No. 2 Minnesota at No. 1 Wisconsin
Kate Schipper of Minnesota scored on a power play and added an empty netter to take a 2-0 win on Saturday. Dani Cameranesi left the ice early in the third after an awkward fall in the corner. She didn’t play Sunday and is listed as day-to-day with a lower body injury. On Sunday, the Badgers got revenge and earned a series split with an 8-2 win. Sarah Nurse tallied Wisconsin’s first-ever hat trick against Minnesota. Baylee Wellhausen scored twice. It was the first time the Gophers gave up eight goals since 1999.
No. 5 Clarkson vs. No. 3 St. Lawrence (home-and-home)
On Thursday, Ella Shelton scored for Clarkson with just 30 seconds left in the game to tie it up and force overtime. Kennedy Marchment scored twice and Brooke Webster had three assists for St. Lawrence in the 3-3 tie. On Saturday, Clarkson held a 2-0 lead heading in to the final frame before scoring twice in the opening minutes to put the game out of reach. The 4-1 win gives Clarkson sole possession of first place in the ECAC.
Mercyhurst at Lindenwood
Four different players scored for Mercyhurst and Taylor Accursi had three assists as the Lakers won 4-0 on Friday. On Saturday, Taylor Girard scored twice in the third period to lead Lindenwood to a 3-1 win. The Lions were winless until mid-November and now have three wins and a tie in their last six games.
Boston University at Connecticut
Sammy Davis, Nina Rodgers, and Mary Parker each scored in the second period to lead BU to a 4-1 win on Friday. On Saturday, Connecticut’s Kelly Harris scored a power-play goal to give the Huskies the lead after one. Sammy Davis scored her second of the weekend to even the score in the first few minutes of the second. Marisa Maccario scored a short-handed goal less than a minute later to give Connecticut the 2-1 lead that would hold.
Bemidji State at Minnesota State
On Friday, Emma Terres and Lauren Miller scored for Bemidji en route to a 2-0 win. On Saturday, Sarah Bustad, Emily Anthony, and Anna-Maria Fiegert scored in the first 6:04 of the game to give the Mavericks a lead they would not relinquish. Kiki Radke scored twice for Bemidji, but they could not mount the comeback. Minnesota State hasn’t won two conference games since the 2013-14 season, one of which was against Bemidji on January 4, 2014.
Robert Morris at Penn State
Penn State held a 1-0 lead late into the second period on Saturday, but Robert Morris scored three in a row en route to a 4-2 victory. Aneta Ledlova, Katherine Murphy, and Amber Pantaleo each had a goal and an assist for the Colonials. On Sunday, Penn State scored four times in the third period to try to mount a comeback, but could not close it out. Every time the Nittany Lions closed the deficit to a single goal, Robert Morris responded. Laura Bowman scored three times for Penn State and Jaycee Gebhard had two goals and an assist in the 6-5 win for the Colonials. Robert Morris is undefeated in its last 11 games.
Vermont at No. 10 Northeastern
On Saturday, Victoria Andreakos scored for Vermont with 53 seconds left in the third period to force overtime and Alyssa Gorecki scored just over a minute into the extra frame to give the Catamounts their first win over Northeastern since Nov. 23, 2013. On Sunday, the teams traded goals and headed to overtime tied 2-2. Eve-Audrey Picard secured the win for Vermont. It’s the first time in program history that the Catamounts have upset three ranked teams in a season.
No. 9 North Dakota at Ohio State
Despite outshooting Ohio State 43-23 in the game, North Dakota and the Buckeyes tied 1-1. Goals from freshmen Ryleigh Houston and Emma Nuutinen gave the Fighting Hawks the shootout win and extra conference point. Houston scored NoDak’s lone goal. On Saturday, Ohio State got two goals from freshman third-liners Samantha Bouley and Rebecca Freigburger to take a 2-1 win over the Fighting Hawks. OSU goalie Kassidy Sauve made 85 saves on the weekend.
Harvard at No. 7 Colgate
Val Turgeon, Haley Mullins, and Lexie Laing each scored for the Crimson in the third period to give them a 3-2 lead, but Colgate pulled goalie Julia Vandyk with :29 to go in the game and it paid off when Jessie Eldridge scored eight seconds later to tie the game. Breanne Wilson-Bennett scored twice for Colgate.
The rest of the top 10
No. 8 Quinnipiac 4 at Union/Rensselaer
Quinnipiac swept a weekend road trip while only giving up one goal, defeating Union 4-0 and Rensselaer 6-1. Emma Woods scored four goals against RPI and one against Union.
No. 4 Minnesota-Duluth at St. Cloud State
Minnesota-Duluth swept St. Cloud State, 3-0 and 3-2. Maddie Rooney made 15 saves in the shutout Friday and 17 on Saturday, stopping 12 in the third when the Huskies mounted a furious comeback attempt.
No. 7 Colgate 2, Dartmouth 1
Julia Vandyk made 22 saves as Colgate edged Dartmouth.
No. 6 Boston College 8, Providence 0
Katie Burt made 17 saves and Toni Ann Miano and Erin Connolly each had two goals as Boston College rolled past Providence.
No. 3 Middlebury at No. 9 Connecticut College
On Friday, Connecticut College scored three times in the first period to earn a 3-1 win. Julie Beattie, Anna Bleck, and Katlyn Paiva had the goals for the Camels. On Saturday, Connecticut College had a 1-0 lead through most of the first two periods, but Middlebury scored three unanswered to split the series with a 3-1 win of their own. Jessica Young scored twice for Middlebury.
Becker at Nichols
On Friday, juniors Ariana Dembro and Amanda Moquin scored their first collegiate goals for Nichols en route to a 2-2 tie. On Saturday, Nichols scored twice in the second and added two power-play goals in the third to win 4-1. Claudia Gee scored twice for Becker. This series was the first ever meeting between these teams.
Stevenson at Johnson & Wales
Stevenson snapped a three-game losing streak thanks to an overtime goal by Maddy Ricci. The teams played three scoreless periods with the Mustangs, outshooting Johnson & Wales 43-15.
No. 6 Norwich at No. 2 Elmira
Elmira was leading 2-0 with seven minutes to go in regulation thanks to goals from Rachel Grampp and Johanna Eidensten, but Norwich tied the game with just :30 to go on a goal from Adrienna Rossini. Overtime wasn’t enough to decide a winner and the game finished 2-2.
St. Anselm at Bowdoin
Bowdoin jumped out to a 2-0 lead just three minutes into the second period, but Maura Kieft, assisted by Kaitlyn Spillane, scored twice to pull St. Anselm even and the teams tied 2-2.
William Smith at Massachusetts-Boston
William Smith had the lead twice, but Massachusetts-Boston’s Kaleigh Beauregard scored a power-play goal with eight minutes to go to force overtime. Kateri McClellan banked in a shot off the post from the blue line with less than a minute left in the extra period to give the Beacons the 3-2 win.
