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Weekend wrap: Nov. 20

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No. 1 Plattsburgh suffered its first loss of the year, but No. 2 Wisconsin-River Falls also lost on a busy weekend of action.

St. Michael’s and No. 6 Norwich (home-and-home)
Norwich tallied a pair of 8-0 wins to sweep the weekend. Friday’s win gave coach Mark Bolding his 200th career win. He became just the seventh coach in NCAA Division III women’s hockey history to reach that milestone.

No. 3 Elmira at Buffalo State
On Friday, Kate Granato had a goal and assist and Sarah Hughson scored the game-winning goal in overtime to give Elmira the 2-1 win. On Saturday, Elmira showed why they are the No. 3 team and used two more goals from Granato to sweep the series with a 4-0 win.

Bethel at No. 10 St. Thomas
Two third-period goals helped propel Bethel in a 3-1 upset on Friday night. On Saturday, Kathryn Larson scored twice for St. Thomas in a three-goal third period to help secure a 4-4 tie.

Connecticut College at No. 7 Amherst
Ashley Anctil netted the only goal on Friday to give Connecticut College the 1-0 win. On Saturday, Katlyn Paiva and Kyla Floresca scored within 1:49 of each other to put Connecticut College up early and they earned the sweep with a 2-1 win.

No. 5 Middlebury at Trinity
Middlebury escaped the weekend with a pair of 2-1 overtime wins. On Friday, Jessica Young scored the game-winner and on Saturday, Kelly Sherman netted the winner with 1.1 seconds left in the extra period.

Wisconsin-Superior at Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Mikayla Goodin scored twice to give Wis.-Superior the conference win 3-1.

New England College at Manhattanville
Manhattanville outshot New England College 42-15, but needed an overtime goal from Melissa Stys to earn the 2-1 win.

Endicott at Stevenson
Endicott had four different goal scorers to win 4-0 on Friday. On Saturday, Stevenson jumped out to a 2-0 lead after the first period, but Endicott scored three goals to come from behind, including Ellen Carter’s first of the season as a game-winner to give Endicott the sweep.

No. 9 Oswego at No. 1 Plattsbugh
Jordan Lipson had two goals and two assists and Kayla Meneghin added two goals and an assist to lead Plattsburgh to a 7-1 win on Saturday. On Sunday, Oswego scored the final three goals to earn the upset in part thanks to a goal and assist from Jacquelin White.

No. 2 Wisconsin-River Falls at Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Wis.-Eau Claire had a three-goal lead after two periods and was able to withstand a comeback attempt to get the upset win 4-2. Courtney Wittig scored twice for Wis.-Eau Claire en route to their first win over Wis.-River Falls since 2008.

The rest of the top 10
St. Scholastica 2, No. 4 Adrian 7
Brooke Lupi had two goals and an assist, Kristin Lewicki had a goal and two assists, and Sarah Shureb had two goals and two assists as Adrian crushed St. Scholastica.

Finlandia 0, at No. 4 Adrian 8
Lewicki had two goals and assist in another big offensive game for Adrian.

St. Norbert 3 at No. 8 Lake Forest 6
Amy Budde scored twice for the Foresters in the win.

Northland at No. 8 Lake Forest
Lake Forest swept Northland, 5-1 and 7-2. Sydney Simone scored twice in the first win and also had two assists. Kate Fanning had two goals in the second win.

Weekend wrap: Nov. 20

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We saw a couple of upsets this past weekend, as well as a fair share of ties.

Cornell 3, at No. 8 Quinnipiac 3
Cornell jumped out to a 3-0 lead midway through the second period, but Quinnipiac responded and Kenzie Prate forced overtime with a third-period goal.

No. 5 Colgate 2, at Princeton 7
Karlie Lund scored twice and the Tigers netted multiple goals each period to give Colgate their first loss of the season.

No. 1 Wisconsin at No. 3 Minnesota-Duluth (split)
Badgers goalie Ann-Renée Desbiens did not make the trip with Wisconsin to Duluth, so freshman Nikki Cece got her first collegiate start and the Bulldogs didn’t take it easy on her. Four different UMD players scored — three in the third period — to give UMD the 4-1 win and Wisconsin their first loss of the season Friday. On Saturday, Annie Pankowski had a natural hat trick to lead Wisconsin to a 4-1 victory and series split.

No. 10 Northeastern 3, Vermont 3
Alyssa Gorecki scored twice for Vermont, which carried a 3-1 lead into the third period. Hayley Scamurra and Kasidy Anderson scored within two minutes of each other in the third to force overtime.

No. 5 Colgate 1, at No. 8 Quinnipiac 3
Kenzie Lancaster scored twice — once short-handed — to lead the Bobcats to a 3-1 win.

No. 2 Minnesota at No. 9 North Dakota
These teams skated to a pair of 2-2 ties, with Minnesota winning both shootouts to earn the extra WCHA point. Four different Fighting Hawks scored over the two games. On the Gophers’ side, Dani Cameranesi had both goals on Saturday.

No. 6 Boston College 2, at No. 10 Northeastern 2
Boston College led the game by a goal twice, but Northeastern was able to respond. Each team scored a short-handed goal in the second period and they ended up at a 2-2 tie, as Kenzie Kent put BC up 2-1 before McKenna Brand scored her second of the game at 18:45 of the second to get Northeastern to 2-2.

RIT at Lindenwood
Lindenwood won Friday 2-0 to earn its first win of the season, with Jolene deBruyr making 21 saves to earn the shutout. On Saturday RIT earned a 2-1 win, the Tigers’ first CHA win this year, behind 29 saves from Terra Lanteigne and a goal from Kathryn Kennedy at 19:12 of the second that proved to be the game winner.

The rest of the top 10
No. 7 Clarkson 8, Brown 1
Cassidy Vinkle scored a hat trick, including back-to-back goals in the second period, and She Tiley made nine saves in the first two periods before being replaced in the third by Kenna Brennerman, who only faced three shots. Clarkson led 6-0 after two periods.

No. 4 St. Lawrence 4, Yale 0
Grace Harrison made 30 saves and Nadine Edney scored a hat trick as St. Lawrence blanked Yale.

No. 4 St. Lawrence 5, Brown 0
Kristen Padalis scored two goals and had two assists as the Saints blanked Brown. Brooke Wolejko made 14 saves in the first two periods and Sonjia Shelly made six saves in the third as the two teamed up in the shutout.

