the league in conference points-per-game (1.42), and tied for third in league goals/game (7). Polacek is riding high right now, on a five-game point streak in which he’s tallied five goals and four assists.
Honorable mention: Chris Cahill, Yale (2-3-5, +3 vs. Clarkson and St. Lawrence); Tyler Roeszler, Cornell (3-1-4, +2 in two games vs. Colgate);
Rookie of the week: Kenny Agostino, Yale
The exceptional rookie on an exceptional team, Agostino earned his honor this week by virtue of his three goals and +2 rating against Clarkson and St. Lawrence. His goal with 11:16 remaining on Friday proved to be the game-winner over the Golden Knights, and he also notched the game’s (and Bulldogs’) first and third goals in Saturday’s 4-1 cruise. Now with 15 points overall, Agostino has out-scored the rest of his Yale classmates, combined (9).
Honorable mention: Brock Higgs, RPI (1-2-3 vs. Harvard and Dartmouth)
Goalie of the week: Mike Clemente, Brown
The Bears didn’t sweep the weekend, but that was hardly Clemente’s fault: The junior netminder stopped 59 of 62 shots against the North Country visitors. Friday night’s 2-1 win over SLU was a true goaltender battle, with Clemente besting Matt Weninger with 25 saves on 26 shots on goal; on Saturday, Bruno’s backstop made 34 saves, but Brown fell 3-1 with an empty-net goal against as well. Clemente has saved 90.7 percent of league shots so far, with a 2.84 goals-against average.
Honorable mention: Ryan Rondeau, Yale (3 goals against, 49 saves vs. Clarkson and St. Lawrence); Mike Garman, Cornell (1 goal against, 24 saves at Colgate); James Mello, Dartmouth (5 goals against, 60 saves at Union and Rensselaer); Keith Kinkaid, Union (4 goals against, 54 saves vs. Dartmouth and Harvard); Ryan Carroll, Harvard (2 goals against, 40 saves at Union)
A quick look at who might be over-rated, and who might be under-rated in ECAC Hockey at this point: I primarily looked at goal differential, and outcomes in one-goal games. Please keep in mind that these are just loose observations and projections, based on statistical precedent, and do not take into account injuries, momentum, strength-of-schedule, etc.
So please don’t kill me.
[EDIT: here is a research-based feature I wrote last year regarding the interpretation of one-goal games.]
Under-rated?
I have come to the conclusion that the league’s most undervalued team right now is Cornell: the Big Red are 3-6-2 (.364) in one-goal games, compared to a .474 overall winning percentage. That’s a considerable difference in performance, and combined with the fact that the Red are +6 in ECAC goal differential (and +2 overall), I am led to believe that Cornell is the most likely team to make a jump in the standings in the coming weeks.
Princeton is probably better than its record as well, and even though the Tigers have a winning record, they are likely a game or two better than their results indicate. Princeton is an even 5-5-1 in one-goal games, +16 in league differential, +18 overall, and have an overall winning percentage of .639 that is being dragged down by the outcomes of their tight games. If the Garden State growlers keep playing as they have been so far, they’re likely a top-three team come March.
If it weren’t for bad luck – as the saying goes – Colgate would have no luck at all: With a .167 winning percentage for the year, the Raiders are an even-worse .125 (1-13-2) in one-goal outcomes. I’m not saying that the ‘Gate should be leaps and bounds beyond where it is now, but another win or two above its current pace sounds about right.
The Saints, 2-5-4 (.364) in one-goalers and .391 overall, are probably in the same boat as Colgate: They’re probably good for a couple more wins in the second half than they had in the first.
And how’s this for a surprise? Yale, by my estimation, is probably slightly better than they already are! At only 3-2-0 (.600) in one-goal games, the Bulldogs are winning at a 89.5 percent clip overall. If the spring mimics the fall as far as the frequency of tight contests, the Blue may well be due an even better second half than first.
Over-rated?
As much as I hate to say it, the league probably has a couple over-achieving teams as well. Clarkson stands out, with its gaudy 5-1-2 (.750) record in one-goal games, as well as its -10 (ECAC)/-6 (overall) differential. At a .565 overall winning percentage, ‘Tech perhaps isn’t quite the dark horse some are making it out to be.
The Bobcats have generated a lot of interest, especially since sweeping Nebraska-Omaha to open the new year… but the numbers to date indicate a team that has probably peaked, as far as the standings go. At 5-3-4 (.583) in tight games and .474 overall, QU is succeeding beyond expectations, and isn’t scoring enough to back up those numbers (-6/-7).
Brown, at .583/.474 (one-goal vs. overall), shares a predicted fate with Quinnipiac: Too much luck in close contests, not enough scoring (-6/-7) to compensate.
Finally, the unexpected of the over-achievers: Union, at 8-3-3 (.679), is rocking in one-goal games, but at .673 overall, I’d bet that the Dutchmen are overdue for a little bit of bad luck in this semester’s nail-biters.
Jury’s out
A few teams seem to be right where they ought to be, statistically speaking: Dartmouth, Harvard and RPI may well be who their records say they are.
The Big Green may be slightly over-achieving (.625 in one-goal games, .632 overall), but its +16 league goal differential says otherwise. Dartmouth is looking good for a first-round bye, so far.
Harvard might not have bad luck as an excuse for their sorry season, as the Crimson are winning more close games (2-7-0, .222) than their remainder (.167).
The Engineers are churning along at .688 overall, and with a nail-biter record of 8-5-3 (.594), they look to be on pace for a bye as well, should they keep up the good work.
1. Yale
2. Boston College
3. North Dakota
4. Minnesota-Duluth
5. Denver
6. Nebraska-Omaha
7. Wisconsin
8. Union
9. New Hampshire
10. Michigan
11. Notre Dame
12. Miami
13. Merrimack
14. Maine
15. Alaska
16. Colorado College
17. Rensselaer
18. Western Michigan
19. Dartmouth
20. Boston University
We’re at that time of the year where one thing is on everyone’s mind.
Will my team make the NCAA tournament?
Those of you who are veterans of the college hockey scene know that it is all about the PairWise Rankings. This is USCHO’s numerical approach that simulates the way the NCAA Division I men’s ice hockey committee chooses the teams that make the NCAA tournament.
The criteria are tweaked every so often — often being every year lately — in order to give what the committee believes will be the best tournament.
This year the change that was made was to change the criteria relating to which teams are now considered “Teams Under Consideration,” or “TUCs.”
Prior to this year a TUC was a team that in the top 25 of the Ratings Percentage Index. This year, it was changed to include all teams that had an RPI of .5000 or above.
What does this change mean in terms of NCAA selection and the PairWise?
Basically, it means that there can possibly be more than 25 TUCs.
And how does that affect the PWR?
It means that the TUC criteria could possibly contain more games that are considered in this criteria.