Rest of the Top 10
No. 5 Adrian 5 vs. Marian
Adrian swept a two-game series against Marian by scores of 5-2 and 6-1, with Brooke Lupi scoring twice Friday and Kristin Lewicki doing the same Saturday.
Lake Forest vs. Finlandia
The Foresters easily swept Finlandia, 10-1 and 9-1. Kayla Griffith and Olivia Spellmire each had a hat trick Friday, while Allie Girard had a hat trick Saturday.
No. 4 Wisconsin-River Falls 9, Wisconsin-Superior 0
No. 10 Augsburg 10, St. Olaf 0
1. Penn State really is that good.
The Nittany Lions completed their 10-game home stand by sweeping Michigan in the opening weekend of Big Ten play, 6-1 Thursday and 5-1 Friday. Penn State has one loss this season, and the wins against the Wolverines extended the Nittany Lions’ win streak to 11 games, their unbeaten streak to 13. PSU is still on top of Division I for offense, averaging 4.87 goals per game with a power play that converts at 22.7 percent for eighth best in the nation. PSU’s defense is third nationally, allowing 1.87 goals per game. And the Nittany Lions shoot the puck. Penn State had 106 shots on goal against Michigan in the two games. Guy Gadowsky has always coached his team to shoot at any time, from anywhere. These Nittany Lions, apparently, can score at any time, from anywhere.
2. Ohio State and Minnesota split, and that’s good.
Scoring three goals in a game often means being on the winning end of things, but not in the Ohio State-Minnesota series — not for each team each night, anyway. Both the Buckeyes and the Golden Gophers are also among the top 10 teams nationally in scoring, and each scored a mess of goals in Minneapolis. Minnesota beat Ohio State 5-3 Friday, and the Buckeyes returned the favor with an 8-3 win Saturday. The Buckeyes are second nationally in scoring offense (4.53) and the Gophers are 10th (3.57). Like the Nittany Lions, the Buckeyes are also deep offensively, with nine different players scoring in both games, seven in Saturday’s win. Why is this good? Because it’s a good indication that each of these teams are legitimately competitive this season — and that, along with Penn State’s continued level of play, may be a good indication that the Big Ten’s early, nonleague play may pay off come March.
3. Wisconsin is definitely better, and that is definitely good.
A 3-3 tie and 7-4 loss to Nebraska-Omaha is not necessarily a good weekend for Wisconsin, but relative to recent seasons, a tie against the Mavericks and an overall record of 7-6-1 heading into Big Ten play is definitely a good thing for the Badgers. What wasn’t so good is the way in which Wisconsin allowed Omaha to score in batches. In Friday’s 3-3 tie, the Mavericks led 3-1 at the end of one on two goals scored less than two minutes apart midway through the period plus another scored with less than two minutes before the period ended. Midway through the third period of Saturday’s game, the Badgers netted two of their own within two minutes — but the Mavericks responded with three goals scored between 12:14 and 17:10, then added an empty-net goal for good measure at 19:00. Still, Wisconsin battled back in that first game to overcome a two-goal deficit and take the game to OT.
Bonus note.
Another good sign was Michigan State’s 5-1 exhibition win over the U.S. Developmental team Sunday. What’s looking decidedly bad is Michigan, with its 6-7-1 start to the season.
St. Olaf pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the weekend Saturday, stunning No. 6 Augsburg to salvage a split of its two-game series with the Auggies. Jude Hall racked up 31 saves and Tuukka Totro scored the game-winning goal early in the second period to secure the thrilling win.
The Oles have shown a lot of promise since starting the year 0-4. They are 3-4-1 in their last seven games and are now 3-8-1 overall and 1-5 in the MIAC.
Jonas Fredricksson scored the other goal for the Oles, who lost the opener to Augsburg by a 4-2 score. St. Olaf has just one game remaining before its holiday break as it battles Wisconsin-Stout on Saturday before getting a 27-day break.
Augsburg had its nine-game unbeaten streak snapped in the loss. The Auggies are now 8-1-1 overall and 3-1 in the MIAC.
Below is a look at some of the other action from around the western conferences over the weekend.
MIAC
Concordia came through with a crucial sweep of Saint Mary’s, winning 5-1 and 3-2 against a Cardinals team that entered the weekend in first place in the conference. Goalie Sam Nelson played a key role in Saturday’s win. He stopped 38 shots and improved to 4-2 on the season. Nelson, only a freshman, has won its last three games. Bryan Kronberger scored the game-winner late in the second period to break a 2-2 tie and give Concordia the lead for good. Jon Grebosky and Jeremy Johnson both scored for the Cobbers as well.
The Cobbers were particularly tough in penalty kill situations, holding the Cardinals to 1-for-9 showing on the night. Concordia, which won the opener Friday by a 5-1 score thanks to a pair of goals from Jordan Krebsbach, has now won three of its last four games and is in a tie for fourth place in the conference with nine points. Concordia is 6-4 overall and 3-1 in the league.
Saint Mary’s fell to 5-4-2 overall and 4-2 in the MIAC.
St Thomas continued its hot streak against Hamline, sweeping its series with a pair of wins over the Pipers. The Tommies won 3-2 on Friday and capped the series Saturday with a 6-4 win to move into first place in the conference standings.
Friday’s game was memorable in part because coach Jeff Boeser won the 100th game of his career at St. Thomas.
In Saturday’s finale, Benjamin Meyers came through with 37 saves and six different players scored goals as the Tommies stretched their unbeaten streak to seven games. They are 5-0-2 during the stretch. Michael Dockry and Brian LeBlanc each scored a goal and dished out two assists to pave the way Saturday, helping St. Thomas push its record to 6-2-3 overall and 5-1 in the conference.
In the series opener, Dockry and Brett Gravelle both scored in a span of 13 seconds in the second period to give St. Thomas a 2-1 lead.
Hamline falls to 6-3-2 overall and to 3-3 in the league.
NCHA
St. Norbert got all it could handle from Lawrence in a two-game NCHA series. The Green Knights and Vikings played to a 1-1 tie on Friday before St. Norbert earned a 2-1 win in the finale.
Nick Felan scored a goal late in the third period for Lawrence on Friday to tie the game at 1-1. Evan Cline made sure the Green Knights didn’t pull out the win in overtime as he stopped five shots in the extra session to secure the tie. Chris Rygus scored the lone goal for St. Norbert.
In Saturday’s showdown, Brad Pung scored with 12:04 left in the third to give the Green Knights a 2-1 advantage. The Vikings had jumped in front 1-0 on a goal by Mikkel Joehnk but the Green Knights tied the game on a goal by Jeremy Olinyk. Neither team scored in the second period. St. Norbert improved to 9-2-1 and is 6-1-1 in the NCHA. Lawrence fell to 3-6-1 overall and to 3-2-1 in the league.