NCHC slaps Miami’s Lemirande with one-game suspension for illegal hit at Denver

USCHO Staff Report
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The NCHC announced Monday that the league has issued a one-game suspension to Miami junior forward Conor Lemirande.

The suspension stems from an illegal hit during Miami’s game against Denver on Saturday, Nov. 19 at Magness Arena in Denver.

Lemirande was assessed a major penalty for interference and a game misconduct at the 51-second mark of the first period Saturday for an illegal, high hit on a Denver player who was not in possession of the puck.

Lemirande will be required to serve the suspension during Miami’s next game, which is Friday, Dec. 2, at Cornell. He is eligible to return for the RedHawks’ series finale with the Big Red on Saturday, Dec. 3.

The comforts of home

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This weekend in the Big Ten, it was clear that home was a good place to be. For the most part.

1. Penn State can do no wrong.

The Nittany Lions continue to roll along and roll over visiting opponents in the friendly confines of Pegula Arena. Penn State extended its win streak to nine games and its unbeaten streak to 11 with a pair of home wins over Arizona State, 7-4 and 8-0. As the scores indicate, the Nittany Lions did more than win; Penn State continues to dominate offensively, averaging 4.77 goals per game to top the nation. PSU has been at home for its last eight games, and in those contests the Nittany Lions have outscored opponents 42-13. Eight different Nittany Lions scored in their 8-0 win Saturday. Penn State takes Thanksgiving weekend off before concluding this 10-game home stand against Michigan in the opening weekend of Big Ten play Dec. 1-2.

2. Minnesota splits with Minnesota State.

The Golden Gophers dropped their Friday road game against the Mavericks, 4-1, but salvaged the split on the weekend with their 1-0 home win Saturday, giving Minnesota a 2-1-1 home record for the season while playing an arguably tougher schedule than Penn State has enjoyed. The Gophers have a home win and tie against ranked North Dakota, a road tie against ranked St. Lawrence, and two one-goal losses to ranked St. Cloud in an early home-and-home series. While other teams in the Big Ten are seeing success with big freshmen classes, the Golden Gophers are relying on seasoned players with their more experienced team. Senior Justin Kloos had the only goal in Saturday’s win, and sophomore Eric Schierhorn made 23 saves in his sixth career shutout, his third of the season.

3. Home and away, the Big Ten continues to be strong.

Big Ten teams went 6-2-0 against opponents on the weekend, increasing the league’s record in inter-conference play to 38-19-8 for a win percentage of .646, which now leads all D-I conferences — for this moment, at least. Ohio State swept Rensselaer on the road, 4-0 and 3-2, extending the Buckeyes’ unbeaten streak to five games (3-0-2). Incidentally, Ohio State is right behind Penn State in goals per game, averaging 4.38. Wisconsin improved its overall record to 6-4-0 with a home split against Merrimack, a 3-2 win and 2-0 loss. Penn State, Ohio State and Minnesota are all currently teams under consideration in the early PairWise Rankings, with Wisconsin sitting at No. 21.

West wrap: Nov. 20

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Another weekend of hockey is complete in the west and Saint Mary’s highlighted the weekend with a sweep of St. Olaf to stay on top of the MIAC, while Augsburg continued its impressive unbeaten streak and is very much in contention for the title as well.

The biggest showdown of the weekend featured a rematch of the national championship game as St. Norbert hosted Wisconsin-Stevens Point and avenged last year’s loss to the reigning national champ. Meanwhile, Wisconsin-Eau Claire prevailed in a pair of games against NCHA foes.

Below is a look at some of the highlights from the action on the ice over the weekend in the MIAC, NCHA, and WIAC.

MIAC
Saint Mary’s is all alone in first place in the MIAC after a sweep of St. Olaf over the weekend. The Cardinals knocked off the Oles 4-3 and 3-0 to improve to 5-1-2 overall and 4-0 in the MIAC. Saint Mary’s is 4-0 in league play for the first time since the 1997-98 campaign.

The series finale on Saturday marked the first time all year the Cardinals have played in a game that was decided by more than two goals. Phil Heinle helped pave the way as he recorded the fourth shutout of his career, stopping 25 shots. Chad Cesarz tallied a goal and an assist to pace the Cardinals to cap off his big weekend. He scored twice in Friday’s win, giving the Cardinals an early 3-1 lead. Saint Mary’s has won its last five games overall.

Patrick Sivets scored twice in the series opener Friday for the Oles, who are 1-7 overall and 0-4 in the MIAC.

St. Thomas won for the third time in four games Saturday, knocking off Bethel 5-2. It opened its series with a 1-1 tie against Bethel on the road. The Royals, though, won the shootout as George Splichal and Justin Bonanno both scored while Joe Sheppard made a pair of key saves. Andrew Bjorklund scored with 30 seconds left in regulation to force an overtime that ended with neither team scoring.

In Saturday’s win, Thomas Williams and Brett Gravelle each came up with a goal and two assists to pace the Tommies offensively, while Benjamin Myers remained unbeaten in goal as he stopped 36 shots. He is 4-0-2 on the year.

The Royals are winless in their last five games, losing four times during the stretch and sit at 1-6-1 overall and 0-3-1 in the MIAC. The Tommies are 4-2-2 overall and 3-0-1 in the conference.

Augsburg pushed its unbeaten streak to eight games with a pair of wins over Gustavus. The Auggies topped the Gusties 3-0 and 2-1. They have won their last seven games. In Saturday’s finale, Nick Schmit nailed down the win in goal, racking up 34 saves as he improved to 4-0. All three goals in the game were scored in a span of 8:24 in the second period, with Adam Pancoast scoring his first collegiate goal and Lukas Gillett scoring the game-winner. Evan Erickson scored the only goal for Gustavus.

Brett Bukowski scored his first college goal in Friday’s shutout win. Luke Dietsch and Trevor Stewart also scored for the Auggies. Jordyn Kaufer was solid in goal, stopping 30 shots to earn his first shutout of the season and the fifth of his career.

The Auggies are 7-0-1 overall and 2-0 in the conference. The Gusties fall to 1-6-1 overall and are 0-4 in the MIAC.

