Boston College coach Jerry York will undergo an outpatient eye procedure Tuesday and will miss Tuesday night’s game at Merrimack.
Associate head coach Greg Brown will lead the team in York’s absence.
York will return back to the Eagles’ bench “as soon as possible,” according to a news release.
Each week during the season, we look at the big events and big games around Division I men’s college hockey in Tuesday Morning Quarterback.
Jim: There were a lot of interesting results this past weekend, Paula. But with No. 2 Minnesota-Duluth idle and No. 1 North Dakota able to hold serve against a good Bemidji State team, each team maintained their position in the USCHO.com Poll.
What that means is that for the first time since January of 2013, we’re going to have a clash of the heavyweights as No. 1 North Dakota travels to No. 2 Minnesota-Duluth to open league play in the NCHC. The two will play a two-game series against one another with a lot of early-season bragging rights on the line.
I know it is difficult for college hockey fans to get excited for big games this early in the season. But this is certainly one that hopefully packs Amsoil Arena and gives us a great early-season atmosphere.
Paula: That is an especially exciting matchup because the Bulldogs are looking for their first win since their Oct. 14 4-3 victory over Notre Dame. While the exhibition loss against the U.S. Developmental program doesn’t count, Minnesota-Duluth will certainly feel that as something that extended a losing streak to two games. Getting the opportunity to turn things around against a tough conference rival at home will make for great atmosphere for this series.
Don’t forget that the Bulldogs lost four regular-season games to the Fighting Hawks in 2015-2016 before upsetting North Dakota in first game of the NCHC Tournament Mar. 18. Amsoil Arena should be fully charged Friday night – and the series should create some buzz around college hockey.
I’m looking at other matches this weekend that intrigue me, two in particular: No. 14 Providence at No. 8 Boston College and No. 11 Michigan at Vermont. I’m intrigued by the okay-ish starts that both the Friars and the Eagles have had and how that may play out in the opening weekend of conference play for each team. I’m also eager to see how the Wolverines will fare on the road against an improved Vermont team.
Jim: The Michigan-Vermont series really intrigues me. I had a chance to watch a good amount of the third period and overtime for Michigan against Michigan Tech on Saturday night. And though the Wolverines earned a tie at home, they were significantly outplayed. I was impressed by the play of goaltender Jack LaFontaine, who made 42 stops on Saturday but recognize that the Wolverines probably need to be stronger in front of whichever goaltender plays.
As for Vermont, the Catamounts had a fantastic weekend at Omaha, both nights coming back from two-goal deficits in the first period. Friday, Vermont probably felt like they deserved the win, but leave it to Austin Ortega, such a dynamic player, who tied the game late in the third. On Saturday, though, Vermont wasn’t letting up after taking the lead and scored the game’s final five goals.
Bear in mind that the Catamounts are playing well right now without all four of its captains/assistant captains. The quartet was suspended prior to the season for hazing and will miss the Michigan game (though they will return on Sunday afternoon against Northeastern). The fact that Vermont has escaped their first four games with a 2-1-1 record (the other two games were a split with a very good Clarkson team) proves this could be a tough opponent once all players are again eligible.
Paula: Equally intriguing for me in the early going are the teams that are not performing as expected, especially teams that have yet to win a game. Ferris State is 0-6-1, having finally broken its losing streak with a 2-2 tie against Northern Michigan Saturday night. The Bulldogs lost four of their first six games by a single goal and the other two by two goals. I can’t imagine the frustration.
Then there’s Bowling Green (0-5-1), but some of the Falcons’ losses have been a bit more lopsided, like their 6-1 loss to Ohio State Saturday night. Bowling Green was named the favorite in preseason by both the WCHA coaches and media.
And then there’s Michigan Tech (1-5-2), picked second in preseason in the WCHA. As you said, they only came up with a tie after outplaying the Wolverines Saturday, and they lost to Michigan Friday night by giving up the game-winning goal, shorthanded, with 52 seconds left in regulation. In fairness, the Huskies have had a really tough early schedule. Not one of these three WCHA teams can be happy about the start of its season.
Once again, the season is young. That doesn’t mean it’s so young, though, that teams can’t be seen as underperforming. What have you noticed elsewhere?
Jim: You mention these WCHA teams, but I’m also concerned about the WCHA as a whole right now. Right now, with a 6-19-2 mark, WCHA teams have by far the worst out-of-conference winning percentage. I know we said this last week as well, but what happens in October, a month when so many non-league games are played, significantly impacts what happens come March.
It’s extremely likely that the WCHA may only place its tournament champion in the NCAA tournament. The league’s ugly 2-9-1 record against the NCHC and a 3-7-1 mark against the Big Ten has placed the WCHA in a hole from which it may be impossible to dig.
What’s interesting is that amidst all of this gloom and doom, you have Lake Superior at a perfect 4-0-0 and Minnesota State off to a 5-1-0 start. So maybe all is not awful for the WCHA.
Paula: Good points overall about the WCHA, Jim. Perhaps we’re seeing some natural growing pains, too, for a league that experienced significant membership changes not that long ago. Adjustment can be a difficult thing – although the NCHC, with its 23-11-6 early season nonconference record may be the counterargument to that.
Thumbs up to the members of Michigan’s 1996 NCAA championship team who took to the ice on Friday night. The trio of Marty Turco, Brendan Morrison and Mike Legg all took shots from the opposite blueline as part of Michigan’s Score-O contest. After Turco and Morrison both impressively made their shots, Legg stole the show. Trying to recreate his “lacrosse” goal that he scored to win the game against Minnesota in the regional final of the ’96 tourney, Legg “threw” the puck perfectly 150 feet to send the Yost Arena crowd into a frenzy.
[youtube_sc url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Chi-pXeoSBM]
Thumbs down to the sheer number of penalty minutes teams are accruing. While it’s true that teams need to adjust to tweaks in penalty calling at the start of every season, the stats so far are alarming, with nine teams that have played five or more games this season averaging more than 20 penalty minutes per game — teams that averaged far less than that, some by half or more, for the 2015-2016 season — and 15 total teams with more than 100 PIMs per game. No league is immune to this, and the only D-I independent, Arizona State, has 204 minutes in six games. It’s disruptive to the game, no matter the cause, and putting far too much an emphasis on special teams play overall.
ECAC Hockey on Monday announced that Quinnipiac freshman forward Logan Mick has been assessed a one-game suspension as the result of his actions in the Quinnipiac-Boston University game on Saturday, Oct. 22.
The league action was taken after review of an incident that occurred at the 6:36 mark of the first period where Mick was assessed a major penalty for hitting from behind and a game misconduct penalty.
Mick is not eligible to compete in Quinnipiac’s next game on Tuesday, Oct. 25, when the Bobcats host Massachusetts.
These are the three things I think I learned this week.
1. Things are looking a lot better at Merrimack.
The Warriors got off to a rocky start on the season with three losses: 2-1 to Sacred Heart, 4-0 to Clarkson, and 4-1 to St. Lawrence.
A look at the details made those losses look even more ominous. The loss to Sacred Heart came despite a 14-5 advantage in power play opportunities. At home. And the collective 8-1 loss to the North Country teams involved zero empty-net goals. The disparity really was that bad.