Marian had an impressive showing in its two-game series with St. Scholastica. The Sabres skated to a 4-3 win Friday and wrapped up the weekend with a 4-2 win. On Saturday, Hunter Stewart broke a 2-2 tie in the second to give the Sabres the lead for good. Jake Howie stretched the lead to 4-2 in the third. Mike Baldwin racked up 28 saves to nail down the win. He is 4-4-1 on the year.
Marian, which scored the first three goals in Friday’s win to take control, takes a two-game win streak into its holiday break. The Sabres won’t play again until they hit the road for a battle with Wisconsin-Eau Claire on the final day of 2016.
St. Scholastica falls to 4-5 overall and to 3-3 in the NCHA. Brandon Millin and Brett Radford both scored for the Saints in Saturday’s game.
WIAC
Wis.-Eau Claire started off WIAC play with a pair of wins, rolling to a 7-3 win over Wisconsin-Stout on Thursday and topping Wisconsin-River Falls 3-1 Saturday. The Blugolds pushed their win streak to six games with the wins and stand at 8-1-2 overall.
Against Wis.-River Falls, Jake Hopfner broke a 1-1 tie in the second and Mac Jansen added an insurance goal in the period. The goal by Hopfner was his fourth of the season. Jansen pushed his team-leading goal total to nine. Jay Deo earned his eighth win of the year in goal, stopping 20 shots. Christian George scored the lone goal for the Falcons, tallying a goal off the power play in the second.
On Thursday, Garrett Clement and Jansen each scored twice for the Blugolds.
Wisconsin-Stevens Point dominated the competition in the first weekend of conference play, recording a pair of shutouts. The Pointers blanked Wis.-River Falls 3-0 Friday and cruised to a 4-0 win over Wisconsin-Superior on Saturday.
In Saturday’s win over Wis.-Superior, Jacob Barber came through with a goal and an assist as the Pointers improved to 8-2-1 on the year. The goal by Barber was his eighth of the year. Ryan Bittner and Jono Davis both scored off the power play for the Pointers and Eliot Grauer also came through with a goal for Wis.-Stevens Point. Max Milosek was impressive in goal, stopping 22 shots to record his second shutout of the season. He has four shutouts in his career.
The Pointers improved to 5-0 at home on Friday with its win over Wis.-River Falls. Milosek made 15 saves and also got credit for an empty-net goal thanks to a delayed penalty in the third. He is the first goalie in league history to get credit for a goal. Grauer scored an empty-net goal as well for the Pointers in the win over the Falcons.
It doesn’t matter when the game is scheduled because it is possible to make a strong statement with some selected wins even as the first half wraps-up play in early December. Case in point, Norwich took on nationally ranked competitors for the top of the league standings in Massachusetts-Boston and Babson this past weekend and took two important wins, solidifying its position at the top of the standings. Elsewhere, Buffalo State made a statement of its own in knocking off a Geneseo team that had previously been unbeaten in conference play.
Here is the wrap-up for the first weekend in December as most teams get ready to shut it down for the semester.
CCC
Salve Regina was handed its first loss in conference play on Wednesday night as Wentworth upset the Seahawks by a 3-2 score, with Leopards goalie Kenny Graham earning his first win making 34 saves in the effort. The Seahawks bounced back on Saturday, taking down in-state rival Johnson & Wales by a 6-1 score. Six different players scored for the Seahawks, including a short-handed tally by Joseph Yeadon.
The game of the week though was between Western New England and Becker. WNE was on a high after being the surprise winner of the Rutland Herald Invitational over Thanksgiving and had rallied from a two-goal deficit with four unanswered goals, including three in 67 seconds, to take a 4-2 lead with just under three minutes remaining in regulation time. That is when the Hawks executed one of the more improbable comebacks of the season. Connor Merrick scored a power-play/extra-attacker goal with 90 seconds remaining in regulation and then Brandon Morgan tied the game with just 25 seconds remaining and the goalie again pulled for the extra skater. Morgan wasn’t done quite yet as he scored the game-winner just less than two minutes into overtime for the amazing 5-4 win.
ECAC West
The most interesting match-up of the weekend was a nonconference two-game series between Hobart and Skidmore from the NEHC. Friday night’s game lived up to its billing with an amazing finish. After two scoreless periods of play, Hobart’s Lawson McDougall gave the visitors a 1-0 lead just five minutes into the third period. Skidmore’s Anthony Bird again displayed his clutch level of play, scoring to tie the game with the Thoroughbreds net empty and just 0.5 seconds remaining on the clock. So on to overtime, where Nick Bingaman scored the game-winner and Alexander Connal, who only played in goal for the Statesmen in the overtime session, picked up the win in relief of Frank Oplinger. Saturday’s return engagement was also close and entertaining with two special teams’ goals scored 10 seconds apart in the second period — a power-play goal for Hobart followed 10 seconds later by Adam Moodie’s short-handed goal for Skidmore. This one also went to overtime but finished in a 2-2 tie.
MASCAC
Plymouth State took two wins over the weekend, fighting off a pesky Worcester State team on Thursday night by a 4-2 score that wasn’t decided until the final 30 seconds of play. The Panthers followed up that home win with a solid 6-3 road win over Westfield State with both Michael Economos and Chris Zuccaro recording two goals and two assists apiece in the come-from-behind win.
NE-10
The Southern New Hampshire Penmen took the battle of Manchester, New Hampshire, with a 3-2 win over rival St. Anselm on Tuesday night despite being outshot by a 49-32 margin. Ryan Slatky made 47 saves in the 3-2 win that saw SNHU’s Timothy Baylis score short-handed in the final two minutes of regulation for the win.
NEHC
Congratulations to Norwich coach Mike McShane, who picked up his 700th career win in his long and esteemed coaching career. The Cadets took care of business on home ice against two of their biggest rivals in knocking off Massachusetts-Boston on Friday by a score of 6-2 and shutting out Babson on Saturday 2-0. Kevin Salvucci and Paul Russell scored two goals apiece in Friday’s win while Tyler Piacentini broke open a scoreless game with two third-period goals to help the Cadets earn a weekend sweep and avenge last season’s road losses on the same weekend entering the final weekend of play in the first half.
NESCAC
Looking at the standings following the weekend, the biggest question is what is most surprising: the three teams at the top or winless Middlebury at the bottom? The Panthers extended their losing streak to six games following losses to Connecticut College and Tufts in their first home games of the season.
Meanwhile, Evan Buitenhuis and the Hamilton Continentals are rolling with two key road wins over Trinity and Wesleyan by scores of 4-1 and 2-0. Buitenhuis stopped 45 of 46 shots in the win on Friday night against the Bantams and then picked up the shutout against the Cardinals with 28 saves in the 2-0 win.