NCHA/WIAC
St. Norbert scored three first-period goals and never looked back in its 5-3 win over Wis.-Stevens Point in a showdown that featured the top two teams in the country. The Green Knights fell behind 1-0 thanks to a goal by Jacob Barber, the leading scorer for the top-ranked Pointers. St. Norbert answered when Pijus Rulevicius scored to tie the game at 1-1. Riley Christiansen and Jeremy Olinyk also scored in the first period as the Green Knights took control. Jon Davis cut the lead to 3-2, but Brad Pung responded with a goal of his own to push the lead to 4-2. Eliot Grauer scored the final goal for the Pointers, cutting the St. Norbert lead to 4-3. Roman Uchyn finished off the scoring for the Green Knights.

There were a total of 30 penalties in the game, including 18 by Wis.-Stevens Point. The Green Knights cashed in on three power-play opportunities, while the Pointers managed to score on only one. The Green Knights, who are 7-1, have won their last four games, including two by shutout. The stretch includes a 4-0 win over Wis.-Superior on Friday night.

The loss for the Pointers was their first of the year and was only the third time this season they haven’t scored more than three goals in a game. They are now 6-1-1 on the season. They opened the weekend with a 6-3 victory over Marian.

Lake Forest had mixed results over the weekend as it defeated Wisconsin-River Falls 3-2 on Friday, but lost 5-3 to Wis.-Eau Claire Saturday. Jack Lewis, who led the nation in goals entering the weekend, was tremendous in the win over the Falcons, tallying an assist on all three goals for the Foresters. George Argioropoulos made 19 saves and pushed his record to 3-1 on the year.

The Foresters weren’t as fortunate against the Blugolds, who jumped out to a 4-0 lead and never looked back to finish off an unbeaten weekend on the road. Wis.-Eau Claire has won its last three games. Patrick Moore scored two of the Blugolds’ goals in Saturday’s game. Todd Koritzinsky and Mac Jansen also scored as Wis.-Eau Claire built a four-goal lead. Jay Deo helped Wis.-Eau Claire hold off a late rally against the Foresters, stopping 24 shots as he improved to 5-1-2 on the season. Zach Feldman scored his first collegiate goal for the Foresters in the loss to the Blugolds.

Concordia closed out its weekend with a 3-2 win over Wisconsin-Stout, bouncing back from its 6-2 loss to Wis.-Eau Claire one night earlier. The Falcons jumped in front 2-0 and led 3-1 after two periods. Jim Pearson scored twice to pave the way for Concordia. Eric Therrien scored the other goal for the Falcons, who picked up their third-ever win against a WIAC opponent. Two of those wins have come against Wis.-Stout.

Jack Romanuik picked up his 11th career win in goal for the Falcons. What is most impressive about that is he is only a sophomore and has played in only 24 career games. Romanuik, who has four wins this season, made 30 saves to help Concordia win for the third time in four games. Joe Kleven and Connor Valesano both scored for Wis.-Stout in the second period, but the Blue Devils lost for the second consecutive night.

Three things: Will anyone catch the Beavers?

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1. Bemidji State is really for real. Really!

The doubters must keep dwindling week after week. After all, with more than a third of the season in the books, Bemidji State’s start is hard to ignore: The Beavers are the team to beat in the WCHA. They’ve played 12 league games and are 11-0-1. The only “blemish” to that perfect record is a 1-1 tie with Minnesota State — one in which the Beavers got the extra point with a win in 3-on-3 overtime. And after a pair of wins this weekend against Northern Michigan — BSU grinded out a 2-1 win on Friday before bludgeoning NMU with a 5-2 win Saturday — the Beavers are a ridiculous 14 points ahead of their nearest competition in the league — Michigan Tech is in second. I think we can firmly say that the Beavers, who were picked to finish sixth in the preseason, are the odds-on favorite at the moment.

2. A new challenger emerges!

Not so fast, though: Tech, after struggling early, has come on strong. They haven’t lost a conference game since being swept by Minnesota State the second week in October (although they did manage only one point against Alaska Anchorage on Saturday after tying then losing the shootout). What’s more, the Huskies currently have two games in hand on the Beavers, who step out of the conference next weekend to play Princeton. They’ll catch up with BSU, games-wise, when they finish out their two-week Alaska road trip in Fairbanks. To add to the intrigue: The Beavers head to Houghton in two weeks. If Tech can make some hay against the Nanooks and take four or more points from the Beavers to start off December, they’ll spice up the race for the MacNaughton Cup for sure.

3. Seawolves end drought

For all the talk about what’s been happening at the top of the league, there was at least some good news at the bottom — Alaska Anchorage finally snapped its seven-game losing streak on Saturday, tying Michigan Tech 1-1 before winning the shootout. Although UAA is still having issues scoring, Jonah Renouf ’s third-period power play goal helped the Seawolves get off the schnied and avoid the ignominy of being pointless in the conference. Olivier Mantha made 34 saves and got one in the shootout — after Aleksi Ainali scored — to give UAA two points. The Seawolves route doesn’t get any easier — a trip to Bowling Green looms — but maybe this can give them some much-needed confidence to stay competitive.

East wrap: Nov. 20

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Well now the season truly is in full swing as NESCAC joined the fray this week and didn’t waste any time adding to the chaos that has been a recurrent theme of upsets. Some new teams are emerging as contenders in conferences rich with traditional champions and blowout wins one night can quickly become defensive struggling losses the next night out. Here is a taste of the action from the past weekend.

CCC
Endicott saw a 2-0-0 week with a 3-1 win over Wentworth followed by a 3-2 win over Suffolk on Saturday.  Joseph Slovak scored a goal in each game leading a balanced attack for the Gulls who moved to 3-2-1 in conference play.

Salve Regina remained unbeaten in conference play with a come-from-behind 4-3 win over Becker on Thursday night. The Seahawks rallied from a 3-1 deficit in the final 11 minutes of the third period to earn the win.  Saturday, Shaun Patry’s power-play goal in the third period and Blake Wojtala’s 41 saves earned a tie with Nichols, 1-1.

ECAC West
The Utica Pioneers sent a very clear message about their ability to contend for the ECAC West title when they followed Friday night’s 7-1 blowout win at Elmira with a hard-fought 4-2 win at Hobart on Saturday.  Goaltender Henry Dill earned the win over the Statesmen, moving to 4-0-0 on the season while making 40 saves. A fast start by Utica led to a 3-1 first-period lead that stood up before Shawn Lynch provided the insurance marker into the empty net with just over 30 seconds remaining in regulation time.

MASCAC
Plymouth State avoided the trap game on Thursday in a big way with a 10-1 win over Framingham State, but fell in overtime on Saturday to Fitchburg State, 2-1. Goaltender Kirby Saari made 36 saves to earn his first win for the Falcons. The Falcons also knocked off last year’s title holder Salem State on Thursday by a 5-3 score. Three unanswered third-period goals broke open a 2-2 deadlock. The 2-0 weekend moves the Falcons into contention in the conference standings.