Let’s give you an example of how this may impact the PWR.
Team A is currently No. 10 in the RPI. Team B is currently No. 11 in the RPI. Team C is No. 26 in the RPI. All of these teams have an RPI above .5000.
Against the top 25 of the RPI, Team A is 5-5-0. Team B is 6-5-0 against the top 25 of the RPI.
Team A is 2-0 against Team C, while Team B has not played Team C.
Neither Team A nor Team B has played any other team with an RPI over .500 after No. 26.
If you take the comparison between these two teams under last year’s rules, it might look like this:
Team A Team B RPI .5478 .5459 TUC 5-5-0 .5000 6-5-0 .5454 COp 1-0-0 1-0-0 H2H 0 1 Total 1 2
In this scenario, Team B wins the comparison between the two teams. And Team C does not play a factor at all since Team C is No. 26 in the RPI and not a TUC.
Let’s take a look at the 2011 scenario.
Team A Team B RPI .5478 .5459 TUC 7-5-0 .5833 6-5-0 .5454 COp 1-0-0 1-0-0 H2H 0 1 Total 2 1
In this scenario, Team A wins the comparison because the TUC criteria has been switched.
With the addition of the two wins against Team C, Team A now has a better TUC record than Team B, thereby switching the comparison.
So, as you can see there is a potential impact on the selection this year.
Coming this week, the first installment of Bracketology — my look at how I think the committee will place the teams after those teams are chosen.
Insane
That’s the only way to describe Saturday’s action. One game had the teams’ exchange the go-ahead and tying goals in the last 13 seconds of regulation. The top team in the country blew a 4-0 lead. The team that made the comeback took a roughing penalty when regulation time ran out to lose the game on the subsequent power play. Then, there was the game that took two days and two rinks on two different campuses to finish.
The wild ending occurred in the Cortland at Buffalo State game. With the score tied 2-2, Cortland took the lead with 13 seconds left on a goal by Michael Lysyj.
Thirteen seconds left. Well, that should be a victory for the Red Dragons. What could Buffalo State do in 13 seconds? Get one rush off the face off? And if they pull their goalie, would the extra attacker even get into the play on time to make a difference? What could possibly … Trevor McKinney scored with two seconds left to tie the game with that extra attacker on the ice.
Nobody scored in overtime, and that’s how the game ended.
Cortland kept taking one-goal leads. First Peter Lompado’s second period power-play goal and then Jarrett Gold’s short-hander. Daniel Andersson and Drew Klin on the power play tied it up each time. Then came the insane last 13 seconds.
Oswego built up a 4-0 lead at Fredonia on first period goals by Stephen Mallaro (power play) and Ian Boots and second period goals by Tyler Leimbrock and Owen Kelly. The fourth goal chased Mark Friesen from the net, replaced by Jeff Holloway.
What could possibly happen? The number one team in the country builds a four-goal lead against a team that thinks defense first. Paul Beckwith is back from an injury and looking as good as ever, yielding one goal in almost five periods of play. Fredonia puts their backup goaltender in.
This contest is over … Billy Sanborn breaks the shutout late in the second, Bryan Ross scores a two-man advantage power-play goal early in the third, Andrew Christ pulls the game to within one before the third period is half over, and Mat Hehr ties the game with his goalie pulled with only five seconds left in regulation.
Fredonia now has all the momentum in the world. Nothing can slow them down heading into overtime … Brad Nunn is called for roughing as the third period horn sounds. Oswego goes on the power play, and 55 seconds later, Paul Rodrigues wins it for the Lakers on a one-timer from the left circle.
Geneseo was cruising, scoring twice in the first 4:04, Stefan Decosse 36 seconds in and Brandon Angotti. Mike Arnold got one back for Potsdam on the power play, but Ryan Bulach returned the two-goal lead on their own power play. Geneseo outshot Potsdam 13-4 in that first period.
What could possibly slow down the Ice Knights? Finish up the two periods
Last week I titled my blog post, “Fit to be tied.”
Fitting, the weekend after I make that post, RIT and Plattsburgh; in one of the most anticipated showdowns of the season, tied not only once, but both of their games.
The two schools played before a sold out electric-atmosphere at the Frank Ritter Memorial Arena on Friday night and Sarah Dagg kept the Tigers’ unbeaten season alive with a goal in the final minute to tie the game up at two.
The standing-room only crowd of 2,100 smashed the Division III women’s regular season attendance record, which used to be around 1,700.
The next afternoon, neither side was able to put a puck in the net as the two powerhouses skated to a scoreless tie in front of another impressive crowd of 1,383.
RIT’s “Black Out Heart Disease” promotion generated over $10,000 donated to the Geneva General Cardiology Associates. The Tigers sold 22 special-edition black jerseys for a total of $6,927; with Katie Stack, Sarah Dagg, and Danielle Read’s jerseys all going for over $500.
The final total with t-shirts was $10,219. Impressive work RIT hockey fans.
The two ties prevented RIT head coach Scott McDonald from picking up his 100th career win. However, the Tigers and McDonald will get another crack at it this weekend when they travel to Buffalo State for a pair of games. If RIT sweeps, McDonald will have recorded 100 victories in just 127 games, which would be the second fastest all-time to only Plattsburgh’s Kevin Houle, who did it in 122 games. (Thanks to RIT Director of Sports Information, Joe Venniro for that tid bit.)
RIT holds control of its own destiny as the Tigers try and wrap up their first ECAC West regular season title. They have six games left and all are league contests. They’ll likely face their stiffest test on two separate trips down to the Murray Athletic Center to face the sixth-ranked Elmira College Soaring Eagles. The two clubs meet on Feb. 4th and 19th. As long as RIT holds serve in its four other games, the Tigers will clinch the regular season title with three points in the two games against Elmira.
Norwich also hosted a benefit game and the Cadets raised $2,267 for the SD Ireland Cancer Research Fund through jar donations, a 50/50 raffle, and merchandise sales.
Trinity showed its first sign of a kink in the armor this weekend as the Bantams lost 1-0 to Colby and then tied Bowdoin 2-2. The Bantams had been unbeaten in 11 straight coming into the weekend.
Player of the Week – Kristin Faber, Wis. Eau Claire
Kristen, a senior forward from Austin, Minn., tallied a hat trick to lead Eau Claire to a 5-3 win over Stevens Point on Friday night. She scored the game-tying goal and then scored the eventual game-winning goal with under five minutes left in the game, while short handed to life the Blugolds to an important league sweep over the Pointers. Faber also chipped in a goal in Saturday’s 3-1 win as well. She has 14 goals and five assists on the season for a team-leading 19 points.