Ugly.
But all that changed with a sweep of Colgate this past weekend, 4-3 and 5-2.
2. The early “Mayday!” calls at BU weren’t warranted.
Much was expected of Boston University going into the season. The Terriers were picked to finish first in Hockey East, and one week into the season they were the number two team in the country in the USCHO poll.
But a week ago they traveled to Denver and got swept, 4-3 and 3-1. The Pioneers typically represent a tough road foe, but they had lost their first two games out of the gate, so getting swept by them did raise the BU blood pressure.
Defeating Sacred Heart on Friday, 7-0, was a good first step to calm any rattled nerves, but shutting out fourth-ranked Quinnipiac, 3-0, on Saturday is what did the trick.
All is well again at Agganis Arena.
3. Vermont might be better than I thought.
I’d pegged the Catamounts as a middle of the pack team and their opening weekend split with Clarkson affirmed that assessment. So I expected them to have a tough time at #20 Omaha this past weekend. Instead, they emerged with three out of four points.
Hockey East’s strength might well be deeper than I thought.
Kudos to the Catamounts.
1. Ringy Dingy… Six Times A Game
Lake Superior State’s hot offensive start continued this weekend, this time with a sweep of Alabama Huntsville. The Lakers, now 4-0, beat the Chargers 6-3 and 5-2 in Huntsville. LSSU has scored at least five goals in each of its four games this season — that’s six goals per game, currently the best in the league. Last season, the Lakers scored a league-worst 1.80 goals a game. Overall they’ve netted 24 goals, with five different players — JT Henke, Gage Torrel, Diego Cuglietta, Anthony Nellis and Brayden Gelsinger — scoring three goals already.
2. Brickley breaks out
It’s still early (obviously) but Mnnesota State’s Daniel Brickley’s three-assist game against Alaska on Friday night gave the Maverick defensemam 10 points on the season. That’s good enough for the conference’s scoring lead. He’s got one goal and nine assists already through just six games. Not too bad, considering the Utah native had 11 points in 36 games. Brickley’s currently the only league player to his double-digit scoring so far.
3. Nonconference struggles continue
The league’s dismal nonconference track record didn’t get much better this weekend. With three teams playing nonleague series, the WCHA squads went 0-5-1. No. 18 Bemidji State, despite being swept by No. 1 North Dakota, lost both games by a goal. Michigan Tech also played well against No. 11 Michigan but was unable to hold onto a one-goal lead in either game this weekend. They lost 4-3 Friday before tying 3-3 Saturday. Preseason league favorite Bowling Green hasn’t played well yet this season and didn’t change things against Ohio State. The Falcons lost 5-4 and 6-1 in their home and home series. They’re one of two WCHA teams (along with Ferris) still without a win.
Overall WCHA teams are 6-19-2 in nonconference play. Lake State and Minnesota State holds two of those wins (they swept Michigan State and St. Cloud State, respectively, the previous weekend). Those losses have added up quick, and won’t help matters in the Pairwise down the road.
A few of the bigger talking points from around the NCHC landscape this weekend.
UND digs out of early holes again
We’re talking about a small sample size just five games into the season, but North Dakota doesn’t seem to have much trouble erasing early deficits.
The top-ranked Fighting Hawks have now given up the first goal in each of UND’s past four games. It happened twice again this weekend at home against Bemidji State, yet UND picked up a sweep and moved to 5-0 on the season.
On Friday night at Ralph Engelstad Arena, the Hawks actually gave up the game’s first two goals as BSU’s Phillip Marinaccio and Brett Beauvais put UND in a 2-0 hole going into the second period.
Brock Boeser then put UND onto the scoreboard 14:51 into the second period on a 5-on-3 power play goal. He struck twice again in the third period, netting the game-winning goal on a penalty shot.
In Saturday’s rematch, Bemidji went ahead 1-0 2:53 into the game on a Leo Fitzgerald goal. Fast-forward to early in the third period, however, and another two goals from Boeser propelled UND into a 5-1 lead. After five consecutive Hawks goals, Bemidji scored three of its own to make the final score tight at 5-4.
UND’s schedule over the next month is potentially brutal: at No. 2 Minnesota-Duluth, at No. 7 Minnesota, sixth-ranked Denver at home and then a series at No. 14 St. Cloud State.
RedHawks impress at home
Miami continued its own promising start to the season with a win and a tie at home against Maine. The visiting Black Bears started the season with three wins and an overtime loss but were unable to pick up another victory on their first road trip of the season.
Friday’s series-opener was an entertaining 3-3 draw in which neither team was ever ahead by more than one goal. Anthony Louis was the hero for Miami with two goals, including a power play tally with 4:30 left in regulation that capped the game’s scoring.
Miami was even stronger offensively Saturday in a 5-0 win. The RedHawks peppered Maine’s net with 40 shots on goal. Louis picked up a goal and an assist, while Louis Belpedio knocked in a pair of goals.
MU (2-1-2) is back in action this upcoming weekend at home against former CCHA in-state rival Bowling Green ahead of a trip to currently undefeated Western Michigan (3-0-1).
Omaha’s defense struggles at home
A week after Omaha won the Alaska Goal Rush tournament, the Mavericks opened their home schedule in relatively underwhelming fashion.
UNO needed an Austin Ortega goal with 4:44 left in regulation Friday to salvage a 4-4 tie against Vermont in the teams’ series-opener at Baxter Arena. The Mavericks had found themselves 2-0 ahead after the opening 20 minutes on tallies from Justin Parizek and Tyler Vesel before Vermont scored four of the game’s next five goals.
Both teams were given plenty of power play opportunities. UNO went 2-for-7 on the man-advantage while Vermont capitalized on two of its six chances.
That happened again Saturday during a 5-2 victory for Vermont. The Catamounts capitalized on one of eight power play chances, while UNO went 1-for-6.
UNO again jumped out to a 2-0 lead, this time on goals from Mason Morelli and Ian Brady. Vermont roared back, however, scoring five unanswered goals.
Omaha (2-1-2) will look to get back on track this weekend at home against another Hockey East opponent. Little is likely to come easily, though, against fifth-ranked Massachusetts-Lowell.
The weekend saw a lot of interesting clashes between ranked teams, as well as the first games of the season for the Ivy League teams.
No. 1 Wisconsin at No. 9 North Dakota
Emily Clark scored a third-period goal and Sarah Nurse ensured the win with an empty-netter to give the Badgers the 2-0 win on Saturday. It was Ann-Renée Desbiens’ 41st career shutout. She’s now two away from tying the NCAA career mark. On Sunday, it was the Sarah Nurse show, as she scored four of the Badgers’ five goals to lead them to a 5-2 victory and weekend sweep.
No. 2 Minnesota at Ohio State
Sarah Potomak tallied her first career hat trick and her third game-winning goal of the season to give the Gophers the win on Friday. On Saturday, the Gophers outshot the Buckeyes 57-19, but needed yet another late game-winning goal from Potomak to secure the sweep. Saturday’s win marked the 300th in coach Brad Frost’s career. The Gophers surrendered the first goal in each game for the fifth and sixth consecutive time this season.