Northeast 10
Franklin Pierce moved to 5-2-0 on the season with a 3-0 shutout win over Stonehill behind 34 saves from goaltender Tom McGuckin. Despite going 0-8 on the power play, the Ravens scored a goal in each period for the win.

Southern New Hampshire moved to 5-1-0 on the season by downing Assumption 5-3. Joseph Berardi scored twice just 28 seconds apart in the opening three minutes of the game and Joe Collins finished the scoring for the Penmen with a hat trick for all the goals they would need in the win.

NEHC
Good things are happening in Saratoga Springs, New York, and Skidmore may no longer be a dark horse candidate in the NEHC. Following last weekend’s road upset of Massachusetts-Boston, the Thoroughbreds took down another traditional power on Friday night, rallying from a two-goal deficit in the final five minutes of play to force overtime with two extra-attacker goals before Connor Van Arnam won it for the home team just over three minutes into the extra session. A 6-4 win over St. Michael’s on Saturday gave Skidmore a four-point weekend.

Babson needed a four-goal third period to erase a 2-0 lead by Southern Maine in moving to 3-0-0 in conference play this season. Tommy Munichello scored the game-winning goal and added a power-play goal in the final minute for insurance in the win.

NESCAC
If you are last to join the party, why not make a dramatic entrance? Two teams on the rise opened their season with 2-0 weekends, knocking off recent past conference champions in the process. Tufts took down Trinity and Wesleyan behind game-winning goals by forward Brian Brown in both games for the Jumbos.

Colby opened the season by taking down Middlebury on Friday night before upsetting last year’s conference champion, Williams, on Saturday afternoon. Despite outshooting the Panthers by a 48-18 margin, it took an overtime goal by defenseman Geoff Sullivan to give the Mules the win. On Saturday, Nick O’Connor scored a pair of goals and Andrew Tucci made 25 saves in a 4-1 win over the Ephs.

SUNYAC
Look out for Oswego, which should be moving up the national rankings again this week after another 2-0 weekend that included impressive road wins over Potsdam by a 6-0 score and a 4-1 win over their main rival Plattsburgh on Saturday night. Matt Zawadzki made 27 saves to earn the shutout against the Bears while six different players scored for Oswego, showcasing their balanced attack.

Buffalo State took a pair of games over Canton, outscoring their opponent by a 10-3 margin in the two-game set. Forward Mac Wood was the offensive star in Saturday’s 6-3 win, posting two goals and two assists for the Bengals.

Three Biscuits
Tyler Vankleef – Curry: The Colonels forward had an epic night in last Thursday’s 7-4 win over Suffolk when he scored a natural hat trick in the first period on his way to a total of five goals and an assist for six points.  He added another goal in Saturday’s overtime tie with Johnson & Wales, giving him six goals in two games.

Mason Pulde- Tufts: The Jumbos goaltender made a total of 38 saves while surrendering just one first-period goal in the season-opening upset of Trinity. Pulde stopped all 25 shots that he faced over the final two periods, enabling his team to rally for a comeback win to open NESCAC play.

Brett Norman – Southern Maine: The Huskies right wing spearheaded an incredibly efficient offense that scored five goals on just 12 shots in the upset win over Massachusetts-Boston. Norman recorded four assists in the game, helping Southern Maine to reach the .500 mark on the young season.

It seems there are great individual efforts across all of the leagues and not always from the showcase names one might expect to see in the spotlight. The teams are deeper with talent than ever and you never know who is going to light it up on any given night.

Splitsville (but for Vermont)

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Sweeps weren’t to be had in Hockey East this weekend. Though Vermont came pretty close with a heck of a Saturday night rally.

1) Splits seem to be the rule over sweeps

Not every team is playing a two-game series right now, but for those that do, it appears that sweeps won’t exactly be givens. Splits seem to be the rule of the day as we saw between Notre Dame and UMass Lowell, Providence and Northeastern, Boston University and Connecticut and, in non-league play, Wisconsin and Merrimack.

2) Then there is the comeback by Vermont

Leads after two periods so often feel secure. Two-goal leads feel very secure. But for Maine on Saturday, a split seemed likely after goals by Brendan Robbins and Patrick Shea gave the Black Bears a 2-0 lead through two periods. But Vermont can rally and scored twice in the final frame to earn a 2-2 tie and walk away with three points in the two-game series. It certainly is early, but the Catamounts’ 7 points are good for a three-way tie for third place in league play.

3) All good streaks must come to an end

Actually, technically, streaks don’t have to be broken. But for Boston College, an impressive 10-game unbeaten streak finally came to an end on Friday. BC hadn’t lost since October 14, but fell on Friday, 5-2, after grabbing a lead mid-game against Harvard. But the Crimson know how to win and scored five straight, three on the power play, to end BC’s unbeaten streak at 10 games (9-0-1).

Three things: Nov. 20

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History gets made in St. Cloud
Many people believe life is better for bacon’s presence therein. The list of true believers apparently doesn’t stop at the door to North Dakota’s dressing room.

The eighth-ranked Fighting Hawks made history this weekend, defeating No. 12 St. Cloud State 4-0 on Friday night in St. Cloud, Minn., before blanking the Huskies again Saturday by a 3-0 count. Not once in the 27-year history of the National Hockey Center had SCSU been shut out in back-to-back home games before 62 saves from UND goaltender Cam Johnson did the trick.

A Shane Gersich hat trick on Friday helped UND snap a six-game winless streak (0-4-2). The next night, 36 saves from Johnson propelled the Hawks to their first two-game sweep at SCSU since 1998.

UND captain Gage Ausmus was quoted in the Grand Forks Herald Sunday as crediting a return of bacon to the Hawks’ morning meals for the Hawks’ resurgence. Regardless of what has turned UND back in the right direction, however, the sweep of SCSU came at an opportune time.

The Hawks’ (7-4-1 overall, 2-3-1-1 NCHC) schedule before the holiday break isn’t easy. After hosting Michigan State next weekend, UND caps its 2016 slate with a one-off game against No. 3 Boston College in New York, a home series against No. 18 Western Michigan and one game at No. 17 Union.