Rookie of the Week – Laura Chamberlain, RIT
Laura, a freshman goalie from Norco, Calif. combined with Plattsburgh’s Mandy Mackrell to put on an epic display of goaltending in their series over the weekend. Chamberlain stopped 49 of 51 shots over the weekend to help RIT to two ties with fourth-ranked Plattsburgh. She recorded her fifth shutout on the season and has a 0.86 goals against average with a .954 save percentage.
Goalie of the Week – Mandy Mackrell, Plattsburgh
Mandy, a senior goalie from Cleveland, Ohio kept Plattsburgh in Friday’s game for the first 30 minutes after the Cardinals were being out shot 21-3 and still tied at zero. Mackrell made 40 stops in Friday’s 2-2 tie and then followed up with 34 more on Saturday afternoon to pick up her fourth shutout of the season. Mackrell is now 8-2-3 on the season with a 1.21 goals against average a .944 save percentage.
Well, the title for this post should really read “Saturday Recap,” as every game from the weekend was squeezed into that day. The teams that needed to took care of business in the ECAC Northeast, while there were some near upsets in the MASCAC. Here’s a look at a busy Saturday for both conferences.
ECAC Northeast
Nichols 4, Suffolk 1: A good win for a Bisons team that has now won both its conference games this month in a quest to jump up the standings. Nichols jumped out to a 2-0 lead early and made it 3-1 once Suffolk got on the board. Jacob Rinn turned away 33 shots for the Bisons, while the Rams’ Jeff Rose stopped 41. Nichols evens it’s conference record at 3-3, while Suffolk falls to 1-5 and is tied with Salve Regina for last in the ECAC Northeast.
Johnson and Wales 8, Western New England 2: The Wildcats rebounded from their lone conference loss Wednesday to Nichols to move to 5-1 and hold on to the top spot in the ECAC Northeast. Jeremiah Ketts had a hat trick for JWU, increasing his goal total to 13 on the season. Ketts is tied with Nichols’ Zach Kohn for first in the conference in points, as each has 28 on the season.
Curry 5, Salve Regina 3: The Colonels kept pace with JWU, although it wasn’t easy. Salve Regina led 2-1 after one and grabbed a 3-2 lead in the second period Jacob Hutt’s second goal of the game. Curry went ahead 4-3 on Ray Nicks’ goal late in the second and finally sealed it with an empty-netter in the waning seconds of the game.
MASCAC
Salem State 5, Framingham State 5: One of the shockers of the weekend saw Salem State rally back from a two-goal deficit twice. The Vikings were down 4-2, thanks to two goals by the Rams’ Daniel Miressi, but Salem State’s Derek Crocker added two goals of his own to tie the game after two. Miressi’s third goal of the game gave Framingham State a 5-4 lead at 13:12 in the third, but Crocker again answered in kind, tallying his own hat trick and tying the game at 19:38.
Westfield State 3, Fitchburg State 3: A symmetrical game saw each team score exactly one goal in each period, with Westfield State’s final goal coming at 19:35 in the third to send the game to overtime. Ian Wilson stopped 32 shots for the Owls, while Robert Vorse turned away 30 for the Falcons.
Massachusetts-Dartmouth 3, Worcester State 0: A matchup of two defensive-minded teams saw neither one get on the board until the final period, when the Corsairs’ Joe Hill broke the deadlock at 10:52. Hill added an empty-netter to cap the scoring at 19:47. Collin Tracy turned away 28 shots for the shutout, while the Lancers’ Brian Kalcynski made 31 saves.
“We played one of our better games of the season,” UMD head coach John Rolli told the school’s official website after the game. “We needed a turnaround game after losing our last two and it was a real will-to-win effort.”
Weekly Honors
MASCAC
Player of the Week: Daniel Miressi, Framingham State. Collected five goals and an assist for six points in a 1-0-1 week for Rams, including a hat trick and helper in a 5-5 draw with Salem State to go with a pair of tallies in a 3-2 triumph at Worcester State.
Goalie of the Week: Terence Sullivan, Framingham State. Posted a win and tie while making 93 saves for .930 saves percentage in 1-0-1 week for Rams, including 46 stops in a 5-5 draw with Salem State to go with 47 saves in 3-2 victory at Worcester State.
Click here to view the full release, courtesy of the MASCAC.
The topsy-turvy world of the two interlocking conferences continued this weekend, with yet again more surprises in the games’ outcomes.
There were only a handful of 2-0-0 teams on the weekend, including Castleton, which at 15-2-0 isn’t surprising anyone with its play at home or on the road. Even Middlebury’s first four-point weekend of the season wasn’t a question of if in most people’s minds, but more a when, they get it together. The Beacons of Massachusetts-Boston aren’t really a surprise anymore when they pick up a couple of wins on the weekend, so after surviving an OT thriller with Southern Maine, the win over pesky UNE was icing on the cake. Three other teams are heading into the final weekend in January with some new-found confidence and strong play that may surprise some other opponents moving into February.
Colby went 2-0-0 this weekend with wins over Tufts and Connecticut College. On Friday night, the White Mules scored three unanswered goals, including an empty-netter to overcome an early 3-2 deficit and earn the win. Will Hartigan paced Colby with two goals, including the game tying effort in the third period.
On Saturday, a shootout with Tufts found Colby trailing 2-1 after the first, only to tie the game in the second period and score three more in the third for the convincing 5-2 win over the Jumbos. Five different players scored for Colby in Saturday’s victory, showcasing some of the depth on the roster.
In Middletown, Conn., there must be something in the water for coach Chris Potter’s team, who continued their mastery of opponents from Vermont by sweeping highly-ranked Norwich and St. Michael’s to capture four much-needed points.
On Friday night, the Cardinals played a bit of rope-a-dope, being outshot 49-20 by the Cadets, only to score four goals on five shots in the second period and take control of the game on the way to a 5-2 win.
On Saturday, the Cardinals, who have been offensively challenged, upped the ante and put a six-spot on the Purple Knights in posting a 6-2 win. Both goaltenders (Matt Hadge and Gleen Stowell) picked up wins over the weekend and held the opponents off the scoresheet until the third period after their teammates had already inflicted the damage. The Cardinals have been playing solid defense, so the offensive breakout couldn’t come at a better time for a team that would love to move up from it’s eighth position in the standings.
Coach Neil Sinclair’s Skidmore squad has been battling to get some wins strung together all season, having entered the weekend at 3-10-2 overall. On Friday night, the Thoroughbreds caught a banged up Amherst squad at the right time and didn’t let up after building a 3-0 lead early in the third period. Colin Bessey out-dueled Cole Anderson in goal and a late flurry didn’t derail Skidmore, who posted the 3-2 win.
On Saturday, Skidmore traveled to face Hamilton and after a wild first period that saw Hamilton build a 3-0 lead in the first seven minutes, the Thoroughbreds owned the rest of the scoring for the game.