No. 3 Quinnipiac vs. No. 6 Boston College (home-and-home)
Friday afternoon’s game featured 10 penalties — including seven in the second period — but neither team were able to bury the puck as they ended in a 0-0 tie. It was the first time BC was held scoreless since February 2014, a streak that spanned 106 games. Caitrin Lonergan’s short-handed goal and two assists led the Eagles in their 4-1 win on Saturday. It was another stilted match, this time with 11 penalties, but both teams were able to tally power-play goals.
No. 10 Bemidji State at No. 4 Minnesota-Duluth
Katerina Mrázová was the hero for the Bulldogs as she scored both goals on the way to UMD’s 2-1 win on Friday. She became the third Bulldog to score two goals in a game already this season. On Saturday, Bemidji’s Emma Terres scored twice to bring the Beavers back from behind and salvage a 3-3 tie. Minnesota-Duluth won the shootout to earn the extra conference point and take possession of third place in the WCHA.
Princeton at Providence
The Ivies hit the ice this weekend and Princeton proved it deserved its preseason No. 7 ranking in the polls as the Tigers swept Providence 4-2 and 7-3. On Friday, the Tigers scored two goals in the final five minutes of the game to secure the win. Freshman Sylvie Wallin scored her first collegiate point when she netted the game-winning goal. On Saturday, 12 Tigers skaters showed up on the score sheet, with five having a multi-point afternoon.
The rest of the top 10:
No. 5 Colgate vs. Syracuse (home-and-home)
The Raiders took the first game 3-2. On Saturday, they fought to a 2-2 tie.
No. 7 St. Lawrence vs. Vermont (home-and-home)
Kennedy Marchment had a goal and two assists as the Saints continued their winning ways with a sweep at Vermont.
No.8 Clarkson at New Hampshire
Clarkson put up two straight 3-1 wins to sweep New Hampshire.
Photos from No. 14 St. Cloud State’s 3-2 victory over No. 7 Minnesota on Saturday, which completed a sweep of a home-and-home series:
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There were seven games between Hockey East and ECAC Hockey teams over the weekend, and the final decision went decisively to Hockey East, as the conference went 5-1-1 against ECAC Hockey teams.
To be fair, all the games were on the road, but from a league perspective, it would have been nice to see ECAC Hockey make more of a statement in the early going.
Clarkson was the only league team to return home with points against Hockey East opponents. The Golden Knights tied Providence Friday and then scored late in the third period to defeat Massachusetts-Lowell on Saturday.
The change in the way the game is called by the officials was also notable this weekend.
Niagara and Rensselaer each had nine power plays on Friday; Providence had ten against Clarkson Friday, scoring on three, while Colgate was just one-for-eleven on the man advantage in a loss to Merrimack Friday night.
On Saturday, Niagara and Union both went 0-for-8 on the power play, while Quinnipiac’s power play didn’t score on any of its twelve chances in a 3-0 loss to No.8 Boston University.
“It’s a work in progress,” QU coach Rand Pecknold told USCHO of the Bobcat’s power play struggles against the Terriers. “We got cleaned out, lost a lot of good players, and we’re trying to figure it out now. Our power play struggled tonight, and I thought BU’s kill was really good.”
Quinnipiac’s power play was fourth in the country last season, but the Bobcats have since lost Travis St. Denis and Sam Anas, who combined for 20 of the teams 47 power-play goals last year.
Rensselaer breaks through
Heading home after a pair of tough road trips to Maine and defending national champion North Dakota appeared to be just what RPI needed.
The Engineers tied Niagara 3-3 Friday and then erupted for a season-high six goals in its first win of the season Saturday against RIT. That outburst came after RPI scored eight combined goals in its previous four games.
Sophomore Evan Tironese leads the team with three goals and six assists through the first five games. He got off to a strong start last season, scoring seven points in his first six collegiate games before missing the rest of the year with an injury.
It’s early, but a healthy Tironese should be a boost to a Rensselaer team that lacked scoring depth last season.
Vecchione leading Union
It’s unfair to call last season a disappointment for Union senior Mike Vecchione. The Dutchmen captain had 29 points in 34 games, a dropoff from his 50-point sophomore year, but also played a solid two-way game as well. That translated in plenty of NHL interest in the offseason, but Vecchione chose to return for his last year of college.
It looks like he made the right decision. Vecchuine tied a career high with five points, including four goals, in a 5-2 win over Niagara Saturday. He has seven goals and four assists in his last four games, and leads all of Division I with eight goals and 13 points on the year.
Scoring goals hasn’t been a problem for the Dutchmen through the first few weeks of the season, as Union is averaging just under four goals per game. However, its play in its own zone will need to pick up of the Dutchmen are to rebound after two disappointing seasons in a row.
Union showed signs last weekend, giving up two goals in each game, but for the season the goalies Alex Sakellaropoulos and Jake Kupsky have combined for a 3.12 goals-against-average and a .876 save percentage.
Here’s a look back at the weekend that was in Atlantic Hockey:
Dan Rubin and I spent the last two weeks crowing about the league’s relatively strong start in non-conference play, so of course it was time for a letdown.
After opening the season a respectable 6-7-5, AHC teams were just 0-6-2 this past weekend. Niagara managed to tie Rensselaer 3-3 and American International fought former conference foe Connecticut to a 2-2 draw. Jackson Teichroeb made 38 saves for the Purple Eagles while AIC rookie Zackarias Skog stopped 38 in his collegiate debut.
Those were the high points because the losses weren’t pretty, as five of the six defeats suffered were by three goals or more.
Next week features a half-dozen non-conference matchups including Niagara hosting No. 19 Ohio State for a pair of games.
There were some conference games as well, including a series between Air Force and Bentley and one between Canisius and Robert Morris.
The results of these series might be an indication that we’re picking up where we left off last season, when four point weekends were hard to come by.
On Friday, the homes teams had their way. Canisius cruised to a 6-3 victory over RMU behind Félix Chamberland’s hat trick, while Air Force got goals from five different players in a 5-2 win over Bentley.
Saturday was an entirely different story with Bentley turning the tables in a 6-1 win powered by a pair of goals from Max French. Robert Morris was also able to turn things around with a road point in a 2-2 ties with Canisius that saw a player from each side score a pair of goals: Ryan Schmelzer for the Golden Griffins and Alex Tonge for the Colonials.
Conference action picks up this week with a trio of East vs. West series: RIT at Bentley, Army West Point at Robert Morris and AIC at Mercyhurst
Rensselaer defeated RIT 6-3 on Saturday thanks in part to two goals and an assist by senior captain Riley Bourbonnais. Riley is the son of former RIT player John Bourbonnais, who helped the Tigers win a Division III title in 1985.
Bourbonnais can also claim bragging rights over RIT goalie Mike Rotolo. They were teammates in 2009 on the Greece, N.Y. high school team that won a state title.