SCSU (6-6. 2-4) will be idle over Thanksgiving weekend before visiting WMU on Dec. 2-3. A home series against Omaha the week after that and two holiday tournament games in Arizona take the Huskies through to the start of 2017.

Duluth sweeps on the road, too
Even very good teams are happy to let bounces go those teams’ way.

Talent and a bit of luck combined to help second-ranked Minnesota-Duluth to a road sweep this weekend against Omaha. The Bulldogs’ 6-4 triumph on Friday night came despite UMD giving up four power play goals, and another two from UNO on Saturday weren’t enough as Duluth survived 3-2.

In Friday’s second period, a turnover in UNO’s zone led to a go-ahead goal from Duluth captain Dominic Toninato. Four minutes later, NCHC leading scorer Alex Iafallo picked up his ninth goal of the season when a shot rolled down Omaha goalie Evan Weninger’s back before crossing the line.

On Saturday, 33 saves from UMD goaltender Hunter Miska made the difference as the Bulldogs picked up their first sweep in Omaha since January of 2014. After a rough first period in which Miska made 16 saves, second-period goals from Adam Johnson, Toninato and Kyle Osterberg put Duluth ahead 3-0.

Osterberg’s goal allowed UMD to connect on its only power play opportunity of the weekend. The Bulldogs’ typically solid penalty-killing units (84.4 percent heading into the series, good for second in the NCHC) struggled late both nights at Baxter Arena, as Omaha scored four power play goals in the games’ third periods.

UMD (10-2-2, 7-1) is now off until the Bulldogs visit Denver on Dec. 9-10. Omaha (6-5-1, 3-3) visits Northern Michigan this weekend for a non-conference set.

Shootouts fall Denver’s way
From Denver’s perspective this weekend, it’s a shame that shootout victories don’t count toward teams’ overall records.

The top-ranked Pioneers skated to a pair of home ties this weekend with Miami. DU’s current unbeaten streak hit 10 games thanks to a 1-1 win draw on Friday night and a 2-2 tie Saturday.

Both games went to overtime shootouts, and both were won by Denver. A Henrik Borgstrom goal in the first round of Friday’s shootout stood up as the winner. Late Saturday night, one shootout goal from Dylan Gambrell and four saves from goalie Tanner Jaillet gave the Pioneers another extra point in the NCHC standings.

Denver (7-2-3, 3-0-3-2) hasn’t lost a game since the first weekend of the season and will take a 7-0-3 streak to Air Force this Friday prior to a home game Saturday against Wisconsin. Miami (3-6-4, 0-4-2), winless in its last seven games, is off for Thanksgiving weekend before  visiting Cornell on Dec. 2-3.

A look at the past weekend in ECAC Hockey

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Hockey is a team sport, but there were several outstanding individual performances in ECAC Hockey last weekend.

St. Lawrence forward Mike Marnell had four goals in the Saints’ 7-2 win over Brown on Saturday. The junior had three goals on the season entering the game, and appears poised to surpass the career-high 11 goals he had as a freshman.

Cornell sophomore Mitch Vanderlaan followed up last Saturday’s hat trick against Yale with two goals against Princeton this past weekend. He now has seven goals in seven games after socring eight times in 34 games last season.

Colgate senior Charlie Finn made a career-high 47 saves in a 4-3 win over Princeton Friday, and also became the fifth Raiders goalie to win 50 games. Finn is five wins away from tying the program record.

Offense not a problem for Harvard

It’s one thing to unload offensively against Arizona State, a program in its second year of NCAA competition; it’s another to score five goals against a Boston College team that had been good defensively entering the weekend.

Yes, Harvard’s offensive numbers for the season are boosted by the 13 goals it scored in two games against the Sun Devils, but the outburst against the Eagles on Friday showed that the Crimson shouldn’t have a problem scoring goals this season.

Harvard’s defense appears to be improved from last year, when it lost in the league title game to Quinnipiac. The Crimson are holding opponents to under two goals per game, and held Boston College to exactly that number. The Eagles entered Friday averaging four goals per game.

Saints on a roll

The second four-point weekend in a row has St. Lawrence sitting in a good spot heading into the upcoming Friendship Four tournament in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

St. Lawrence swept Brown and Yale at home to improve to 5-0-1 in league play and 8-4-2 overall. The Saints face Quinnipiac in Belfast on Friday in a game that could have tiebreaker implications later in the season. A St. Lawrence win would give the Saints a season sweep of the Bobcats.

It’s early in the year, but St. Lawrence, Quinnipiac and Harvard, and to an extent, Union and Clarkson, look to be setting up as the upper echelon of the league.

Three Things: Two out of three ain’t bad

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Three Things from this past weekend in Atlantic Hockey:

Two out of three ain’t bad

Niagara won its first game of the season last Tuesday, a 5-4 victory over Mercyhurst on home ice. TJ Sarcona scored the tying and game-winning goals in the third period.

The win was a long time coming for sophomore goalie Guillaume Therien, who came into the game a hard-luck 0-13-3 for his career.

The Purple Eagles liked the thrill of victory so much, they did it again last Saturday. After a tough 4-3 loss to Sacred Heart on Friday, Niagara blanked the Pioneers 4-0 on Saturday thanks to a 37-save performance by senior netminder Jackson Teichroeb.

The 2-1 week is something to build on after starting the season 0-7-2. They return to action this weekend with a two game set at American International.

Consistency is key

Speaking of the AIC Yellow Jackets, they salvaged a point at Canisius on Saturday in a 1-1 ties after a 4-0 loss on Friday. A point is not bad on a weekend when AIC scored just one goal, a shortie by rookie Hugo Reinhardt.

It keeps a stretch alive for the Yellow Jackets of earning at least a point in every conference series so far this season. The streak is only at four series, but it’s impressive considering AIC was only able to do that five times all of last season.

This is in part due to AIC’s four ties in conference play so far — there have been only two other ties in AHC games that didn’t involve the Yellow Jackets.

But points are points, and right now the eight that AIC has earned is nine games is good enough for a tie for fifth in the standings.

One bad period

Rochester Institute of Technology ended a four-game skid with a convincing 6-2 win over first-place Army West Point on Friday, and followed that up with a 2-1 overtime victory on Saturday. In that one, Myles Powell redirected a shot from the point by Adam Brubacher just 21 seconds into the extra frame.

On Friday, the Tigers erased a 2-1 Black Knights lead with five goals in the final period. Army West Point goaltender Parker Gahagen entered the game among the national leaders in goals allowed (1.40) and save percentage (.959). Throw out the third period of Friday’s contest, and Gahagen had a pretty good weekend, allowing three goals on 42 shots in just over five periods of work.