Three goals, two on the power play, tied the game at 3-3., the last goal by Zach Menard coming with just 18 seconds remaining on the clock. Things quieted down without any scoring in the second period, but midway through the third period, Julian Malakorn scored the game-winner in the 4-3 win.
Colin Bessey entered the game after Hamilton’s opening salvo of goals and shutout the Continentals for the remainder of the contest, stopping 26 shots in the win. If Skidmore can start winning the close ones consistently, they just might surprise a few teams in February.
So clearly the action this year is not for the weak at heart, and as all of the highlighted teams this week have shown, your team is never out of the contest unless they just give it up. Lots more action in store the rest of the way.
Who’s next? Drop the puck!
The final weekend of East-West pod play had the West coming out on top again, but by a closer margin. Pending this evening’s game between Canisius and American International, the West won the weekend 5-3-3, an improvement for the East over last weekend’s 8-1-1 domination by the West pod.
Army was the only East team to come out ahead on net points, taking three of four from visiting Robert Morris. On Friday, the Colonials outshot the Black Knights 44-18, but Army goaltender Ryan Leets stopped all but one to lead Army to a 3-1 win. Robert Morris was able to salvage a 2-2 tie on Saturday.
Rochester Institute of Technology continued to dominate Holy Cross, taking three points in Worsester with a 4-0 win on Friday and a 3-3 tie on Saturday. The Tigers are now 16-1-2 all-time against the Crusaders since moving to Division I.
Air Force was also able to take three points at Connecticut in a pair of close games. The Falcons won 2-1 on Friday and before the teams tied 5-5 in a see-saw affair on Saturday.
Mercyhurst and Bentley split, with the Lakers pounding the Falcons 8-2 on Friday before Bentley turned the tables with a 3-2 victory on Saturday. It was the first win for Bentley since Nov. 27.
The only sweep (so far) of the weekend belonged to Niagara, which continued to roll behind the offense of Bryan Hacyzk. The senior had “only” three goals on the weekend, Hacyzk has been averaging two goals a game over his last five contests. Niagara defeated Sacred Heart 4-2 and 6-2. The two teams continue to move in the opposite direction: Niagara is 6-1 in its last seven games, while Sacred Heart has just one win in its last seven contests.
Finally, Canisus took the first game of a Sunday-Monday series with AIC, 6-4 behind a two-goal performance by senior Cory Conacher, who moved into first on the all-time goal scoring list at Canisius with his 50th and 51st.
Guest analyst Dave Santee had a great week, going 8-1-2 with the results of the today’s Canisius-AIC game pending. It doesn’t matter for our head-to-head match-up though, because Dave and I picked the same result in that game and I’m only 5-3-3 so far. Congrats to Dave, who ended my winning streak at six. I’m now 75-44-16 on the season and 7-5 in head-to-head match-ups with my guests.
Want to challenge me? Drop me a line.
Friday, January 21
Clarkson 2 at Yale 5
Clarkson tested Yale all night, but the Bulldogs broke through with three third-period goals to vanquish the Knights. Freshman Kenny Agostino, junior Brian O’Neill, and seniors Denny Kearney and Chris Cahill (twice) scored for the Elis, who fought through 1-1 and 2-2 ties to get back on the winning track. Senior Ryan Rondeau stopped 21 of 23 shots, besting visiting junior Paul Karpowich (28 stops). Juniors Nick Tremblay and Julien Cayer scored for ‘Tech, which dropped consecutive ECAC games for the second time this season.
Cornell 1 at Colgate 1 (ot)
Sophomore defenseman Jeremy Price scored with only 1:35 remaining to draw Colgate even with the visiting Big Red, ending a team-record nine-game losing skid. The teams combined for 0/5 on the power play, as Raiders freshman Eric Mihalik (18 saves) and Big Red junior Mike Garman (24 saves) took charge. Junior Locke Jillson scored Cornell’s lone goal.
Dartmouth 4 at Union 1
Sophomore Mike Keenan and senior Scott Fleming each scored power-play goals in the game’s first eight minutes to boost the Big Green to a 2-0 lead, and senior Rob Smith’s score two minutes later put Dartmouth in the driver’s seat en route to a 4-1 win. Dartmouth kept Union’s vaunted power play off the board in five advantages, and Dutchmen sophomore Kyle Bodie accounted for Union’s only tally of the night. Sophomore Keith Kinkaid made 29 saves for Union, while junior James Mello countered with 39 in an outstanding performance for the Ivy. Fleming added an empty-net goal with 1:25 to play to give Union its first home loss of the season (10-1-1).
Harvard 2 at Rensselaer 3
The Crimson failed to find the equalizer on either of two late power plays, as RPI escaped with a win despite a single power play (0/1), eight penalty kills (7/8 killed) and 38 shots surrendered. Junior Allen York stood his ground with 36 saves for the Engineers, bolstered by a goal from junior Patrick Cullen and two by senior Chase Polacek. Harvard senior Kyle Richter (13 saves) was supported by the first goals of the season from seniors Michael Del Mauro and Pier-Olivier Michaud, but it wasn’t enough for the frustrated Crimson.
St. Lawrence 1 at Brown 2
Freshman Garnet Hathaway’s fourth goal of the year in the game’s 42nd minute was all junior Mike Clemente (25 saves) needed to boost Brown to its second home win of the year. Junior Jack Maclellan scored his 13th of the year on a first-period penalty shot, after beating freshman d-man Justin Baker, forcing the rookie into a trip. Rookie Matt Weninger stopped 27 of 29, but one goal by sophomore George Hughes wasn’t enough as each team went 0/5 on the power play.
Saturday, January 22
Clarkson 3 at Brown 1
Freshman Matt Wahl scored a power-play goal in the game’s 26th minute, but Clarkson replied with three straight strikes to down Brown. Frosh Jarrett Burton and juniors Mark Borowiecki and Nick Tremblay did the damage for the Golden Knights, who improved to 6-4-1 in league play. Karpowich (30 saves) and Clemente (34 saves, 36 shots) were each stellar in net.
Dartmouth 1 at Rensselaer 5
The Engineers earned a four-point weekend by going 2/6 on the power play, blanking the Big Green on its own five advantages, and holding Dartmouth to 19 shots on goal. Freshman Brock Higgs, sophomore Marty O’Grady, junior Alex Angers-Goulet, and seniors Polacek and Joel Malchuk scored for the ‘Tute, which has rolled off three straight W’s and four of five (4-1-0). York (18 saves) defeated the tandem of Mello (21 saves) and junior Jody O’Neill (five saves), as Dartmouth got its only goal off the blade of freshman Eric Robinson. The loss snapped a four-game winning streak for the Big Green.