SUNYAC
Buffalo State has kicked its game into high gear, posting a nonconference win over Nazareth on Tuesday before sweeping conference games against Brockport and previously unbeaten Geneseo by matching 4-1 scores. Mac Wood led the way with two goals in the win over Brockport, while Zach Nieminen scored a pair in the win over the Knights. Goalie Mike DeLaVergne picked up the wins to move to 7-1-1 on the season for the Bengals.
Three Biscuits
Evan Buitenhuis, Hamilton: The Continentals goaltender stopped 45 of 46 shots on Friday night, backstopping Hamilton to a 4-1 road win over Trinity. Buitenhuis was at his best in the first period, making 18 saves while his teammates scored three power-play goals for an insurmountable 3-0 lead.
Trevor Fleurent, University of New England: The first repeat biscuit winner had an amazing game in just the first period of the Nor’easters 8-0 win over Suffolk on Thursday night. Fleurent scored four goals in the first 20 minutes, including his first at the 30-second mark and his fourth with just over 30 seconds remaining on the clock. He later assisted on Dylan Bengston’s goal for five points in the first half of the game.
Darren McCormick, Cortland: The Red Dragons forward wasted no time in scoring the game’s first goal just seven seconds after the opening faceoff and then added the ultimate game-winner just three minutes into the second period as Cortland knocked off Utica by a score of 4-2.
While Oswego remains unbeaten, some other teams that were off to fast starts are struggling to end the semester.
These are the three things I think I learned this weekend.
1. New Hampshire may just be for real.
Yeah, I get it. The Wildcats’ overall record is just two games over .500, and the collective Hockey East record of the league teams they’ve beaten is an ugly 4-14-5. So we’ll see how they do when they face the iron of the league. But 5-1-1 is still a heck of a league record, I don’t care who you’ve played.
And sweeping a rival like Maine, including a game in its barn, is never easy.
One more thing. Ya know, that Tyler Kelleher kid is pretty good. (No headline news there.) His game-winner on Friday night reminded me of the classic Kris Kolanos goal in overtime of the 2001 national championship game. Just a gorgeous goal. Any time Kelleher is on the ice, he’s a threat.
2. Connecticut slays another giant.
Don’t look now, but UConn is quickly becoming another Hockey East team to be reckoned with. While the Huskies’ league record is a middle-of-the-pack 3-3-2, and they’re a game under .500 overall, you need to look at the giants they’ve toppled.
UConn split at #12 Notre Dame, split with #6 Boston University, and this past weekend took three-of-four from #4 Massachusetts-Lowell.
That’s called holding serve and then some with the big boys.
3. Massachusetts is making positive strides.
The Minutemen aren’t going to be challenging for home ice this year, and they do have only two wins out of their last 11. But one of those came on Friday against #12 Notre Dame, and the game before this weekend’s series with the Irish was a 2-2 tie with #19 St. Lawrence.
So while the best for UMass will be further down the road in future years, the signs are encouraging for this season as well.
1. And down goes Bemidji!
It took 14 games — exactly halfway into the conference season — but someone finally beat Bemidji State. Michigan Tech, behind 17 saves from Angus Redmond and a late game-winning goal by Mike Neville, topped the Beavers 2-1 on Saturday night in Houghton. The win helped the Huskies earn the split after BSU’s Michael Bitzer made 26 saves in the Beavers’ 3-1 win on Friday. It was a significant win for Tech, helping them stay eight points behind BSU in the league standings. (A Bemidji win would have put the Beavers up 14 points instead of eight). So while BSU’s lead is significant, Tech still remains in striking distance with half of their games left to play.
2. Seawolves finally get a league win
Last-place Alaska Anchorage hasn’t had a whole lot of success this season, but a series against ninth-place Northern Michigan gave them a perfect opportunity. Behind a season-high five goals, the Seawolves beat the Wildcats 5-3 in Anchorage. Jonah Renouf, Jarrett Brown, Matt Anholt, Chase Van Allen and Connor Wright all scored for UAA, as the Seawolves earned their first conference victory — and first since a 1-0 win over Canisius in October. The Wildcats won 4-1 on Saturday but the win cut NMU’s lead to just one point (seven to six) in the standings. UAA, too, has played 10 games — fewest of anyone in the WCHA.
3. Goals galore in Mankato
Minnesota State and Alaska combined for 20 goals in two games over the weekend — 10 each on Friday (7-3 MSU win) and Saturday (a 5-5 tie that ended with a Nanooks shootout victory). Marc Michaelis had a hat trick for MSU Friday — part of a seven point weekend — while Alaska’s Chad Staley scored twice Saturday to help the Nanooks earn the tie.
Here is a rundown of how the top 20 teams in the USCHO.com Division I Men’s Poll of Nov. 28 fared over the Dec. 1-4 weekend.
No. 1 Minnesota-Duluth – was idle
No. 2 Denver – swept Colorado College
No. 3 Boston College – defeated Northeastern on Nov. 29, lost to No. 9 North Dakota
No. 4 Massachusetts-Lowell – lost to, tied Connecticut
No. 5 Quinnipiac – defeated Rensselaer, lost to No. 18 Union
No. 6 Boston University – defeated, tied Providence
No. 7 Penn State – swept No. 20 Michigan
No. 8 Harvard – defeated No. 19 St. Lawrence, defeated Clarkson
No. 9 North Dakota – defeated No. 3 Boston College
No. 10 Ohio State – split with No. 11 Minnesota
No. 11 Minnesota – split with No. 10 Ohio State
No. 12 Notre Dame – split with Massachusetts
No. 13 Bemidji State – split with Michigan Tech
No. 14 Vermont – was idle
No. 15 Minnesota State – defeated, tied Alaska
No. 16 Western Michigan – lost to, tied No. 17 St. Cloud State
No. 17 St. Cloud State – defeated, tied No. 16 Western Michigan
No. 18 Union – defeated Princeton, defeated No. 5 Quinnipiac
No. 19 St. Lawrence – lost to No. 8 Harvard, defeated Dartmouth
No. 20 Michigan – swept by No. 7 Penn State
One statistic stands way, way out in Rochester Institute of Technology’s sweep of Niagara: success with the man advantage. The Tigers scored a whopping eight power play goals in the series, including a school record six in a 7-1 win on Friday. RIT went six for 10 with the man advantage in that one, and followed it up with two more power play goals in five chances in Saturday’s 6-2 victory.
Liam Kerins had three goals on the weekend, two coming on the power play. A trio of Tigers had a pair of goals: freshman Ryan Kruper, junior Myles Powell and senior Danny Smith.
RIT was eight for fifteen on the power play for the series, and saw their national ranking in power play efficiency go from 31st (17.2%) to third (24.1%).