But including the third stanza on Friday, Gahagen’s numbers fell to 1.83 and .934. When your stats are as good as Gahagen’s have been this season, sometimes there’s nowhere to go but down a bit.

In the opposing net, RIT goalie Mike Rotolo had his best weekend of the season to date. The senior stopped 53 of 56 shots and on Saturday set the career save mark in the school’s division I era. His 1,788th stop pushed him past Jordan Ruby ’15.

“Most of all I’m happy with two wins,” Rotolo said after the game. “We were on a rough slide there and needed to stop it here at home.

“That was the best team in our league right now and I thought we played very well both nights.”

Rankings roundup: How the top 20 fared, Nov. 17-19

USCHO Staff Report
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17 Nov 16: The University of Minnesota Golden Gophers host the Minnesota State University Mavericks in a non-conference matchup at Mariucci Arena in Mankato, MN. (Jim Rosvold/University of Minnesota)
No. 7 Minnesota and No. 15 Minnesota State battled to a home-and-home series split this past weekend with each club winning on home ice (photo: Jim Rosvold/University of Minnesota).

Here is a rundown of how the top 20 teams in the USCHO.com Division I Men’s Poll of Nov. 14 fared over the Nov. 17-19 weekend.

No. 1 Denver – tied Miami twice

No. 2 Minnesota-Duluth – swept Omaha

No. 3 Boston College – lost to No. 11 Harvard

No. 4 Quinnipiac – defeated Cornell, defeated Colgate

No. 5 Boston University – split with Connecticut

No. 6 Massachusetts-Lowell – split with No. 9 Notre Dame

No. 7 Minnesota – split with No. 15 Minnesota State

No. 8 North Dakota – swept No. 12 St. Cloud State

No. 9 Notre Dame – split with No. 6 Massachusetts-Lowell

No. 10 Penn State – swept Arizona State

No. 11 Harvard – defeated No. 3 Boston College

No. 12 St. Cloud State – swept by No. 8 North Dakota

No. 13 Bemidji State – swept Northern Michigan

No. 14 Ohio State – swept Rensselaer

No. 15 Minnesota State – split with No. 7 Minnesota

No. 16 Michigan – was idle, but defeated the U.S. NTDP Under-18 Team

No. 17 Union – was idle

No. 18 Western Michigan – tied, defeated Air Force

No. 19 Providence – split with Northeastern

No. 20 St. Lawrence – defeated Yale, defeated Brown

Gallery: No. 2 Minnesota-Duluth caps sweep with Saturday win in Omaha

By Michelle Bishop
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WCHA hands Alaska-Anchorage’s Hubbs one-game suspension for blindside hit

USCHO Staff Report
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The WCHA announced Saturday a one-game suspension to Alaska-Anchorage senior forward Dylan Hubbs.

The suspension is a result of Hubbs’ game misconduct infraction for contact to the head, which occurred at the 7:29 mark of the second period in Anchorage’s game on Friday, Nov. 18, against Michigan Tech.

Upon review, the blindside hit was delivered in a manner that warranted the suspension.

Alaska-Anchorage’s next scheduled game is tonight, Nov. 19, versus Michigan Tech.

Hubbs is eligible to return for the Seawolves’ next game on Friday, Nov. 25, at Bowling Green.

Gallery: No. 8 North Dakota shuts out No. 12 St. Cloud State

By Brad Olson
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Photos from Friday’s NCHC matchup between No. 8 North Dakota and No. 12 St. Cloud State

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Gallery: No. 15 Minnesota State upends No. 7 Minnesota 4-1

By
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Photos from Friday’s contest between No. 7 Minnesota and No. 15 Minnesota State:

[photoshelter-gallery g_id=”G0000WF.pI7cuE1Y” g_name=”20161118-Minnesota-MinnesotaState-JGR” width=”500″ f_fullscreen=”t” bgtrans=”t” pho_credit=”iptc” twoup=”f” f_bbar=”t” f_bbarbig=”f” fsvis=”f” f_show_caption=”t” crop=”f” f_enable_embed_btn=”t” f_htmllinks=”t” f_l=”t” f_send_to_friend_btn=”f” f_show_slidenum=”t” f_topbar=”f” f_show_watermark=”t” img_title=”casc” linkdest=”c” trans=”xfade” target=”_self” tbs=”5000″ f_link=”t” f_smooth=”f” f_mtrx=”t” f_ap=”t” f_up=”f” height=”400″ btype=”old” bcolor=”#CCCCCC” ]

WCHA Picks: Nov. 18-19

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Lake Superior State at Ferris State

Jack: The Lakers have lost three of four since their great start, whereas the Bulldogs seem to have pulled themselves together since their poor beginning to the season. I’ll say this is a split. A home series Rapids should be worth at least three points for the Dogs. Lakers 5-2, Bulldogs 2-1

Sean: I’m intrigued by this one. It’s two teams trending in opposite directions, and this weekend could be a defining series for both Ferris State and Lake Superior. It’ll be close, but I think Ferris gets the job done. Bulldogs 3-2, 3-2.

Northern Michigan at Bemidji State

Jack: The Beavers are still rolling. I don’t foresee that stopping anytime soon, especially against a team they already shut out twice on the road earlier this season. This is a sweep. Beavers 4-1, 2-0

Sean: Bemidji State is simply too good defensively and the goaltending has been top notch. I have a hard time seeing Northern Michigan scoring more than two goals this weekend. Beavers 2-0, 3-1.

Bowling Green at Alabama Huntsville

Jack: The Chargers are on along three-series homestand that continues this week. They struggled last week against Alaska, and Bowling Green has been playing well more recently. Still, I think this’ll be a split, though. Chargers 4-2, Falcons 4-2

Sean: I think Bowling Green is finally playing with the right attitude and is realizing they have potential to compete for the WCHA title, like many predicted before the season. It’s a long trip to Huntsville, but the Falcons will come out on top. Falcons 5-3, 3-1.

Michigan Tech at Alaska Anchorage

Jack: Are the Seawolves ever going to get out of their rut? They were just swept at Penn State and now find a red-hot Huskies team waiting for them when they get back home. It doesn’t look like this is going to be their weekend. Huskies 5-1, 4-1

Sean: Anchorage doesn’t give me much hope of a turnaround and Michigan Tech is piecing together a nice stretch recently. This one is a sweep in the making. Huskies 3-0, 4-2.