Colgate 2 at Cornell 5
Cornell’s special teams ruled the day against Colgate on Saturday, as the Big Red scored power-play (1/6) and shorthanded goals, and smothered the ‘Gate power play (0/8) to take three of four points from its travel partner. Senior Tyler Roeszler scored a hat trick in the win, sophomore Erik Axell notched his first NCAA goal, and junior Sean Collins chipped in as well to win rookie Andy Iles (20 saves) his fourth game of the season. Mihalik stopped 18 of 22, and junior Austin Smith scored each of the Raiders’ goals in the loss. Colgate fell to 0-10-1 in its last 11 games, and 1-17-2 in its last 20.
Harvard 1 at Union 2
Union rookie Mat Bodie broke a 1-1 stalemate with 2:17 remaining to lift Union past Harvard. Crimson senior Michael Biega’s late-first-period power-play goal stood as the only score of the game until nearly midway through the third period, when Union sophomore Jeremy Welsh tied it; Kinkaid made 25 saves in the victory, while Harvard senior Ryan Carroll (40 saves) did all he could as Harvard lost its seventh straight… for the second time this year.
St. Lawrence 1 at Yale 4
The Bulldogs blanked the SLU power play (0/4) and scored on one of their seven advantages, as Rondeau (28 saves) won for the 16th time in 17 games (16-1-0). Agostino scored twice for the Blue, O’Neill potted an empty-netter, and senior blue-liner Mike Matczak tallied the game-winner, while soph Kyle Flanagan’s eighth of the year was all she wrote for the Saints. Weninger saved 32, but got little help in SLU’s lowest-scoring weekend since its mid-October road sweep at the hands of Ferris State.
Unlike last week, this week’s matchup won’t come down to the final game: I win; I win at last!
Prediction precision: Me: 8-1-1 this week, 99-47-16 (.660) overall. So far, this is my best season yet, accuracy-wise.
Benjamin Davis: 5-4-1
Guest guessers: 75-49-13 (.595)
Head to head: Sullivan 7, Guests 4*, 1 tie.
I tend to sprinkle brief, not-quite-blog-worthy updates and facts on my Twitter feed throughout the week, so you should check it out.
No. 12 Hamline grabbed sole possession of first place in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Association standings with its two-game sweep of St. Thomas during the weekend.
Hamline, St. Thomas and Gustavus were locked in a three-way tie for first place with with 10 points each going into the weekend. The No. 15 Gusties (11-6-2, 5-3-2) split their home-and-home series with St. John’s.
Alex Lundbohm led the Pipers (11-3-3, 6-0-2) with a five-point weekend, which included a goal and three assists in Friday’s 6-0 rout. Lundbohm also supplied the game-winning goal in Saturday’s 2-1 victory, while senior Beau Christian stopped 66 of 67 shots, earning his fifth career shutout in Friday’s encounter during the two-game set.
“I thought our team defense and Beau Christian played great,” Hamline Coach Scott Bell said. “Overall, everyone played great team defense.
“You’re going to win a lot of games if you only allow one goal in a weekend.”
In Friday’s contest, defenseman Chris Berenguer scored twice and added an assist as the Pipers opened a 3-0 lead in the first 24 minutes. Geoff Sadjadi replaced Tommies’ starting netminder Tyrone Simcoe (5-3) in the second period.
Tommies forward Andrew Kappers provided the team’s only goal in 120 minutes of play, scoring short-handed at 12:49 of the second in Saturday’s rematch. Rob Vannelli and Rob Philipp assisted on the senior’s sixth goal of the campaign.
St. Thomas (10-9, 5-5) outshot Hamline, 37-22.
“We weren’t hitting the back of the net,” St. Thomas Coach Jeff Boeser told TommieMedia. “Everything else went well. We did a better job of getting pucks through tonight, because last night they blocked a lot of our shots.”
New digs, milestone reached
A change of scenery agreed with Wisconsin-Superior, which pulled off a 3-0 upset over Northern Collegiate Hockey Association leader No. 2 St. Norbert on Thursday. Sophomore center Justin Faryna netted two goals while freshman goalie Drew Strandberg stopped 33 shots to earn his first career shutout. It marked the first time this season the Green Knights had been held scoreless.
Due to ongoing ice-equipment problems at Wessman Arena, the weekend series was moved to University of Minnesota-Duluth’s Amsoil Arena on Thursday and Friday.
In Friday’s rematch, St. Norbert outlasted the hosts in a 5-4 goalfest, as Johan Ryd’s short-handed effort at 14:18 in the third was the game-winner. Ryd (6-13-19) added two assists as he raised his game-deciding goal total to five. Kyle Stroh, Seth Soley, Brandon Longley and Dustin Walz also netted goals for St. Norbert (16-3, 10-2).
The victory also elevated St. Norbert’s Tim Coghlin to the NCHA’s all-time winningest coach. With his 371st NCHA win, Coghlin surpassed Bemidji State’s Bob Peters.
“It’s just a testament to the amount of time I’ve been at St. Norbert and remained in Division III,” Coghlin told the Green Bay Press Gazette.
Jeff Forsythe’s goal with 4:18 left pulled the Yellowjackets (12-6-1, 9-3) to within one, but the team managed only four shots on net during the final 20 minutes. B.J. O’Brien (13-2) made 20 saves to earn the win.
Jesse Junkermeier, Talon Berlando and Faryna also had goals for UW-Wisconsin, which entered Friday’s finale in a first-place tie with St. Norbert.
MCHA gridlock
No. 9 Adrian and No. 11 Milwaukee School of Engineering refused to concede an inch at the MCHA summit, as both schools swept their respective series on the road.
The visiting Bulldogs (13-3-1, 10-1-1) scored three unanswered goals, including Andrew Dovey’s game-winner with 8:10 left, to erase a 3-1 deficit to prevail 4-3 in Friday’s contest. Mike Dahlinger, Brad Houston and Eric Miller also scored for Adrian while senior netminder Brad Fogal made 39 saves. Sam Johnson, Ben DiMarco and Matt Hughes notched goals for the Vikings (9-7-1, 7-5).
In Saturday’s game, Zach Graham, Shawn Skelly and Dovey registered goals for Adrian. Matt Hughes scored Lawrence’s lone goal.
Steven Shaffroth and Michael Soik both had four-point weekends as MSOE (13-3-1, 10-1-1) cruised past hosts Finlandia, 6-1 and 5-1. Soik scored twice in Friday’s rout while Jordan Keizer, Todd Krupa and Bradley Tierney also accounted for Raiders’ goals. Sean Burke replied for the Lions, who were outshot 52-26.
Ben Lauder, Mike Pao, Krupa, Soik and Krupa were goal scorers in Saturday’s matinee, as the Raiders unleashed 49 shots on the Finlandia net. Cameron Goude scored for the Lions (1-15, 1-11).
Connor Toomey (11-3-1) saved 47 of 49 shots to earn wins in both games. The pair of losses extended Finlandia’s losing streak to 11 games.