Three of the top five power plays in Division I belong to Atlantic Hockey teams: RIT at third, followed by American International (fourth at 23.9%) and Robert Morris (fifth at 23.7%).
For the first time this season, we had a full weekend of conference play without a series split. Robert Morris and Rochester Institute of Technology earned four points over Sacred Heart and Niagara, respectively.
The other pair of two-game series resulted in three point weekends for Holy Cross over Air Force and Canisius against Bentley.
With the exception of the RIT at Niagara series, the home ice advantage was put to good use, with host teams going 5-2-2 in conference play.
Holy Cross was one goal better than visiting Air Force this weekend, and came away with three big points in a series between teams expected to finish near the top of the standings.
A 2-2 draw on Friday and a 3-2 Crusaders win were typical Air Force vs. Holy Cross games.
The tie on Friday was the 10th time in 29 meetings between the schools since Air Force joined the league ten years ago. Nine of the ten ties have taken place at Holy Cross, where the Falcons are now 7-6-9.
Air Force’s Kyle Haak was the only player to score multiple goals in the series, with both coming on Saturday. Five different Crusaders scored, including Danny Lopez’s game-winner with 12 minutes to play in the third period on Saturday.
“To get three points on a weekend from a team as good as Air Force is a good achievement for any team,” said Holy Cross coach Berard after Saturday’s win. “Air Force plays a physical game and you have to earn everything when you play against them.”
For all its success the last few years, there was one thing the Harvard men’s hockey team hadn’t accomplished: A North Country sweep.
The Crimson beat St. Lawrence and Clarkson last weekend for the program’s first sweep in the North Country since Nov. 2002, when current Harvard coach Ted Donato was still playing in the NHL.
Harvard (8-2-1) scored eleven goals on the weekend and is averaging nearly four-and-half goals per game, good for third in Division 1. That’s more than a full goal above last year’s team’s mark, and that group included Hobey Baker winner Jimmy Vesey.
The Crimson have been especially dangerous on the power play, converting on just over 30 percent of their chances, which is first in the nation.
Freshman defenseman Adam Fox is a large part of that success not only on the power play, but at even strength as well. Fox has given Harvard a puck mover on defense that it lacked last season. The Calgary draft pick has 15 assists in 11 games this season.
The Crimson will carry a three-game winning streak into the holiday break. The Crimson start the second half at home Dec. 30 against Rensselaer.
Union gets four points, but….
It’s not often that college hockey teams get a three-week break in the middle of November, but that’s the situation Union found itself in this season. The Dutchmen lost to Clarkson 3-1 on Nov. 12 and then didn’t play again until Friday night at Princeton.
Union trailed the Tigers 2-1 after one period but then scored five second-period goals en route to a 7-3 win. On Saturday Union trailed Quinnipiac 1-0, but scored three second-period goals and beat the Bobcats 5-2 despite getting outshot 54-17.
“I told [Quinnipiac coach Rand Pecknold] you deserved a better fate tonight,” Union coach Rick Bennett said on Saturday. “We looked like the team that went to Ireland [last weekend].”
Still, the Dutchmen can’t be upset about a four-point weekend on the road, even if Bennett and his coaching staff will have plenty of material to look over on film following Saturday’s game.
“After a big win at Princeton, we’ve got to put that behind us quick and we just didn’t do that [Saturday],” Bennett said.
Senior Alex Sakellaropoulos finished with a career-high 52 saves. It was the first time a Union goalie finished with 50 or more saves since Keith Kinkaid accomplished the feat on March 12, 2010. That game also came against Quinnipiac.
“Just getting right into and seeing the shots I saw really helped us out,” said Sakellaropoulos, who had several big saves in the early going to keep the Dutchmen in the game.
Cornell in a familiar spot
Entering this weekend, the Big Red had only played two of its nine games at home. But Cornell made its second home series of the season count, sweeping non-conference opponent Miami.
Those wins pushed the Big Red’s record to 7-3-1. Cornell was 8-1-2 at the same point last season, but only won eight games the rest of the way.
The impressive start has come despite a number of injuries. Senior forward Jeff Kubiak, last year’s leading scorer, has only played in one so far. Same for Dwyer Tschantz, who was expected to play a top-six role this season.
However, the injuries haven’t slowed down the offense; Cornell is averaging three goals per game, a healthy increase from last season’s mark. The Big Red are off until Dec. 28, when it faces Northern Michigan in the Florida College Classic.
DU retains the Gold Pan
The roll that Denver continues to ride is the envy of the rest of the college hockey world. A 14-game unbeaten streak (11-0-3) will make that happen.
Second-ranked DU is the toast of college hockey in Colorado, too, after sweeping Colorado College in a home-and-home series this last weekend by identical 3-1 scores. Three different Denver players scored Friday in Colorado Springs before the same thing happened Saturday at Magness Arena.
The sweep ensured that Denver retained the Gold Pan, the teams’ traveling trophy. DU has now swept the Tigers in five consecutive two-game series over the past three years. This is the 12th year overall in which Denver has won the Gold Pan.
DU picked up its wins over CC without the Pioneers’ leading scorer, Henrik Borgstrom. The Denver Post reported that Borgstrom missed the series with an as yet undiagnosed illness.
Denver (11-2-3) should find itself hosting a No. 1 versus No. 2 battle later this week as current USCHO poll leader Minnesota-Duluth visits the Colorado capital. UMD (10-2-2) was idle this past weekend.
CC (3-11) hits the road later this week to face Miami (3-8-4), which currently holds the last-place spot in the NCHC standings and has yet to win a league game this season.
Hawks come through on grand stage
Ninth-ranked North Dakota, which has had an often bumpy ride through the first half of this season, had a chance to make a big statement Saturday when the Fighting Hawks faced No. 3 Boston College at New York’s Madison Square Garden.
At the end of the night, it was the Hawks saluting their fans from center ice inside the World’s Most Famous Arena following a 4-3 win over BC.
UND led 2-0 after the second period on a pair of goals in that frame from freshman Tyson Jost. That stretch made a big difference as a five-goal third period leaned BC’s way. Trevor Olson’s goal for UND – the junior forward’s first in 57 games – with 2:01 remaining stood up as the game-winner.
Hawks goaltender Cam Johnson played a big part in the win, making 28 saves and only conceding goals when BC was playing with extra attackers.
It’s fair to say UND (8-5-3) needed this win, as the Hawks had only won two of their last 10 games prior to Saturday. Playing without star forward Brock Boeser for a third consecutive game, UND did what it had to do.
The Hawks return home to prepare for two games in Grand Forks this next weekend against No. 16 Western Michigan (7-4-3). Speaking of which…
Broncos, Huskies square off in Kalamazoo
WMU’s hockey team shared the local limelight this last week as the school’s football team won the Mid-American Conference championship in Detroit and locked up a spot in the Cotton Bowl. Back home, the Broncos’ icers played two big games of their own.