Minnesota at/vs Minnesota State

Jack: This matchup is a good reason why polls are suspect: I’m not convinced the Gophers’ resume is THAT much than the Mavericks. And yet, Minnesota is in the top 10 and Minnesota State dropped to 15 (after losing three of four to two ranked teams. Obviously head-to-head will tell me a little bit more about how wrong I am. I’ll go with a split with each team winning at home. Mavericks 5-4, Gophers 2-1

Sean: I’m a big fan of home-and-home series between in-state rivals. It gives each fan base a chance to show up and, I think it creates a bit more of a playoff feel for each team. It should be a good atmosphere and it should be an exciting split. Gophers 1-0, Mavericks 3-1.

Atlantic Hockey Picks, November 18-23

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Last week:

Dan: 7-2-1
Chris: 6-3-1

On the season:

Dan: 38-27-11 (.572)
Chris: 41-24-11 (.612)

 

This Week’s Picks:

Friday, November 18 and Saturday, November 19
Mercyhurst at Bentley
Dan: I woke up on Thursday in the Caribbean on my annual anniversary vacation (blame my wife for a wedding date in the middle of the season). It was 85, sunny, and humid. The sun blasted off the ocean – and I boarded a flight so I could come home to the JAR. Kudos to Mercyhurst for their Thursday meal choice of the Chateau in Waltham (a local institution with the greatest toasted ravioli I’ve ever had) but leaving 85 and humid for the inevitable -85 degrees? That’s priceless. Bentley sweeps.
Chris: Both teams are struggling. Mercyhurst has lost four of its last five, while Bentley is 0-2-2 in its last four. I’m picking the Falcons to break through on home ice. Bentley sweeps.

American International at Canisius
Dan: I really like AIC, and wins this weekend would establish them as a breakout team this year. A split would be great, with three or more points making them pistol hot and officially the league’s hottest team (at least in my eyes). I’m buying on the Yellow Jackets to win at least one, but since I can’t figure out which night, I’m going to pick Canisius to sweep. I’ll have a close eye on this series all weekend long. Canisius sweeps.
Chris: This is the most intriguing series of the weekend for me. AIC could get on a roll with a strong showing here – in their last four contests, the Yellow Jackets took three points from Holy Cross and fought Bentley to a pair of ties. Canisius has played a killer schedule so far, and really need these home points as they go into another tough stretch in December and January. Given AIC’s penchant for draws, I wouldn’t be surprised to see another one (or two), but I’m going with the home team. Canisius sweeps.

Army West Point at Rochester Institute of Technology
Dan: It’s a great reflection of a program’s state when they can be favored over the defending league champions and fly completely under the radar. The Army machine rolls this weekend after Branch Night out at West Point. Army West Point sweeps.
Chris: The Tigers are slumping and Army West Point has shown so far that it’s a legit contender for a regular season title thanks in part to the play of goaltender Parker Gahagen. Two weeks ago RIT was stoned by a hot goalie on home ice (Charles Williams from Canisius) and I think history repeats. Army West Point sweeps.

Niagara at Sacred Heart
Dan: I’m sure everyone is pretty sick of hearing how much I like Sacred Heart, so I’ll spare the details why and just pick them. Sacred Heart sweeps.
Chris: Niagara picked up its first win of the season on Tuesday, so they’re looking to keep things going. Sacred Heart has just one win in its last seven games, but played some stiff competition over that span. I like them to rebound at home. Sacred Heart sweeps.

Air Force at Western Michigan
Dan: John Saunders is, was, and remains one of my favorite sportscasters of all time. A founding member of the Jimmy V Foundation, he was a staple in my household for his work with The Sports Reporters. His death in August left a giant void in the profession, and he’s one of those people who still has a giant impact. From 1974-1976, he was on the Western Michigan roster. All due respect and apologies to Air Force, I’m picking this one from the heart since I might not have another chance. John – this is for you. Western sweeps.
Chris: A long time ago, in a galaxy far far away…Air Force coach Frank Serratore was a goalie at Western Michigan. After two seasons he transferred to Bemidji, but that makes WMU the only school to boast two Atlantic Hockey coaches as former players (Robert Morris coach Derek Schooley is an alum). Did I mention Western is ranked No. 18 right now and coming off a split with No. 1 Minnesota-Duluth? I think Western sweeps.

Tuesday, November 22
Sacred Heart at American International
Dan: I’m echoing Chris’s thoughts that AIC is making themselves at home in the MassMutual Center. See my earlier point about them picking up steam. AIC wins.
Chris: AIC will play three games next week, starting with this one with the Pioneers. I’m think the Yellow Jackets are starting to feel at home at the MassMututal Center, and that will translate into a win for AIC.

Wednesday, November 13
Rochester Institute of Technology at Mercyhurst
Dan: Let’s see how many Thanksgiving/hockey cliches I can fit in this game. In a long, storied history, RIT will hope their bird isn’t cooked (1) when they head up to Erie. Look for a lot of cranberry saucy mitts (2) to move the puck like gravy (3) as ancient rivals look to stuff each other (4). Now that everyone’s rolled their eyes at me, just know I expected more (and better) out of myself. Mercyhurst wins.
Chris: This Thanksgiving Eve contest is the 63rd meeting between the schools dating back to their Division II/III days. RIT has had some success at the MIC including a playoff Quarterfinal sweep last season. I’m going with an RIT win.

Weekend picks: Nov. 18

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I start my D-III picks off this weekend, hoping to get off to a good start with some intense games on the docket.