This is a season through the looking glass, isn’t it?
I’ve been saying all along that Michigan State doesn’t look like a second-to-last place team. It’s hard to argue against parity when the 10th-place team beats the ranked third-place team and the seventh-place team knocks the first-place team out of the top spot, in the same night.
That MSU outscored Miami 7-4 and Ohio State beat Notre Dame 6-1 made me feel as though I were living in some sort of time warp Friday night.
And then the RedHawks shut out the Spartans Saturday, and everything felt normal again. In fact, most of the Spartans who talked after Friday’s game – including Brett Perlini, who had the empty-net goal – joked that they hoped MSU hadn’t used up all its goals in one night.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2TInHwNmuQ
After this past weekend, the traditional CCHA tiers have become more defined, no easy thing this season.
The top
The Wolverines need to send the Buckeyes a muffin basket to thank them for Friday’s results, because keeping Notre Dame to three points in Columbus combined with Michigan’s home sweep of Alaska make UM the top team in the league – where they have a fair chance of remaining, given that they have a game in hand on both second-place Notre Dame and third-place Miami. The Wolverines and Fighting Irish split a pair of games earlier this season, but Miami and Michigan haven’t yet played.
In sweeping the Nanooks in two close games, the Wolverines didn’t feel as though they’d played their best hockey. Goaltender Shawn Hunwick registered his third shutout of the season in Friday’s 2-0 win.
The Wolverines and Nanooks gave fans a terrific game on Saturday. Hunwick again had to stand up during that one, especially during a late, extended five-on-three Alaska advantage. After the game, Carl Hagelin talked about the importance of helping Hunwick a better effort Saturday, and Scooter Vaughan made it pretty clear that the Wolverines are looking to the final stretch in the next few weeks.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTcT-thQerw
I came away from Saturday’s game thinking that Alaska deserved better. They are, as Berenson said Saturday, for real. Their record doesn’t do them justice. Scott Greenham was outstanding in net, and the Alaska defense blocked more shots than I’ve seen blocked in a regular-season game in years.
After the Fighting Irish lost to the Buckeyes Friday, Notre Dame head coach Jeff Jackson expressed specific concern about his players. “Our team right now is a little bit fragile,” said Jackson. “We’ve given up crazy goals in the last couple weeks and months.”
The Irish, playing without captain and goal-scorer Calle Ridderwall, recovered enough to win 4-1 on Saturday. Freshman Anders Lee netted two in that one.
After losing to MSU 7-4 Friday, Miami head coach Enrico Blasi redefined angry, from what I – and anyone else within 50 feet – heard outside the Miami locker room. I didn’t get specifics, but I got the message.
Apparently, so did the RedHawks, who shut out the Spartans 4-0 the following night.
I covered the Friday game, which was fascinating. Miami outperformed Michigan State in every single way except for goal scoring. Perhaps a better way to put that is that Drew Palmisano played incredibly well – especially since he didn’t know he was starting until warm-ups that night – and Miami goaltenders Cody Reichard and Connor Knapp played less well.
Palmisano looked relieved after the game. It was his first start the Spartans lost 4-0 to the Wolverines Jan. 8.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bs8nHb4gzeg
The middle
If the first-place team in the league has 43 points, the second-place team 41, and the third-place team 36, there’s no question that 29 points is a delineating point – and three teams in the league are tied with 29 points each, Ferris State, Northern Michigan and Western Michigan. Ohio State has 28 and Alaska has 27.
I’d say that pretty much defines “middle.”
The Bulldogs lost two close games to the Wildcats in Marquette, signaling FSU’s downward mobility and NMU’s continued climb.
Apparently, Red Berenson wasn’t the only coach not completely pleased with how his team played in a two-game sweep. “I don’t necessarily like the way we won it tonight,” NMU head coach Walt Kyle told the Marquette Mining Journal, but we found a way for big players to make big plays.”
Wildcats Andrew Cherniwchan, Justin Florek and Wade Epp scored in Saturday’s 3-1 win, and Reid Ellingson had 63 saves on the weekend. Florek had a goal in Friday’s 2-1 game, and Jared Brown had the over-time game-winner Friday. The Bulldogs have now lost four in a row.
Western Michigan split points evenly with Lake Superior State in Sault Ste. Marie, but in an unconventional way. The teams tied both nights, with the Broncos taking the extra shootout point after Friday’s 2-2 game, and the Lakers doing so after Saturday’s 4-4 decision.
With the ties, WMU extends the nation’s current longest unbeaten streak to nine games, (5-0-4), although the last three of those games were ties.
For the fifth-place Buckeyes, Cal Heeter (2.32 GAA, .920 SV%) continues to provide steady goaltending, and on nights when OSU can score – like Friday – the Buckeyes are tough to beat.
The Nanooks, now in sixth place, look so much better than their numbers. I can’t say enough about the team defense and the play of Scott Greenham. With one win in four games against the top two teams in the league, this was a tough road trip for Alaska.
The bottom
If 27 through 29 points define the middle, it’s hard to make a case for 22 points as the starting place for the bottom tier, but that’s the way it’s looking this week. That’s what the Lakers have after their split points at home with Western Michigan. The Spartans trail them by two points. If there were more time remaining in the second half, this may not be a fair place to begin the lower tier.
Then there’s Bowling Green. The Falcons have just eight points in conference play and they’re averaging two goals per game; they’ve scored one goal per game in their four contests in this calendar year. BGSU didn’t play this past weekend, and I’m not being mean-spirited by saying that it wouldn’t have made a difference in the standings if they had. It’s math.
Chris Bergeron inherited a very, very challenging situation in Bowling Green.
How did I do?
Exactly as I did the week before: five wins, three losses, two ties.
Last week: 5-3-2 (.600)
Season to date: 83-48-23 (.614)
Well, I called the Irish and Buckeyes to split, but I called the wins on opposite nights. I also called MSU to split with Miami and got that right, thankfully.
There was an unquestioned king of the past week: Boston College. Only the Eagles among all the Hockey East teams claimed every available point.
Nobody else swept. No team went without at least a tie.
With wins over arch-rival Boston University and Massachusetts-Lowell, BC moved into first place. Sort of. The Eagles now lead New Hampshire by two points, true enough, but UNH holds three games in hand. That says advantage - UNH.
The Wildcats scored a dramatic overtime win against Providence, rallying from a 3-0 deficit before getting the Paul Thompson game-winner 4:14 into the OT. The Wildcats couldn’t make it 2-for-2 on the weekend, however, losing to BU one night later, 2-1.
Speaking of the Terriers, that win kept them from going 0-for-3 on the week. Prior to the big win over UNH, the Terriers lost a mid-week game to Merrimack, 3-2, and then a Friday contest by the same score to BC. With the one win, BU holds onto a tenuous grasp of third place, one point ahead of Maine but conceding two games in hand.