Here is a rundown of how the top 20 teams in the USCHO.com Division I Men’s Poll of Oct. 17 fared over the Oct. 21-22 weekend:
No. 1 North Dakota – swept No. 18 Bemidji State
No. 2 Minnesota-Duluth – idle, but lost to U.S. NTDP Under-18 Team in exhibition
No. 3 Notre Dame – tied, lost in overtime to Penn State
No. 4 Quinnipiac – defeated Connecticut, lost to No. 8 Boston University
No. 5 Massachusetts-Lowell – defeated No. 12 St. Lawrence, lost to Clarkson
No. 6 Denver – swept Michigan State
No. 7 Minnesota – swept by No. 14 St. Cloud State
No. 8 Boston University – defeated Sacred Heart, defeated No. 4 Quinnipiac
No. 9 Minnesota State – split with Alaska
No. 10 Boston College – defeated Colorado College, defeated Holy Cross
No. 11 Michigan – defeated, tied Michigan Tech
No. 12 St. Lawrence – lost to No. 5 Massachusetts-Lowell, lost to No. 15 Providence
No. 13 Harvard – tied Dartmouth
No. 14 St. Cloud State – swept No. 7 Minnesota
No. 15 Providence – tied Clarkson, defeated No. 12 St. Lawrence
No. 16 Yale – idle
No. 17 Northeastern – swept Arizona State
No. 18 Bemidji State – swept by No. 1 North Dakota
No. 19 Ohio State – swept Bowling Green
No. 20 Omaha – tied, lost to Vermont
The Big Ten went 4-4-2 for the weekend, with the highest-ranked team in the league, Minnesota, dropping two games to St. Cloud State. Even though the only team to earn a sweep was Ohio State, it was still a good weekend for B1G Hockey. Here’s my take on things.
1. The Buckeyes look like they’re the real deal.
Long-time Buckeye fans know that the most typical thing for Ohio State to have done this past weekend was to win a close road game against in-state rival Bowling Green before finding a way to lose at home in the follow-up performance Saturday night. Not only did the Buckeyes gut out Friday’s 5-4 win — scoring two third-period goals to come from behind — but Ohio State spanked Bowling Green Saturday in Columbus, scoring three goals in the first period en route to a 6-1 victory. Senior Nick Schilkey is hot in the opening games of the season, with three goals and an assist against BGSU and four goals in five games overall. If the Buckeyes remain healthy, they absolutely will challenge for the league title.
2. The Spartans didn’t look as bad as I expected them to.
No, that’s not an insult by any means. I was so impressed with the way Michigan State played in its 2-1 loss to Denver Friday night. The Spartans were a team that learned a lot from their very rough road trip to Sault Saint Marie, Mich., the week before, when Lake Superior State scored 14 goals to Michigan State’s 4. In Friday’s game, the Michigan State defense stymied Denver’s offense through two periods and helped the Spartans hang around long enough to be competitive. In fact, I got the sense that if that game had gone on for five more minutes, the Pioneers would have been in big trouble. Saturday, the Spartans scored an early third-period goal when down 2-0, and they kept the shots close in that contest. When lower-tier (so to speak) B1G teams that are young and rebuilding can hang that tough with highly ranked teams from leagues that have seen more success than B1G Hockey has, that’s good news for the whole league.
3. Look at both the Nittany Lions and Wolverines representing.
I really thought that Penn State would struggle more with Notre Dame, as I said in the weekend picks blog. I also said that their struggle would have more to do with the improved Fighting Irish than it would with the Nittany Lions. How nice, then, that Penn State proved me wrong, earning a 3-3 tie and a hard-fought 3-2 overtime win against the ranked Irish. With a record of 3-0-1, it looks like freshman Peyton Jones is emerging as the starter in Hockey Valley.
And I thought the Wolverines would sweep Michigan Tech this weekend, but I’ll take their 4-3 Friday win and Saturday’s 3-3 tie, two games in which they had to come from behind to accomplish what they did. In Friday’s win, freshman Will Lockwood had the shorthanded game-winning goal with 52 seconds left in regulation; in Saturday’s tie, junior defenseman Cutler Martin had the tying goal with less than five to go in the third after the Huskies had netted two third-period goals to take the lead. Lockwood had a goal and an assist each night, and his classmate, Jake Slaker, had two goals Friday and an assist Saturday. The two are tied for the lead in scoring for the Wolverines, a team that looks like it may have a very good season indeed.
Here’s a look at the upcoming weekend in ECAC Hockey, with several good matchups with Hockey East on the schedule. All games are at 7 p.m. unless noted.
Last week: 7-2-2
Overall: 9-10-2
Friday, Oct. 21
Niagara at Rensselaer
It’s been a bumpy go of it so far for RPI, but the Engineers are back home after a trip to defending national champion North Dakota last weekend. I think RPI will get its first win of the year in the home opener. Rensselaer wins
RIT at Union
Like RPI, the Dutchmen have been on the road for the first two weeks of the season. Union hasn’t been dominant at home the last few seasons, but I think returning to Messa Rink should be a boost for them. Union wins
Clarkson at Providence, 7:05 p.m.
The Golden Knights have won three straight games against Providence, and the Friars only have six goals in three games. These are two hard-skating teams and I think should be a tight defensive battle, which might tilt it in Clarkson’s favor. Clarkson wins
St. Lawrence at Massachusetts-Lowell, 7:15 p.m.
St. Lawrence has won three in a row in Mark Morris’ return to college hockey, while the Riverhawks have yet to lose this season. I’ll take the home team in what should be a tight game. Massachusetts-Lowell wins
Colgate at Merrimack, 7:35 p.m.
Neither team has a win so far, but Merrimack’s two goals in three games make it awfully tough to pick them. Colgate wins
Saturday, Oct. 22
Niagara at Union, 4 p.m
Dutchmen finish the weekend on a good note. Union wins
RIT at Rensselaer
RIT has scored plenty of goals, but has had problems in its own end. Can the Engineers take advantage? RIT wins
Clarkson at Massachusetts-Lowell
Should be another close one, but the Riverhawks are averaging over four goals a game. Massachuetts-Lowell wins
Quinnipiac at Boston University, 7:05 p.m.
The Terriers snapped Quinnipiac’s 17-game unbeaten streak last Dec. 12, beating the Bobcats 4-1 in Hamden. Boston University is just 1-2 this year, but should be one of the top teams in the country and might be a challenge for a Quinnipiac team working in new players in several important positions. Boston University wins
Colgate at Merrimack, 7:05 p.m.
Warriors bounce back for the split. Merrimack wins
St. Lawrence at Providence, 7:05 p.m.
The Saints are strong on both ends of the ice and should have enough to take down the Friars on the road. St. Lawrence wins
The SUNYAC has released the results of the 2016 preseason coaches poll.
Geneseo was selected by the conference coaches as the No. 1 team, garnering 61 overall points.
| School | Total points |
|---|---|
| 1. Geneseo | 61 |
| 2. Plattsburgh | 59 |
| 3. Oswego | 49 |
| 4. Buffalo State | 48 |
| 5. Brockport | 32 |
| 6. Potsdam | 27 |
| 7. Fredonia | 23 |
| 8. Cortland | 18 |
| 9. Morrisville | 7 |
Dan: 6-4-3
Chris: 5-5-3
Dan: 14-6-5 (.666)
Chris: 12-8-5 (.580)
Friday, October 14 and Sunday, October 16
Bentley at Air Force
Dan: Bentley has had success out west, splitting last year and taking three points back in 2013-2014. It’s not to say there’s a secret for success, but if someone is going to be able to do it, it’ll be them. I don’t they get swept, but since it’s hard to figure out who wins on what day, I’m just going to pick a Falcons sweep. See what I did there?