An announced crowd of 1,776 was on hand Friday at Lawson Ice Arena when WMU fell 3-0 to No. 17 St. Cloud State in the teams’ series opener. Mikey Eyssimont scored the eventual game-winner 48 seconds into the game before two more SCSU goals in the final 4:04 put the result on ice.
Western secured two NCHC points on Saturday by way of winning an overtime shootout following a 5-5 tie through 65 minutes of play. Five different WMU players scored in regulation before a Wade Allison goal in the second round of the shootout helped send Broncos fans home happy.
St. Cloud can point to positives of its own from the weekend. After blanking the Broncos Friday night, SCSU went 3-for-5 on the power play Saturday, with two such goals from Jacob Benson coming 1:22 apart in the second period.
Eyssimont produced a goal and two assists Saturday to cap what for the sophomore forward was a five-point weekend.
SCSU (7-6-1) plays at home this weekend against an Omaha team (8-5-3) that has not lost once on the road this season.
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PRINCETON, N.J. — Mike Vecchione, Spencer Foo and Sebastian Vidmar tallied three points each to lead No. 18 Union to a 7-3 victory over Princeton Friday night.
After Vidmar netted the first goal of the game for the Dutchmen, Max Véronneau and Ryan Kuffner answered for Princeton to send the Tigers to the locker room leading 2-1.
The Union offense came out firing in the second stanza, tallying five unanswered goals to take a commanding 6-2 lead. After Vecchione tallied his 15th of the season to tie the game 2-2, Nick DeSimone, Foo, Brendan Taylor, and Brett Supinsksi padded the Dutchmen lead and chased Princeton goaltender Colton Phinney from the net with 1:23 left in the period.
Véronneau picked up his second power-play goal of the game at 7:24 of the third for Princeton, but the Tigers were unable to mount a comeback against Union goaltender Alex Sakellaropoulos, who finished with 26 saves.
Vas Kolias added a goal for the Dutchmen with one second left in the game.
Phinney made 19 saves for Princeton before being replaced by Ben Halford, who stopped 12 of 13 shots in the third period.
Dan: 5-5-1
Chris: 5-5-1
Dan: 47-38-14 (.545)
Chris: 51-34-14 (.586)
Friday, December 2 and Saturday, December 3
Bentley at Canisius
Dan: There’s a couple of different ways of looking at Bentley. They’re either the team that’s won only once in over a month, or they’re the team that’s earned four points in their last four games. You’d be right either way. In what will be a battle of two of Atlantic Hockey’s best netminders, Charles Williams has a little bit better roster in front of him right now. If this series were in Watertown, I’d think differently. Canisius sweeps.
Chris:Bentley has struggled recently against Canisius (0-5-1) but I think they’ll get at least two points here. Canisius wins Friday, Bentley on Saturday.
Air Force at Holy Cross
Dan: Holy Cross is all of a sudden mortal, having gone 1-3-1 in their last five games after opening with a 4-1-1 record. While Air Force is 1-2-1 in their last four, they didn’t exactly come against any slouches. Going back further, there’s three straight conference wins, including a sweep over RIT in there. Air Force sweeps.
Chris: Air Force coach Frank Serratore once told me that Hart Center was one of the toughest places in the league for his Falcons to play: “They’re a big purple blob coming at you.” I’m going with the blob and the Falcons to split with Holy Cross winning Friday and Air Force on Saturday.
Sacred Heart at Robert Morris
Dan: Nearly everyone is saying the same thing about Robert Morris – they’re better than we thought they’d be. At this point in the season, I like Sacred Heart to take a point somewhere, but since we can’t pick ties, I’m taking RMU to sweep.
Chris: The Pioneers have won two in a row, including an upset of UConn last weekend. But RMU is much better than I thought they would be at this juncture, and I’m picking the Colonials to sweep.
RIT at Niagara
Dan: RIT’s last two weekends were a sweep against Army West Point and a win at Mercyhurst. Talk about turning things around. RIT sweeps.
Chris:The Tigers have historically struggled at Dwyer Arena,but come in on a bit of a roll. Niagara’s defense and goaltending are moving in the right direction recently, but I’m still going with an RIT sweep.
Friday, December 2
American International at Army West Point
Dan: If you listen closely, you can actually hear the AIC bandwagon firing on all pistons. A win on Friday opens the door for us to wake up in a world where the Yellow Jackets are in first place on Saturday morning. I want to pick them badly in this game, but my brain is going to beat out my heart. Army West Point wins.
Chris: This is a homecoming for AIC first-year coach, Eric Lang, a former assistant at Army. But I think the Black Knights will spoil the party. Army West Point wins.
Saturday, December 3
Brown at Army West Point
Dan: Brown enters the game desperate for positives, but there’s one thing that always wins out – goaltending. Parker Gahagen is one of the best statistical goalies in the country; that’s just bad timing for the Bears. Army West Point wins.
Chris: This is the lone non-conference game of the weekend, with Army West Point staying home and facing the struggling Bears. I like the Black Knights to win on home ice.
St. Lawrence junior goaltender Kyle Hayton has been named the Hockey Commissioners’ Association National Division I Player of the Month for November, while Penn State freshman forward Denis Smirnov is the HCA National Rookie of the Month.
Hayton led the Saints to a No. 19 national ranking last month and finished November tied among all of his Division I counterparts in games started (8), posting a 5-0-3 record. He began the first weekend of the month by recording back-to-back shutout home wins in league play over Princeton and then-No. 6-ranked Quinnipiac. In doing so, he broke Bill Sloan’s 60-year-old St. Lawrence program record for career shutouts with 10. He became the first Saints goaltender to post back-to-back shutouts since current volunteer goaltender coach Alex Petizian did it on Feb. 27-28, 2009, at RPI and Union.
The Denver native continued to backbone the Saints throughout the month, logging 494:36 minutes between the pipes, which was the most among all men’s Division I goaltenders. Hayton only allowed a total of nine goals, while making 232 saves for a .963 save percentage, which was fourth-best in the nation. He allowed two goals or fewer in all games, posting a 1.09 GAA, which was also fourth-best among his counterparts during November.
He capped-off the month by recording 37 saves in blanking Quinnipiac in the Friendship Four Tournament in Belfast, Northern Ireland, on Nov. 25 as the two teams skated to a scoreless overtime tie. He followed it up with a 35-save performance the following evening in a 2-2 overtime tie versus Massachusetts.
Hayton is now on a personal nine-game unbeaten streak (5-0-4), improving his overall winning percentage to .667, which has helped the Saints gain the top spot in league play with 12 points and a 5-0-2 record. He was also named ECAC Hockey’s Goaltender of the Month for November.
Smirnov led the Big Ten in scoring during the month of November as he registered six goals and seven assists for 13 points. He registered multiple points in five of his six games during the month while averaging a nation-leading 2.17 points per game. His 13 points and six goals on the month were also good for second in the nation.