Friday, Nov. 18

Saint Anselm at Castleton
Saint Anselm is bunched atop the conference with six other teams and looking to keep pace. Castleton needs to get their offense in gear. Saint Anselm should win this one. Saint Anselm 3-1

Friday-Saturday, Nov. 18-19

No. 3 Elmira at Buffalo State
Buffalo State is just two points behind Elmira, Plattsburgh, and Oswego in the ECAC West. Buffalo State has scored significantly fewer goals than the other three, so finding offense will be crucial. Elmira 3-1, 4-1

Endicott at Stevenson
Endicott has started undefeated and has allowed just two goals thus far. Stevenson is in third in the CHC and these will be their first games at home. I’ll call a split. Endicott 3-1, Stevenson 3-2

No. 10 St. Thomas at Bethel (home-and-home)
St. Thomas hasn’t started the season the way they’d like and are looking to get some wins and keep their ranking. Bethel is just one point from the top of the conference. I’ll predict a split, with each team winning their home game. St. Thomas 3-1, Bethel 3-2

Saturday, Nov. 19

No. 2 Wisconsin-River Falls at Wisconsin-Eau Claire
The top two teams in the WIAC meet for the first time this season to help determine who’s in the driver’s seat. Wis.-River Falls 3-1

Saturday-Sunday, Nov. 19-20

No. 9 Oswego at No. 1 Plattsburgh
These two are in a three-way tie with Elmira atop the ECAC West. All three are undefeated, though Oswego has played two more games than Plattsburgh. It’s difficult to pick against the three-time defending champions, though I imagine Oswego will give the Cardinals all they can handle. Plattsburgh 4-3, 3-2

Williams at Hamilton (home-and-home)
It’s the first weekend of play for NESCAC teams. We’ll go ahead and predict a split, assuming the home teams each win. Williams 3-2, Hamilton 3-2

Tuesday, Nov. 22

Marian at St. Scholastica
These two are tied for third place in the NCHA. In order to keep pace with Adrian and Lake Forest, it’s an important early game for both teams. I’m giving the edge to the home team. St. Scholastica 3-1

Hockey East picks: Nov 18-22

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I differed with Jim on only three games last week. One was a tie and he got the other two  right. So my five-game lead was almost sliced in half.

Dave last week: 6-6-3
Jim last week: 8-4-3
Dave’s record-to-date: 49-34-16
Jim’s record-to-date: 46-37-16

Here are this week’s picks:

Friday, Nov. 18

Providence at Northeastern 
Dave’s pick:  These two teams are listed at the bottom of the standings? Seriously? Even though picking a split in this home-and-home makes sense, I’ll take Providence in the front half of a sweep.
PC 3, NU 2 (OT)
Jim’s pick: This was the point in time that Northeastern began turning things around last season. But I think Providence is better than they’ve performed so I will go with the Friars.
PC 4, NU 2

Massachusetts at New Hampshire
Dave’s pick: I’m feeling a lot more optimistic long-term about the Minutemen after writing about them in this week’s column, but they did lose to UNH at home just a couple weeks back. I’m going to have to stick with the Wildcats at the Whitt.
UNH 4, UMass 3
Jim’s pick: It’s been a while since New Hampshire has played a complete game. But a Friday night at home in a winnable scenario. If UNH can’t play well here, be concerned.
UNH 3, UMass 1

Boston University at Connecticut
Dave’s pick: The Terriers are hitting a few more early-season potholes than I expected, but they still have the best talent (or at least the top two or three) in the league.
BU 4, UConn 2
Jim’s pick: Talent usually wins, so I can’t bet against talent, even if I think UConn can outwork the Terriers.
xxxxx

Maine at Vermont
Dave’s pick: If only the Black Bears could take that Alfond magic on the road….
UVM 3, UM 2
Jim’s pick: I don’t feel like this is a one-goal game. Vermont is playing well and, on the road, Maine isn’t.
UVM 5, UM 2

Massachusetts-Lowell at Notre Dame 
Dave’s pick: Lowell’s loss at Maine last weekend dampened my enthusiasm for the River Hawks a bit, while the Irish fared much better on Saturday night at Northeastern before the Zamboni failure resulted in a game-shortened tie the next day.
UND 3, UML 2 (OT)
Jim’s pick: I have the advantage of picking after the Thursday game and watched UML play well against the Irish. So I differ here and will go with the River Hawks.
UML 3, UND 2

Boston College at Harvard 
Dave’s pick: Harvard provides a tough challenge, but I still think the Eagles will extend their undefeated streak to 11 games.
BC 3, HC 2
Jim’s pick: Really tough game for BC and the Eagles are flying high. I just like the Crimson at home.
HC 4, BC 2

Merrimack at Wisconsin
Dave’s pick: Wisconsin has split with Northern Michigan, Boston College, and then Northern Michigan again, all at home. So another split would seem to be in the offing… if not for Merrimack’s winless road record.
UW 4, MC 2
Jim’s pick: I really like the way Wisconsin is playing under Tony Granato so I am going with the home team.
UW 4, MC 2

Saturday, Nov. 19

Maine at Vermont 
Dave’s pick: I’d be picking the sweep the opposite way at Alfond.
UVM 4, UM 2
Jim’s pick: I agree with Dave. Home cooking is special for the Black Bears and, though they are better on the road, I still don’t want to put faith in them just yet.
UMV 3, UM 1

Connecticut at Boston University
Dave’s pick: Since UConn already has five ties, I suppose I should pick the Huskies to add a sixth. Unfortunately for them, BU is just too tough.
BU 4, UConn 1
Jim’s pick: I will be incorrect in picking a BU sweep, guarantee it. But I feel like this BU team is poised for a run here.
BU 3, UConn 2

Northeastern at Providence
Dave’s pick: This weekend series is an important one for both clubs. I just like the Friars a bit more.
PC 3, NU 2
Jim’s pick: We both picked against Northeastern at home. Does the road change things? It should make it harder so I have to go with the Friars at home.
PC 5, NU 3

Merrimack at Wisconsin
Dave’s pick: The Badgers drop Merrimack’s road record to 0-5-2.
UW 3, MC 1
Jim’s pick: Dave just pointed out the obvious. Merrimack is not playing well away from Lawler.
UW 4, MC 2

Tuesday, Nov. 22

Boston College at Connecticut 
Dave’s pick: In five days, UConn faces fifth-ranked BU twice and third-ranked BC once. Yikes!
BC 4, UConn 2
Jim’s pick: This is a really tough schedule for UConn. And another reason I can’t pick them.
BC 2 UConn 1

Rensselaer at New Hampshire 
Dave’s pick: Here’s a match-up between two proud programs having tough years. Even though UNH is 4-5-2 overall and 2-1-1 in Hockey East, it feels as though the Wildcats have been struggling more than that. RPI is 2-8-1 and 0-4-0 on the road. Easy call.
UNH 4, RPI 2
Jim’s pick: RPI got swept at Maine. And though there have been a few weeks in between, I think UNH handle this task.
UNH 4, RPI 3

Harvard at Boston University
Dave’s pick: The Crimson will probably take one of the two this week against BC and BU, but I’m sticking with Hockey East on both counts.
BU 3, HU 2
Jim’s pick: I like Harvard to do something special this week, but it would be easier to pick if both games were home.
BU 3 HU 1

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