(Okay, fine. I’ll take Air Force).
Chris: The annual battle of the Falcons are the first conference games for each team. Each is coming off a lopsided loss after opening the season strong. I think the home team will pick up at least three points here, so I’m going with an Air Force sweep.
Robert Morris at Canisius
Dan: Robert Morris was off last week, and I think they’ll be ready and rearing to go. Canisius, meanwhile, is coming off a weekend in Alaska. I have to think the travel will weigh on them for at least one night. RMU wins on Friday, Canisius wins on Saturday.
Chris:This should be a great series. Canisius is coming off two challenging weeks on the road, with series at North Dakota and Alaska. RMU was idle last week. I think this will be a split, and am going with an RMU win on Friday and a Canisius victory on Saturday.
Friday, October 21
Sacred Heart at Boston University
Dan: It’s the home opener for a Terrier team that’s incredibly long on raw talent. While it’s not past Sacred Heart to beat them in a one game series, I think home cooking will do a 1-2 BU team more good than the Pioneers. BU wins.
Chris: I’d almost lean SHU if this game was in Bridgeport, but BU is coming off a pair of stinging loses to Denver and that, combined with this being the home opener for the Terriers, is going to be the difference. BU wins.
Niagara at Rensselaer
Dan: These are the depth games that Atlantic Hockey teams need to win in order to keep the drive alive for multiple tournament berths. RPI lost two to Maine, which leads me to think Niagara has a very good chance to win here. Unfortunately, the game’s in Troy, which balances that out. RPI wins.
Chris: Niagara leads the all-time series between the schools 4-2. Both teams are looking for their first win of the season, and I think the home team will claim the prize. RPI wins.
Rochester Institute of Technology at Union
Dan: Union continues its tour against the AHC with a home game against RIT. Key to watch in this game? The Dutch really struggled to put AIC away and tied Sacred Heart. RIT, as the defending champions, can really put a stamp on Union’s struggles against the conference with a win. RIT wins.
Chris: Old-timers remember that this was quite the Division III rivalry in the 1980s before Union moved up to Division I. The teams didn’t play each other for 14 years, picking up when the Tigers joined the D-I ranks. While RIT got the better of the Dutchmen in the D-III days, Union is 4-0-1 in the Division I era, and I think we’ll have more of the same. Union wins.
American International at Connecticut
Dan: If this game were in Springfield, I might think otherwise, but it’s in Connecticut, so I’m taking the Huskies. UConn wins.
Chris: AIC has played just one game so far, a 5-4 loss to Union. This will be the Huskies’ sixth game of the new season, and I think that will play a factor. UConn wins.
Army West Point at Massachusetts
Dan: I know I’m with Chris in this regard. Army is GOOD, and anyone who calls this an upset hasn’t paid much attention to what we’ve been selling. I’m taking the Black Knights, and if they play like we know they can, this one could be all black and gold from start to finish. Army West Point wins.
Chris: I’m picking the Black Knights, and I’m not going to call it an upset. Army West Point has looked very, very good through its first three games. Army West Point wins.
Saturday, October 22
Boston College at Holy Cross
Dan: This is a huge game for Boston College, a team desperately in need of a win after running into problems. The young Eagles will play desperate, which is something that might work out for the Crusaders. The AHC has had success against BC, and I think Providence is better than them, meaning this one should have Holy Cross as slight favorites via the transitive property. With BC using Colorado College as a warmup, I still can’t pick against the Crusaders. Remember that this is a regional rivalry dating back to ancient times for old-tyme alumni in the area. Holy Cross wins
Chris: I’m very tempted to go with the Crusaders for a number of reasons: The AHC has done pretty well against Hockey East so far (including Air Force beating BC three weeks ago), Holy Cross knocked off Providence last week at home, and the Crusaders are again hosting. Also, BC will play Friday while Holy Cross will not. But despite all that, my gut says Boston College will rebound from their slow (2-2) start. BC wins.
RIT at RPI
Dan: In the All Abbreviation Bowl, I’m going to take RPI. But never let it be said that this matchup won’t make the makers of Scrabble proud. RPI wins.
Chris: I’m referring to Rensselaer by its former name, RPI because the students at the rival (and sometimes mistaken for each other by the general public) tech schools used to call athletic matchups between them, “The battle of the alphabet schools.” In hockey, they have only met six times in 31 years with Union holding a 5-1 advantage. Even though their last meeting was in 2011 so no players on their team have faced off against each other, I’m going with history here. RPI wins.
Niagara at Union
Dan: I was going to make a realignment joke about Union playing all the AHC schools and wanting into the league, but I know that would just make someone mad. Union wins.
Chris: Despite the AHC winning more than its usual share of non-league games, I don’t think this weekend’s non-conference battles will result in very many wins, including this one. Union wins.
Sunday, October 23
Sacred Heart at AIC
Dan: I hope both benches get a chance to appreciate being in the building at the same time since they’re in similar boats in terms of facilities. That said, I think the Pioneers are slightly ahead on the ice at this point, though I wouldn’t put it past AIC to win on home ice. SHU wins
Chris:SHU has had a strange schedule so far with a single conference game each weekend with some non-conference tilts mixed in. Despite a couple of shutout losses to Army West Point, I think the Pioneers are going to have a pretty good season, and it starts here. SHU wins.
We’re starting to get into the normal groove of the season now — every team has played at least one series. And after this weekend, all but one WCHA team will have played at least one league series.
We’ve got some pretty good matchups this weekend, including three WCHA series. The other three league teams in action (Bemidji State, Michigan Tech and Bowling Green) all play ranked opponents.
Once again, it’s another big weekend for the conference’s pairwise.
Let’s get to it.
Northern Michigan at Ferris State
Jack: The Bulldogs so far are one of the biggest disappointments early in the season. They’re 0-5. However, all but one of their games have been decided by one goal. I think they’ll get back on track a little bit this weekend and earn a split at home. Bulldogs 3-2, Wildcats 4-3
Sean: Ferris has to be better than 0-5 and I think they’ll prove that this weekend. The Bulldogs have been close in each game and I think they turn the corner this weekend at home. Bulldogs 3-1, 2-1
Lake Superior State at Alabama Huntsville
Jack: What a weekend for the Lakers last weekend against Michigan State. They scored 13 goals on the Spartans. Can the keep those awesome offensive numbers going? It’s going to be tough against the Chargers’ solid goaltending. Lakers 4-1, Chargers 2-1
Sean: Alabama Huntsville has played solid defensively this season and Lake Superior State proved its offense can light the lamp last week. This series has split written all over it and the Lakers offense will come back to earth. Chargers 3-2, Lakers 4-0.