Smirnov opened the month with a career-high three-point performance against Niagara on Nov. 3, scoring a pair of goals and adding an assist. The following night, he capped off a six-point weekend with a trio of assists in the series finale. For his efforts, Smirnov was named the Big Ten Second Star for the week.
The freshman from Moscow began his career on a 10-game point streak before having it snapped against Alaska-Anchorage on Nov. 12. Smirnov wasted little time, making Penn State program history and setting a new career-best the following weekend in a home series against Arizona State.
On Nov. 18, he netted his first collegiate hat trick, including the game-winning goal, in an 7-4 victory for the Nittany Lions. The hat trick was only the fourth in Penn State’s program history. The following night, Smirnov tallied the game-winner, securing the weekend sweep and extending the team’s unbeaten streak to 11 games. For his performance, Smirnov earned his second career conference honor, securing the Big Ten First Star for the week.
For the season, Smirnov leads the nation’s freshmen in points per game (1.69), assists (13) and points (22).
The calendar has turned to December and the WCHA and we get an early gift when the top teams in the WCHA meet this weekend.
Bemidji State at Michigan Tech
Jack: For the most part, the Beavers outplayed Princeton last weekend but scored just twice — once on the power play and once on a penalty shot. They’re going to need to score a lot more goals if they want to beat Michigan Tech. The big question is, will Angus Redmond let them? I think this is a split, and wouldn’t be surprised if one (or both) of these games were decided in OT. Huskies 4-3 (OT), Beavers 3-2 (OT)
Sean: I love watching solid goaltending and this series has a pair of goalies that have been on a roll. It’s going to be a close weekend and I think the team that makes the first mistake is going to regret it. Huskies 3-2, Beavers 2-1
Bowling Green at Lake Superior
Jack: The Lakers got out of a small rut last weekend when they split with Michigan in Ann Arbor. The Falcons, though, are rolling. They haven’t lost since Nov. 5. Although the Lakers’ offense has cooled a bit, this seems like it could be a high-scoring split. Falcons 5-2, Lakers 6-3
Sean: Bowling Green has finally hit a level that many expected before the season started. Lake Superior got a positive result against Michigan, but the Falcons win streak will continue. Falcons 4-3, 4-1
Alaska at Minnesota State
Jack: One stat surprised me this week: Alaska is 14-5-1 all-time against the Mavericks. The teams already split a series this season. I see no reason why that would change this weekend, given their history. Mavericks 6-2, Nanooks 2-1
Sean: These teams met earlier this season in Alaska and it was a split. Minnesota State is the better team, and will have learned from that past experience. This one is a sweep in my mind. Mavericks 4-1, 3-0
Northern Michigan at Alaska Anchorage
Jack: I’m picking a lot of splits this week, I just realized. Most of these teams, I think, are fairly evenly matched. Unfortunately for Alaska Anchorage, I don’t think that’s the case yet. Northern Michigan hasn’t been superb, either, but I think they’ll take two in Anchorage. Wildcats 3-1, 2-1
Sean: This is probably the gimme pick of the week. Northern Michigan hasn’t been overly impressive, but Anchorage has yet to show me much. Wildcats 4-2, 3-1
Ferris State at Alabama Huntsville
Jack: Both teams are coming off a bye weekend. Conveniently, both teams get an extra day of rest with a Saturday/Sunday series. The Chargers are in the final two games of a six-game homestand in which they haven’t been able to get a victory. I think they’ll steal one here. Chargers 3-1, Bulldogs 3-1
Sean: Remember when the Chargers went into Ferris State and picked up a sweep earlier this season? The Bulldogs also remember and they’ll be well rested for the trip to Dixie after a bye last week. Bulldogs 4-1, 2-0
Boy, it wasn’t long ago that I was looking at a five-game deficit against Dave. But picking up a game here and a game there, suddenly that lead has shrunk to one.
Jim last week: 8-4-1
Dave last week: 6-6-1
Dave to date: 63-45-18
Dave to date: 64-44-18
Friday, December 2
Boston University at Providence
Jim’s pick: Though the Friars have been pretty good at home this season, it’s not enough for me to pick against BU.
BU 4, PC 3
Dave’s pick: I’ve been a bit too optimistic with both of these teams so far, but I’ll stick to my guns that BU is the most talented team.
BU 4, PC 3
Notre Dame at Massachusetts
Jim’s pick: If Notre Dame plays like this team is capable, this could be a landslide weekend. But the Irish have had trouble doing so this season.
UND 3, UMass 1
Dave’s pick: That was an encouraging tie UMass had with St. Lawrence over in Belfast, but the Minutemen still have only a single win in their last nine games.
UND 4, UMass 1
Connecticut at UMass Lowell
Jim’s pick: I’m not sure any team has given Lowell the fits in the last couple of years as UConn. That said, I have faith in the River Hawks at home.
UML 5, UConn 3
Dave’s pick: It feels like my fingers are incapable of typing anything other than wins for the River Hawks.
UML 4, UConn 2
Maine at New Hampshire
Jim’s pick: As much as I’d like to pick a Maine sweep here, the Black Bears have struggled away from the friendly confines of Alfond.
UNH 4, Maine 3
Dave’s pick: I have to agree. This home-and-home series feels like the “home” words should be capitalized and in bold print. Maine stays winless on the road.
UNH 3, Maine 2
Saturday, December 3
Providence at Boston University
Jim’s pick: Coming back to Agganis shouldn’t change my mind about the outcome of this game.
BU 5, PC 2
Dave’s pick: I made my picks beforehand, but so far it’s looking like the two of us agree on all counts.
BU 4, PC 2
New Hampshire at Maine
Jim’s pick: It’s one of the league’s best rivalries, even if it hasn’t been as competitive of late. But it should get the Alfond rocking and translate to a Maine win.
Maine 4, UNH 2
Dave’s pick: This one has Black Bears written all over it.
Maine 4, UNH 1
UMass Lowell at Connecticut
Jim’s pick: The XL Center has been a difficult building for the River Hawks for the last two seasons. So if I’m going to pick an upset, I’ll pick it here.
UConn 3, UML 1
Dave’s pick: Finally, we disagree! I’ve been picking Lowell with an almost metronomic consistency, and I’m not about to switch now.
UML 3, UConn 2
Notre Dame at Massachusetts
Jim’s pick: I don’t have a ton of confidence that Notre Dame can put together two solid efforts. But I also believe UMass isn’t strong enough yet to earn this split.
UND 3, UMass 2
Dave’s pick: A road sweep is a tough task, but I see the Irish as too strong for UMass.
UND 4, UMass 2
Tuesday, December 6
Northeastern at Boston College
Jim’s pick: It was a competitive battle the first game of this split-week home-and-home series, but I still see BC being the better team here.