Maine tied its only game of the week, 3-3, at Northeastern. The Huskies also shut out Harvard, 3-0, in a nonconference mid-week tilt. They remain a long shot to get home ice but are playing much more like the tough opponent people expected at the beginning of the year.
Merrimack suffered the most disappointing split, toppling BU on Tuesday only to lose at home on Friday to last-place Lowell. The two former Merrimack Valley rivals have played many heated games over the years, but this one on paper was supposed to go to the Warriors.
The River Hawks couldn’t savor that win for too long even though it broke a 13-game losing streak, because BC beckoned one night later and the Eagles took care of business.
Vermont and Massachusetts completed the most conventional of splits, being the only two teams that played against the each other both nights. The Catamounts squeaked out a 2-1 win on Friday before the Minutemen came back to trounce them one night later, 6-0.
Providence had undoubtedly the least satisfying “split” of all the teams. On Friday, the Friars surrendered the aforementioned 3-0 lead over UNH and lost in the final minute of overtime. They did come back on Sunday to defeat the US Under-18 team, but exhibitions are exhibitions. No points in the standings; no effect on the PairWise.
So for fans of every team but BC this past week it was a case of half-empty or half-full.
This post is brought to you by the letters M and N and the number 11.
(Take a guess where I am right now. Brr.)
In which we had the weekend of the split sweep, save the UND/UNO series. But we’ll get to that.
Colorado College swept Alabama-Huntsville
– Raise your hands if you were surprised about this.
*Looks around*
Didn’t think so.
– Thanks to Michael Morin’s second period goal on Saturday and Mike Boivin’s four point weekend, every CC skater now has at least one point on the season. I say skater since second- and third-string goaltenders Tyler O’Brien and Josh Thorimbert are still pointless.
– Speaking of whom, Tyler O’Brien saw his first regular season appearance on Friday when he started the third period.
Wisconsin swept Minnesota State
– In which the Mavericks fall further in league standings, and their nice little run falls apart.
– Shane Frederick of the Mankato Free Press had an interesting stat in his blog – in MSU’s last six WCHA games, they’re 0-5-1. Four of those losses were by one goal; the fifth was by two goals as a result of an empty-netter.
– Which says the Mavericks are close in league play, but not close enough to matter.
– Saturday’s win extended UW’s unbeaten streak at home to 10 games – its longest home win streak at the Kohl Center.
– The sweep also moved the Badgers into sole position of fifth place in the league.
Minnesota-Duluth swept Michigan Tech
– Again, like CC/UAH, really no surprise there.
– The Huskies were able to hang with the Bulldogs for the first period on Friday, and then the game fell apart for them.
– The weekend was good for the UMD goaltenders – two straight shut-outs.
– UMD’s Justin Fontaine is now in the top 25 of UMD’s career scoring list.
St. Cloud State swept Bemidji State
– This weekend meant four huge points for the Huskies, who are now one point out of (a tie for) home ice.
– Conversely, it makes for a much harder struggle for Bemidji, as they have five more weekends left to try and gain some ground.
– Friday made for a tough loss for the Beavers, as SCSU’s Nic Dowd netted the game-winner with a mere 28.5 seconds remaining in overtime.
– Speaking of Nic Dowd, the freshman has quietly put together a decent rookie campaign (4g, 11a) and is the fourth leading scorer on the team.
Denver swept Alaska-Anchorage
– With how well the Seawolves have been playing, this series was disappointing for them.
– Friday’s game was a back-and-forth affair with tons of momentum changes and really, could have gone either way.
– An interesting stat that was shown at Magness Arena was that DU’s unbeaten streak going into the weekend was 3-0-3 … interesting, because 303 is Denver’s area code. (har-de-har, i know).
– Saturday’s game, though I wasn’t there, sounded like it was at least some of the same – from the Denver Post‘s Mike Chambers’ blog:
Pioneers go from a 1-0 deficit to a 3-1 lead in the final four minutes of the first period, then survive a second-period Alaska-Anchorage barrage after captain Kyle Ostrow made it 4-1 early in the frame.
– Also a fun stat from Chambers – All of freshman Jason Zucker’s 17 goals this season have come in league contests.
North Dakota and Nebraska-Omaha split
– Let’s play the “raise your hand” game again … who expected UNO to be up 7-1 on the Sioux after two periods?
– Granted, the Sioux came back somewhat in the third, but their rally was stopped by senior Joey Martin’s first career hat trick.
– One thing you might not have noticed: I’ll copy from the Omaha World Herald‘s Chad Purcell’s blog:
College hockey’s new penalty-delay rule — which awards a team a power play even when they score on the penalty delay — had a big impact on this weekend’s games. On Friday, it contributed to UNO’s five-goal outburst in the second period. On Saturday, it helped the Sioux swing momentum their way in a flash after the Mavs went ahead 1-0.
– Just go look at Friday’s box score and look at the second period – PPG, PPG 5×3, GWG EAG PPG, PPG 5×3. Insane.
– Other interesting facts from Friday’s game, courtesy of the Grand Forks Herald‘s Brad Schlossman:
– It was the first time UND lost a game by more than one goal since October … Last time UND lost by four was in October 2006 … Last time UND gave up eight goals at home was in March 1992.
– Saturday, though, showed a possible step in the right direction for UND getting back on track after, as a commenter mentioned this week, a few disappointing outings.
Photographer Erica Treais captured these images Saturday at Munn Ice Arena:
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Isabel Menard has a knack for boiling hockey down to its basics, just as she has a nose for the net. Both involve the simplest route: straight to the heart, and pity the poor defenseman who gets in her way.
While the sophomore sniper from Syracuse has talent to burn, it’s her motor that makes her such an explosive performer.
“I’m doing this because I like it,” said Menard, as she and rest of the Orange prepared to head out for a two-game set at Niagara. “It’s going to be challenging. But a hockey player has to be committed like that. If you’re really passionate, you’re going to do anything and everything to be better. Balancing school and hockey can be pretty tough sometimes. But you’ve got to manage your time.”
Somehow, the Ottawa native majoring in inclusive education manages to get it all done. She burst onto the scene as a freshman, racking up 15 goals and setting up 22 others, and earned the CHA’s Rookie of the Year honors.
Nice, she said, but not nice enough for her.
“I always want to improve,” Menard said. “Nothing’s enough for me. I changed the way I trained this summer. Getting on the ice two or three times a week. To help with balance, agility, and quickness. And eating well. You should have a great year, and hopefully it continues.”
Oh, it has all right. Menard is on pace to blow past last year’s totals, while helping the Orange stay competitive in the CHA, even with national power Mercyhurst blocking the way at the top of the league standings.