No. 9 Minnesota State at Alaska
Jack: The Mavericks are 4-0 for the first time since the 90s. They’re playing well, but the trip to Fairbanks is always difficult. I think they have enough to overcome it, but don’t be surprised if game two gets a little wild (and goes to OT). Mavericks 5-2, 4-3
Sean: I like Jack’s pick of overtime in one of of these games, and it’s about time Minnesota State faces a bit of adversity. However, I think the Mavericks are more than capable of dealing with that adversity and getting the sweep. Mavericks 3-2 (OT), 6-1.
No. 18 Bemidji State at No. 1 North Dakota
Jack: The Beavers are the other WCHA team that is currently 4-0 (the first time since 2005-06), but obviously a trip to Grand Forks is going to be a tough task. BSU has only beaten UND twice in Grand Forks, but if any team has the talent to do it, it’s this one. I’ll say they split. Beavers 3-1, Hawks 4-2
Sean: North Dakota is No. 1 for a reason and it’s going to be a big test for the Beavers to go into Grand Forks and pull out a win. Bemidji will make a game of it, but right now the Hawks aren’t going to lose at home. Hawks 4-3, 4-1.
Michigan Tech at No. 11 Michigan
Jack: Tech heads to Ann Arbor to play one of their longest-standing rivalries. The Huskies are 42-76-3 all-time at Michigan since 1921. They seem to be struggling right now, so a Wolverines sweep seems likely. Wolverines 3-1, 2-1
Sean: On paper this looks like a gimme pick. Michigan is ranked and playing well, while Michigan Tech is struggling. Red Berenson’s teams rarely are unprepared so I have to go with the smart choice here. Wolverines 4-2, 3-0.
No. 19 Ohio State at/vs. Bowling Green
Jack: The Falcons haven’t looked particularly sharp in four losses this season (OK, three losses and a 3-on-3 overtime loss). Ohio State, on the other hand, has already knocked off preseason favorite Denver and tied both Air Force and Miami. I think Bowling Green can finally get it done this weekend at home. A split seems the most likely, though. Falcons 3-2, Buckeyes 2-1
Sean: Each week the Falcons have been looking for a higher level from their players, and each week they’ve failed to deliver. It only gets tougher against Ohio State and Bowling Green simply isn’t playing well enough right now. Buckeyes 4-1, 3-2.
Well I gained one game on Nicole in our picks race, going 16-7-3 (.673) last week while she went 15-8-3 (.634). On the year, I am 54-27-8 (.651) while Nicole is 52-28-8 (.629).
There are some big series this weekend; let’s see how we do.
Friday-Saturday, Oct. 21-22
St. Cloud State at Minnesota State
Candace: Minnesota State is getting closer to its first win in almost two years in the conference, but I’m going with the visitors. St. Cloud 2-1, 3-1
Nicole: The Huskies have had some great goalie performances so far and MSU doesn’t have great firepower. St. Cloud State 3-0, 4-1
(2) Minnesota at Ohio State
Candace: While I like Ohio State’s play so far, I still feel like Minnesota is on another level. Minnesota 2-1, 3-1
Nicole: I’m tentatively really high on Ohio State and kind of low on Minnesota. I’ll go out on a limb and pick OSU to get one upset game at home. Ohio State 2-1, Minnesota 3-2
No. 10 Bemidji State at No. 4 Minnesota-Duluth
Candace: Bemidji did beat Minnesota, when Duluth couldn’t, but I’m going with home ice. Minnesota-Duluth 2-1, 3-1
Nicole: For all the Beavers have improved, the Bulldogs have all the confidence in the world and are at home, so I have to pick them to sweep. Minnesota-Duluth 3-1, 2-0
No. 3 Quinnipiac vs. No. 6 Boston College (home-and-home)
Candace: Home ice wins. Boston College 3-2, Quinnipiac 3-2
Nicole: I can’t do anything but pick a split, with each team winning at home. Boston College 3-2, Quinnipiac 4-2
Mercyhurst at Cornell
Candace: I’m going out on a limb and picking Cornell to sweep, just because I think Mercyhurst has trouble scoring. Cornell 4-2, 3-2
Nicole: We’ve got no real read on Cornell yet and Mercyhurst looked great last weekend, so I’ll pick them for the sweep. Mercyhurst 2-1, 1-0
Northeastern at Dartmouth
Candace: Dartmouth isn’t what it used to be. Northeastern 2-1
Nicole: Northeastern wins. Northeastern 3-1
Robert Morris at Merrimack
Candace: Merrimack has done well early, especially last week against Maine, but I like how Robert Morris is playing. Robert Morris 3-1, 3-2
Nicole: I’ve liked what I’ve seen from Merrimack in its second season, so I have to pick the split with Merrimack at home. Robert Morris 3-2, Merrimack 2-1
Vermont vs. No. 7 St. Lawrence (home-and-home)
Candace: Vermont could play spoiler, but I like St. Lawrence to sweep. St. Lawrence 4-2, 4-1
Nicole: The Saints have started strong and I expect that to continue. St. Lawrence 4-2, 3-0
No. 5 Colgate vs. Syracuse (home-and-home)
Candace: Syracuse has been in a funk. I’m going with Colgate to sweep. Colgate 2-1, 3-1
Nicole: This one’s maybe closer than it should be, but I have to pick Colgate to sweep. Colgate 3-1, 2-0
Penn State at Connecticut
Candace: Connecticut burned me last weekend when I picked the Huskies to sweep, but I’ll try again. Connecticut 2-1, 3-1
Nicole: Penn State’s been inconsistent and UConn is at home, so I give them the benefit of the doubt for a sweep. Connecticut 3-1, 2-1
RIT at Yale
Candace: RIT hasn’t proven itself to me yet. Yale 3-1, 3-2
Nicole: I’ll call it a split. RIT 2-0, Yale 3-2
Saturday-Sunday, Oct. 22-23
No. 1 Wisconsin at No. 9 North Dakota
Candace: Wisconsin has shown some vulnerability, but like the Badgers. Wisconsin 3-2, 3-1
Nicole: I have to pick the number one team, even if I’m a little concerned about them finding the net and Lexie Shaw’s play. Badgers to sweep. Wisconsin 3-2, 4-2
Princeton at Providence
Candace: Providence has shown signs of life, and I’m not sure about Princeton’s goaltending, but I’m going with Princeton to sweep. Princeton 2-1, 3-1
Nicole: Providence are at home and Princeton hasn’t played yet, so I’m picking a split. Providence 2-1, Princeton 3-1
No. 8 Clarkson at New Hampshire
Candace: New Hampshire looked overmatched against Boston College, and this won’t get better. Clarkson 4-0, 3-1
Nicole: Clarkson rebounds and takes sweeps this one easily. Clarkson 4-1, 3-0
Sunday, Oct. 23
Harvard at Dartmouth
Candace: Rivalry games are always intense, but I’ll go with Harvard. Harvard 3-2
Nicole: Going with the home team since we have nothing else to go on. Dartmouth 2-1
Tuesday, Oct. 25
Northeastern at Boston University
Candace: Northeastern beat BU pretty handily last week, so why not do so again? Northeastern 3-2
Nicole: Not much difference in these two teams, so I have to pick the home squad. Boston University 3-2
So far, B1G Hockey has had a solid start to the 2016-2017 season. Here’s how Drew Claussen and I have started.