BC 3, NU 1
Dave’s pick: I’ve been wrong several times recently with my BC faith, but I’ll stick with it one more time.
BC 3, NU 2
December has arrived and the action is heating up as the Division III hockey season makes its way toward the midway point of the season. St. Thomas and Hamline square off in a pivotal MIAC series, while St. Scholastica hits the road to take on Marian in a key NCHA series. In the WIAC, Wisconsin-River Falls battles both Wisconsin-Stevens Point and Wisconsin-Eau Claire this weekend.
Friday, Dec. 2
Wisconsin-River Falls (2-6-1) at Wisconsin-Stevens Point (6-2-1)
Wis.-River Falls has only one win its last four outings and has a 2-3 record on the road. The Falcons have managed only 20 goals — Joe Drapluk leads the way with five –and they’ll need to take their offensive success to another level to pull off this upset on the road. Wis.-Stevens Point is hoping to bounce back after a couple of losses and open WIAC play with a bang. The Pointers are unbeaten in four home games this season and aim to capitalize on an offense that has cranked out 42 goals, including 13 off the power play. Jacob Barber leads the way with seven goals and five assists. The last two meetings have ended with Wis.-Stevens Point winning 4-3. This one should be just as close. Wis.-Stevens Point 5-4
Wisconsin-Stout (4-4) at Wisconsin-Superior (4-6)
Wis.-Stout features 17 players who have scored at least one point and 11 of those players have tallied at least one goal. Riley Colvard leads the way with four goals, matching his total from last year. The Blue Devils have managed only three power-play goals but are solid against opposing teams’ power play, boasting an 87.5 percent penalty kill percentage. The Blue Devils are looking to snap a two-game losing streak. Wis.-Superior is led by Anton Svensson, who has come up with five goals and 10 assists. Jordan Neduzak has tallied six goals and eight assists for the Yellow Jackets. Wis.-Stout 5-3
Friday, Saturday Dec. 2-3
Concordia (4-4, 1-1) at Saint Mary’s (5-2-2, 4-0)
The Cobbers are coming off a 1-1 showing in the PrimeLink Great Northern Shootout and face a stern test on the road against the first-place Cardinals. The two teams met in the MIAC showcase in October, with Concordia winning 3-2 in overtime. Jordan Stephen and Sam Nelson are both 2-2 on the year in goal and either one is capable of having a big game in a series where defense will be key. Jeremy Johnson has fueled the offense with his seven assists. Saint Mary’s has lost only once in its last seven games and is 3-0-1 on its home ice. Bob Kinne has tallied five goals and three assists and leads an offense where seven other players have come up with at least four points. Saint Mary’s 4-2, Concordia 4-3
Augsburg (7-0-1, 2-0) at St. Olaf (2-7-1, 0-4)
The Auggies look to remain perfect in league play in this home-and-home series that begins Friday at St. Olaf. Augsburg is the MIAC’s hottest team, surging behind an eight-game unbeaten streak and they have yet to lose at home or on the road. Trevor Stewart (five goals, three assists) fuels an offense that has put up 27 goals. The defense has been equally impressive, with the Auggies allowing only 12 goals. It’s a different story for the Oles, who have won just once in their last five. Two losses have been by just a goal. St. Olaf, which has given up 34 goals, has to find a way to keep the games close. Augsburg 5-2, 4-1
St. Thomas (4-2-3, 3-0-1) at Hamline (6-1-2, 3-1)
The Tommies hit the road to begin this home-and-home series. They come into it on a five-game unbeaten streak and are counting on their defense to pave the way for success. Benjamin Myers has seen the majority of time in goal and is 4-0-2. Michael Dockry and Brett Gravelle lead the offense with three goals and five assists apiece. The Tommies have scored 24 goals in all. You can’t talk about Hamline without bringing up Russ Jordan, who has come through with eight goals and nine assists during his breakout season. Four players in all have tallied 13 or more points for an offense that has produced 34 goals. The Pipers are 3-0 on their home ice this season. Hamline 5-3, St. Thomas 3-2
Aurora (2-5, 2-2) vs. Concordia (6-3-1, 3-2-1)
The Spartans are looking to end a three-game losing streak where offense has been hard to come by. Twice during the streak Aurora was shut out. The Spartans are playing for the first time in more than two weeks and open this series on the road, where they are 0-4 on the season. Brendan Logan has scored twice, leading an offense that has scored just 12 goals. The Falcons are on a three-game win streak and are 4-1-1 on the road, which bodes well for their chances in the series finale Saturday. Connor Hogg (6 goals, 2 assists) and Jim Pearson (5 goals, 2 assists) form a formidable one-two punch for the Falcons. Concordia 5-2, 4-3
St. Scholastica (4-3, 3-1) at Marian (3-6-1, 1-5)
The Saints haven’t played in close to two weeks but are eager to hit the ice again. They feature one of the top goalies in the league, Peter Megariotis, who has tallied 176 saves and has not allowed more than three goals in a game this season. Josh Hansen has come through with a point in six consecutive games and has scored two goals and four assists. The Sabres are unbeaten in their last three games. Three of their losses have come against nationally ranked teams. Gianni Mangone leads the way for Marian with six goals. Five of his goals have come off the power play, ranking him second in the nation in that category. Marian is 3-2 all-time at home against St. Scholastica. St. Scholastica 3-2, 4-3
St. Norbert (8-2, 5-1) vs. Lawrence (3-5, 3-1)
The Green Knights are one of the most dominant teams in the league and nation and cap off a three-game road swing Friday at Lawrence. St. Norbert will close out the series at home Saturday. Roman Uchyn leads the team in goals with six and Tanner Froese is second in goals scored with five. The Green Knights are 3-1 in road games and 5-1 at home and lead the league in goals scored with 29. The Vikings have lost two consecutive games. They are 3-0 on their home ice but winless in five road games. Blake Roubos is the top goal scorer for Lawrence, coming through with three goals. St. Norbert 6-2, 5-1
Saturday, Dec. 3
Wisconsin-Eau Claire (6-1-2) at Wis.-River Falls (2-6-1)
The Blugolds are on a roll, having won four in a row. They have scored 19 goals during that stretch and have allowed only seven. Patrick Moore and Mac Jansen lead the way for the Blugolds, scoring six goals apiece. Moore has come up with nine assists as well. Jansen has six for an offense that has put up 37 goals. Defensively, Wis.-Eau Claire is anchored by Jay Deo, who is 6-1-2. Wis.-Eau Claire has won its last two road games and hopes to add another to that tally this weekend. Zach Quinn has seen the majority of time in goal for the Falcons, fashioning a 2-2-1 record, and he’ll need to be on top of his game for Wis.-River Falls to take care of business at home. The Falcons have allowed 24 goals this season. Wis.-Eau Claire 4-2