“I really want to make sure I do something every shift that will help my team,” she said. “That’s a big key for me. If you think too much, you get mixed up, and that gets you off your game. Just keep it simple and set some goals.”
One item on her list was to log some time in international competition.
She accomplished that in fine style, helping Canada’s National U-22 team capture the MLP Cup in Switzerland earlier this month.
Menard scored twice in the gold medal game against Sweden to give Canada its second consecutive title.
“It was a great experience for me”, she said. “I really liked it. The competition wasn’t that great. But I think my team had a great bond.”
Having stowed the gold into her carry-on bag, Menard hustled back to help her “other team” sweep Robert Morris in two games last weekend.
If she was feeling any jet lag, she didn’t show it, as Menard set up a goal in the first game, then scored twice (Nos. 12 and 13) in the second.
“The first game was a bit difficult,” she said. “But I adjusted pretty well, and helped my team as best as I could. Either on the score sheet or making plays.”
She can do both and won’t let anyone (or anything) stand in her way. She’s already proven that.
“To be a hockey player,” she said, “you have to have those characteristics. You have to be driven.”
NOTES: Menard credits her family, including twin sister (and Syracuse teammate) Talia, for stoking her puck passions.
“Since I was young,” she said, “I’ve always loved playing hockey. It means getting on the ice and getting better every day. I’ve always thought like that and have always been driven like that. My family is a big hockey family, so that helps.”
Menard said that she and Talia, who occupies a grinder’s role in the Orange forward corps, have always had a way of motivating each other.
“We have different personalities,” Isabel said. “We help each other out a lot. In school and on the ice. We really push each other. It’s not really a competition, because we’re two different style of players. Having her there is kind of special.”
I had to dig back a few posts to find my pick record and then combine it with last week’s picks, a seemingly simple task turned into a challenge for the mathematically impaired. By my count, I’m sitting at 57-35 entering the weekend, although in the words of one famous politician, that’s some fuzzy math. Here’s a glance at the weekend ahead, along with scores from conference midweek action.
Saturday, Jan. 21
Salem State at Framingham State: Two teams likely headed in the opposite direction this season have been going the opposite direction lately. The Rams gathered their first two wins of the season, going 2-1 over their last three games, while the Vikings are just 1-1-1 over that span. Salem State won handily, 9-1, during the team’s first meeting of the year in December, and should have little trouble this time around. Salem State 7, Framingham State 2
Westfield State at Fitchburg State: Winners of seven of their last eight, Fitchburg State takes on Westfield State, who slid into last place over the past week. The Owls gave UMass-Dartmouth all they could handle last Saturday. It’s too early to play spoiler: Westfield has to start racking up the points in they want grab the last MASCAC playoff spot, but I don’t see that happening against the Falcons. Fitchburg State 5, Westfield State 1
UMass-Dartmouth at Worcester State: A good matchup between two teams who are solid in their own zone and emphasis a grind it out, chippy kind of play. These teams hung together near the top of the standings just a short while ago, but have slowed a bit since the break (UMD is 2-3, while Worcester State is 2-2). The Lancers came up just short against the Corsairs last time out. Look for Worcester State to have the slight edge at home. Worcester State 2, UMass-Dartmouth 1.
Franklin Pierce at Plymouth State: A rare non-conference matchup this weekend. The Panthers still may have some kinks to work out, but a 9-1-5 record is hardly reason for distress. PSU hasn’t lost since the second game of the season, and if they do lose again, it won’t be Saturday. Plymouth State 5, Franklin Pierce 2
Suffolk at Nichols: Both teams need to get some points to move up the conference standings. Nichols thrashed Johnson & Wales earlier in the week, and they’d have to be the favorites here. Nichols 4, Suffolk 2
Johnson & Wales at Western New England: The Wildcats were dealt their first conference loss of the season against Nichols Wednesday. The Wildcats are in a first place tie with idle Becker. Look for them to get back on track in Springfield and secure a spot in first all alone at the end of the weekend. Johnson & Wales 6, Western New England 4
Salve Regina at Curry: After a brutal non-conference schedule, Curry got back on track with a 4-3 win over Wentworth Thursday. The Seahawks have one win on the year and are coming off a 10-0 loss to Connecticut College. Curry 6, Salve Regina 2
Midweek Scores
Wednesday
Nichols 8, JWU 4
Thursday
Curry 4, Wentworth 3
Western New England 6, Suffolk 5
Framingham State 3, Worcester State 2
Fitchburg State 5, Salem State 3
Plymouth State 4, UMass-Darmouth 1
This is the final weekend of inter-pod play with the Eastern and Western scheduling pods squaring off in six two-game series.
Friday, January 21 and Saturday, January 22
Robert Morris at Army – The teams have never met. RMU needs one more win to have its best season ever, and is currently 7-1-2 against teams in the East pod. RMU 4, Army 3; RMU 3, Army 1.
Mercyhurst at Bentley – The Lakers lead the all-time series 24-9-5, but Bentley has only lost three times to Mercyhurst in the last ten meetings between the schools. Still, I think Mercyhurst is starting to hit its stride and will sweep. Mercyhurst 5, Bentley 5; Mercyhurst 3, Bentley 2.
Rochester Institute of Technology at Holy Cross – The Tigers have dominated this series 15-1-1 since moving to Division I. But Holy Cross has the top power play in the league (21.2 %) and RIT is averaging over 20 penalty minutes a game, tops in the nation. I’m going with a split with the Crusaders winning Saturday, as they’ve typically done in series this year at home. RIT 4, Holy Cross 2; Holy Cross 3, RIT 2.
Sacred Heart at Niagara – The Purple Eagles are home for the first time in six week and I think will sweep. Niagara 4, Sacred Heart 3; Niagara 5, Sacred Heart 2.
Air Force at Connecticut – I’m thinking this series will be a split as well, with a pair of young goaltenders playing well. Connecticut 3, Air Force 2; Air Force 4, Connecticut 3.
Sunday January 23 and Monday, January 24
American International at Canisius – I like the Golden Griffins to sweep at home, making it another weekend of West pod teams getting the edge. Canisius 3, AIC 1; Canisius 5, AIC 3.
This week’s guest analyst is David Santee, a former world-class figure skater (World Championships silver medal in 1981 and two Olympics, including 4th place in 1980). He’s the father of Army sophomore forward Mike Santee. Here are his picks:
“The top teams in the West Pod will continue to roll this week as I predict RIT, Robert Morris, and Niagara to sweep their series. The matchup of Air Force’s offense against Garrett Bartus should be good and I predict a Connecticut win Friday night and an Air Force victory on Saturday. Mercyhurst and Bentley will split with Mercyhurst winning Friday, and Canisius will take advantage of their home ice to sweep AIC. On Tuesday, I have both UMass Lowell and Princeton winning at home.”
Check back on Monday to see how David and I did.