Last week
Drew: 3-3-1 (.500)
Paula: 4-2-1 (.643)
Season
Drew: 8-7-2 (.529)
Paula: 10-5-2 (.647)
Five Big Ten teams are in action this weekend, each playing two-game Friday-Saturday series. Wisconsin is playing the U.S. Developmental team in a single exhibition game Friday night. All times are local.
No. 6 Denver at Michigan State
Drew: Even with the home ice advantage, I saw nothing last weekend to convince me that the Spartans have a shot at upsetting Denver this weekend.
Paula: This will be a telling week for the Spartans, who were outscored 13-4 in two road losses to Lake Superior State last weekend. Denver (2-2-0) swept Boston University last weekend, 4-3 and 3-1. Friday’s game begins at 7:00 p.m. in Munn Ice Arena, with the Saturday game starting at 5:00 p.m. Neither game is televised.
Drew’s picks: Denver 4-0, 6-2.
Paula’s picks: Denver 4-2, 4-2.
Michigan Tech at No. Michigan
Drew: After eking out a 2-1 road win over Ferris State last weekend, the Wolverines will return home to face another in-state rival. Like Bowling Green, Michigan Tech has to be desperate to add a few more wins to its name. The Huskies started their season at 0-4 following sweeps at the hands of Minnesota-Duluth and Minnesota State and managed a win and tie against Alabama-Huntsville last weekend. Of course, these games carry some extra weight since Tech coach Mel Pearson was an assistant at Michigan from 1988 to 2011. I see this one ending in a split, which I will probably pick the wrong way.
Paula: I, too, see a split — which I, too, will probably pick the wrong way. Last year, the Wolverines beat the Huskies in the title game of the Great Lakes Invitational Tournament, 4-2. In 2014-2015, though, Michigan traveled to Houghton and lost two lopsided games to Michigan Tech, 4-1 and 6-2, before beating the Huskies in a GLI semifinal game, 2-1. There is a lot of history between these teams. Games both nights at Yost Ice Arena begin at 7:30 p.m.
Drew’s picks: Michigan Tech 5-3, Michigan 4-2.
Paula’s picks: MTU 3-2, UM 3-2.
No. 7 Minnesota vs. No. 14 St. Cloud State
Drew: I actually watched both of St. Cloud’s games against Minnesota State last weekend and the Huskies looked shaky. Whether that can be chalked up to an opening-weekend anomaly or something bigger will be answered at a later date. The Gophers exhibition game should have kept any rust from forming, despite taking a week off from official competition after their opening weekend. St. Cloud has two young goaltenders, so if Minnesota can pounce on them early it will put itself in a great position. If either team does manage a sweep, I think it will be the Gophers, but I’m going with each team winning their home game.
Paula: I think this weekend will show us how good Minnesota really is. St. Cloud swept Minnesota Mariucci Arena in late November last season, 3-2 and 7-4. The Gophers are hoisting the regular season Big Ten banner before Friday’s game, the kind of thing that always boosts emotions — for better or worse. Friday’s game in Marriucci begins at 7:00 p.m. Saturday’s rematch begins at 7:07 p.m. in the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center. Both games will be televised by Fox Sports North and Fox College Sports.
Drew’s picks: Minnesota 4-3, St. Cloud State 5-3.
Paula’s picks: Minnesota 4-3, 4-3.
No. 19 Ohio State vs. Bowling Green
Drew: Ohio State will encounter a desperate opponent this weekend. With an 0-3-1 start, the Falcons have had the type of start that the Buckeyes have been burdened with the past couple seasons. The Buckeyes are off to a good start, not having tasted defeat in their first three games, and coach Steve Rohlik just received a nice contract extension this week. I think Ohio State will extend its road warrior streak going on Friday night before dropping a close game in its home opener.
Paula: Drew knows the Buckeyes well; it would be a very Ohio State thing to win on the road and lose at home. The Falcons lead this all-time series 97-74-9, and BGSU swept OSU in a home-and-home series to begin the 2015-2016 season, 6-3 in Columbus and 2-0 in Bowling Green. This is another series, though, that can define a Big Ten teams’s entire season. Friday’s game begins at 8:07 p.m. in the BGSU Ice Arena, Saturday’s starts at 7:00 p.m. at Value City Arena, and neither game is televised.
Drew’s picks: Ohio State 4-1, Bowling Green 3-2.
Paula’s picks: Ohio State 2-1, 3-2.
Penn State at No. 3 Notre Dame
Drew: Penn State has already notched a win against a ranked opponent and gotten its first road win of the season, but its most difficult nonconfernce test will be this weekend. Notre Dame split with highly-ranked Minnesota-Duluth on the road last weekend. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Nittany Lions stole one this weekend, but I’m picking an Irish sweep.
Paula: I see this series exactly the same way — and not because of the Nittany Lions, but because of the much-improved Fighting Irish. These teams met last season, splitting a pair of games mid-October games in Pegula Ice Arena in which the teams combined for 19 total goals. I can see Penn State winning one of these, too, but I’m not calling it that way.
Drew’s picks: Notre Dame 4-3, 5-2.
Paula’s picks: Notre Dame 3-2, 4-2.
Follow both Drew (@drewclaussen) and me (@paulacweston and @PaulaBonaFide) on Twitter. I’ll be live-tweeting tonight from Munn Ice Arena.
Apologies for not mentioning Wisconsin when the blog was published Friday. Drew and I don’t pick exhibition games.
When you have two people who are wearing Hockey East tinted glasses and picking non-league games, well let’s just say their records aren’t going to be very impressive if Hockey East struggles as it has been. But hey, .500 is an excellent batting average, right?
Jim last week: 8-8-3
Dave last week: 9-7-3
Jim to-date: 16-16-3
Dave to-date: 16-16-3
Friday, October 21
Colorado College at Boston College
Jim’s pick: CC struggled last weekend with goaltending. So unless they have some sort of miraculous turnaround in net, I think BC should get a win.
BC 4, CC 2
Dave’s pick: CC just hasn’t been a strong program for a while now. At home, this shouldn’t be close.
BC 5, CC 2
Sacred Heart at Boston University
Jim’s pick: Games like this can be like the Stanley Cup for Sacred Heart. But unfortunately, BU will likely treat this as their Stanley Cup after being swept in Denver a week ago.
BU 6, SHU 2
Dave’s pick: The Terriers definitely need a rebound game.
BU 5, SHU 1
Colgate at Merrimack
Jim’s pick: I so want to believe in this Merrimack team. But thus far they’ve shown me not reason to do so.
CU 3, MC 2
Dave’s pick: I have to agree. I was leaning toward the Warriors at home until I looked again at their home loss to Sacred Heart and then 4-0 and 4-1 losses in the North Country.
CU 3, MC 1
Maine at Miami
Jim’s pick: We all know Maine is better than most predicted before the season began. But how will the Black Bears fair on the road, an Achilles heel in recent years.
MU 4, Maine 3
Dave’s pick: I was stunned that the Black Bears took Quinnipiac to overtime both games last weekend and emerged with a split, but this will be their first game on the road. I need to be convinced they can do it without Alfond magic.
MU 3, Maine 2
Penn State at Notre Dame
Jim’s pick: This should be a good matchup and a good brand of hockey played between these clubs. Look for Penn State to have the speed to keep up with Notre Dame, but for the Irish to still come away victorious at home.
ND 4, PSU 2
Dave’s pick: Penn State is probably better than I’m giving them credit for, but with this weekend series at South Bend, I’m all-in on the Irish.
ND 3, PSU 1
Arizona State at Northeastern
Jim’s pick: Last week, Arizona State earned its first-ever win against a top-20 program. Don’t expect to see number two this weekend.
NU 5, ASU 2
Dave’s pick: Here’s another game I expect to be lopsided. Arizona pays dues that might take a few seasons to cash in.
NU 5, ASU 1
Clarkson at Providence
Jim’s pick: I like Clarkson a lot and am not totally sure about Providence yet. That said, because the Friars are at home, I’m picking them.
PC 3, CU 2
Dave’s pick: Uh-oh. I make all my picks before I look at Jim’s and so far it’s monkey see, monkey do.
PC 4, CU 3
AIC at Connecticut
Jim’s pick: It’s a short trip down I-91 to renew an old MAAC/Atlantic Hockey rivalry for AIC. But no doubt in my mind UConn is the stronger team.
UConn 4, AIC 1
Dave’s pick: Quite a few easy picks this week (he says, knowing the .500 anvil is going to hit him in the head).
UConn 5, AIC 1
Army West Point at Massachusetts
Jim’s pick: Army has played well out of the gate and is poised to go on the road and earn the win.
Army 2, UMass 1
Dave’s pick: I haven’t picked a lot of UMass wins in recent times, but there’s no way a Hockey East homer like me is going with Army. Jim and I finally disagree. Euphoria ensues.
UMass 2, Army 1
St. Lawrence at UMass-Lowell
Jim’s pick: The biggest clash of titans of the weekend is also the toughest to pick. Lot to like about both teams, so I’m using home ice as the deciding factor.
UML 3, SLU 2 (OT)
Dave’s pick: I might pick the River Hawks to win this one even if it were on the road, but it’s not so I think they take care of business in regulation.
UML 4, SLU 2
Vermont at Omaha
Jim’s pick: Some nights Vermont surprises you, like a road win at Clarkson a couple of weeks ago. But reality is Omaha should be the better team here.
Omaha 3, UVM 1
Dave’s pick: I was hoping Jim would go for the Catamounts here just for variety’s sake, but I’d lean toward Omaha at a neutral site and have to go with the Mavericks at home.
Omaha 4, UVM 2
Saturday, October 22
Quinnipiac at Boston University
Jim’s pick: A battle of the last two national runners-up is a very interesting clash. Both have plenty of fire power, but personally I like the experience of Quinnipiac in this one.
QU 4, BU 3
Dave’s pick: It was troubling to see the Terriers get swept in Denver, but Quinnipiac’s split at Maine–getting taken to OT in both games–wasn’t awe-inspiring either. Homer Hendrickson goes with BU in yet another overtime for Quinnipiac.
BU 3, QU 2 (OT)
Boston College at Holy Cross
Jim’s pick: Can Dave Berard and Holy Cross pull of upsets of fellow Catholics in back-to-back weeks? It’s quite possible playing at home, but I think BC is the deeper team.
BC 4, HC 2
Dave’s pick: I’m giving BC the edge both in depth and high-end talent.
BC 4, HC 2
Colgate at Merrimack
Jim’s pick: Sweeps are difficult and sweeping Merrimack at home is extremely difficult. Thus, I’ll go with the Warriors here.
MC 4, CU 2
Dave’s pick: I’m going to be stubborn and pick against the Warriors again, playing the “show me first, then I believe” card.
CU 3, MC 2
Maine at Miami
Jim’s pick: Here is another series that I can’t see a sweep. Though I’m more likely to pick the reserve split and take two losses.
Maine 4, MU 3
Dave’s pick: Chalk another one up for my stubbornness, though I’ll love it if Maine’s Cardiac Kids prosper this weekend.
MU 4, Maine 3 (OT)
Penn State at Notre Dame
Jim’s pick: Though Penn State keeps this series competitive, I see the Irish getting the sweep.
ND 3, PSU 1
Dave’s pick: I’m going with another sweep. The Irish all the way.
ND 4, PSU 2
Arizona State at Northeastern
Jim’s pick: A well-conditioned Northeastern team might run circles around the ASU club on night two.
NU 7, ASU 2
Dave’s pick: Let’s see where the Arizona State program is four years from now. At this point, though, it’s all Huskies.
NU 5, ASU 1
St. Lawrence at Providence
Jim’s pick: There is so much to like about this St. Lawrence team, thus I don’t see them coming to New England and to getting a win.
SLU 3, PC 2
Dave’s pick: We disagree again. Give me the Friars at home over the invaders from the North.
PC 3, SLU 2
Clarkson at UMass-Lowell
Jim’s pick: These two teams have played a number of games against one another in recent years and almost all have been low-scoring nail bitters. Look for the same again.
UML 3, CU 2
Dave’s pick: The River Hawks come away from the weekend with four hard-earned points.
UML 2, CU 1
Colorado College at New Hampshire
Jim’s pick: Neither of these clubs have played inspired hockey thus far this season. And while I don’t like picking against UNH at home, I’m going out on a limb here. Expect a high-scoring game.
CC 6, UNH 4
Dave’s pick: The Wildcats’ 5-3 win at Clarkson last weekend was enough to make me believe. The Cats get the W at the Whitt.
UNH 4, CC 3
Vermont at Omaha
Jim’s pick: Maybe I’m getting a little gun shy picking Hockey East teams after the first two weeks. But I’m going with an Omaha sweep hoping to be wrong.
Omaha 3, UVM 1
Dave’s pick: I thought sure Jim would pick a split, but even though I’m just following suit here, I’m also going with an Omaha sweep.
Omaha 3, UVM 2
Tuesday, October 25
Boston College at Merrimack
Jim’s pick: League play finally gets underway and Lawler Arena should see a pretty good tilt. Still I think BC has enough firepower to win.
BC 4, MC 3
Dave’s pick: I like the Eagles by a wider margin, begging the pardon of all my Warrior friends (ex-friends?).
BC 3, MC 1
Massachusetts at Quinnipiac
Jim’s pick: The fact that Quinnipiac took down UConn easily makes me believe they can do the same to UMass.
QU 5, UMass 2
Dave’s pick: Agreed. Hard to see UMass “pulling a Maine” and escaping with an upset.
QU 4, UMass 1
Thursday, October 27
Connecticut at Notre Dame
Jim’s pick: I am tempted to pick and upset here as I like the offensive fire of UConn. But I’m going to stay on the straight and narrow (and boring) and pick the Irish.
ND 4, UConn 3
Dave’s pick: Hey Jim, straight and narrow (and boring) is my turf. I love the progress UConn has made, but it’s not enough to top the Irish.
ND 3, UConn 2
