We came out of this last round of NCHC games with plenty to discuss in the days ahead. What follows are three of the bigger talking points that caught our eyes.
Omaha swept at home again
It wasn’t that long ago that Omaha was easily a top-10 team in the country looking poised to build on its deep Frozen Four run last season. Now, though, the Mavericks are in a little trouble.
UNO won each of the first eight games in its new Baxter Arena home, but the Mavs are now on a four-game losing streak there after a pair of losses this weekend against unranked Miami. Two weeks ago, Omaha dropped two home games against Denver.
Omaha entered this weekend’s series against the RedHawks ranked seventh in the latest USCHO Division I poll. They’re likely to face a sharp drop when the new poll comes out Monday.
They’re also all but out of the Penrose Cup competition. UNO now sits in fifth place in the NCHC, 22 points behind league-leading St. Cloud State.
Miami will surely get consideration from voters. Including one three-on-three overtime victory against Minnesota-Duluth on Jan. 8, the RedHawks have now picked up wins in five of its last six games.
Huskies keep rolling
Western Michigan picked up points in both of the Broncos’ first two NCHC trips to St. Cloud State. Not on the third one, though.
Fifth-ranked SCSU rolled past Western in a pair of home wins this weekend. An 8-2 win over the Broncos on Friday gave way to the Huskies’ 7-3 triumph in Saturday’s rematch.
St. Cloud now hasn’t lost since falling 5-2 on Jan. 9 at home against a resurgent Colorado College team (more on CC in a bit). The Huskies will be full of confidence going into next weekend’s North Star College Cup games, first against No. 20 Minnesota State and then either Minnesota or Bemidji State.
That said, keep an eye out for MSU. The Mavericks are 3-1-1 in their past five games and put 13 goals past Lake Superior this weekend.
Colorado College gives North Dakota a fright
Arguably the biggest recent surprise in the NCHC has been Colorado College’s uptick, and the Tigers were unlucky to come away empty-handed from its series this weekend at North Dakota.
Second-ranked North Dakota beat CC 5-4 on Friday thanks to a 1-0 shootout triumph, but the Fighting Hawks will feel it shouldn’t have come to that. UND opened the game with four first-period goals before the Tigers erased the deficit and then went ahead 5-4 on Hunter Fejes’s second goal of the night 6:34 into the fourth period.
A 6-on-5 Rhett Gardner goal inside the final minute of regulation tied the game up at 5-5 before UND prevailed in a shootout.
CC goaltender Tyler Marble was a big reason for his team’s success Friday. After starting goalie Jacob Nehama was pulled when he gave up a third goal 9:10 into the game, Marble came in and made 23 saves the rest of the way.
The Hawks had fewer headaches in a 5-1 win over CC on Saturday. Next weekend, CC hosts a struggling Omaha club while UND visits Western Michigan.
It was an 8-0 decision for Boston College over Massachusetts that gave BC head coach Jerry York his 1,000th career win. That doesn’t make the value of the victory any less.
1) 1-0 or 8-0, York’s victory on Friday was special
I honestly don’t care about the final score. But Boston College head coach Jerry York won his 1,000th game on Friday night, the first – and possibly the only – college coach who will ever accomplish that feat. Think about what it takes – if a 25-year-old becomes head coach, he needs an average of 20 wins each season over a 50-year career to reach 1,000. In this day and age where head coaches reach that position in their 30s of 40s, we’ll never see this again. The fact the win was a foregone conclusion in the first period, when BC led 5-0, didn’t matter. Jerry York will take this memory along with his hundreds of other great milestones, and enjoy them.
2) The best continue to shine
We have talked about Hockey East having an elite five teams at this point – the quintet fighting for four first-round byes and a regular-season title. Those teams went a combined 7-2-1 this weekend with UMass-Lowell and Providence splitting a weekend series. Boston University and Notre Dame swept Maine and New Hampshire, respectfully, while BC beat UMass and tied Connecticut. In other words, the rich get richer in Hockey East.
3) If you didn’t hear me the last time, keep an eye on Northeastern
The Huskies might be the hottest team in Hockey East, having swept three straight weekend series. The Huskies are 8-1-2 in their last 11, outscoring their opponents, 43-21. All of which was done, until this past weekend, without the efforts of Kevin Roy. Might this be the most dangerous team heading down the stretch? And might Northeastern make this one of the most interesting Beanpots in recent years – which, ironically, is Northeastern’s next game? Time will tell.
Three former Minnesota-Duluth women’s sports coaches are suing the university for discrimination and estimate their damages at $18 million, according to court documents filed recently ahead of a Monday hearing on the case, the Duluth News Tribune has reported.
Former women’s hockey coach Shannon Miller, former softball coach Jen Banford and former women’s basketball coach Annette Wiles are the plaintiffs.
That $18 million total includes $8 million for Miller and $5 million each for Banford and Wiles.
The lawsuit seeks back pay, front pay, damages for emotional distress, compensatory damages and reasonable attorneys’ fees, costs and prejudgment interest.
The paper reported that a statement filed Jan. 20 by the attorneys for the three coaches again outline claims of discrimination based on age, gender, sexual orientation and – in the case of Banford and Miller – national origin. Both are Canadian.
The women also claim “discrimination by an educational institution receiving federal assistance, reprisal because of their reporting of that discrimination, creation of a hostile work environment, violation of federal and state equal pay statutes, and violation of the Minnesota Whistleblower Act,” the report reads.
Miller led the women’s hockey team to five national championships in her 16 years as head coach, and was informed in Dec. 2014 that her contract would not be renewed after that season.
The three former coaches filed the initial lawsuit in Sept. 2015.
“Because defendant’s conduct has caused ongoing damages for each plaintiff, it is not possible to provide an accurate itemization of damages at this time,” the document states. “However, plaintiffs have reasonably calculated their aggregate losses to be approximately $18,000,000.”
In Nov. 2015, the three coaches and five current or former student-athletes also filed a Title IX complaint against the school, asking the federal Office for Civil Rights to investigate UMD on more than 50 gender discrimination allegations between women’s and men’s sports teams.
Friday, January 22 and Saturday, January 23 Niagara at Air Force Dan: Niagara is a much better team than people give them credit for, but Air Force doesn’t lose at home. That’s kind of a trump card I can play every week. Air Force sweeps. Chris: Niagara’s been outshooting its opponents with not much to show for it, and I expect more of the same in Colorado Springs against a Falcons team that’s been exceeding expectations. Air Force sweeps.
American International vs. Bentley Dan: Bentley’s lone home win this year in conference came in a 1-0 goalie duel between Alex Murray and Gabe Antoni back in December. In that game, there were zero penalties and 63 shots. Hard to tell if we’ll get more of the same, but expect both teams to go hard this weekend – AIC is 0-3 since taking three points from Canisius and a sweep of Army West Point (ironically coming right after that Bentley game), while Bentley is 3-10-1 since sweeping RIT back in November. I think there’s going to be a palpable tension on both nights for these teams; they both need points. Bentley wins on Friday; AIC wins on Saturday. Chris: The Falcons host on Friday and the Yellow Jackets on Saturday. I normally pick a split in these home-and-home series, and I think we’ll see desperate hockey between two teams that are struggling. But I like the Falcons to put together a pair of hard-fought wins. Bentley sweeps.
Canisius at Holy Cross Dan: Canisius is coming a long way from to take on a team that’s firing on all cylinders. Having spoken with David Berard a couple of times this year, I don’t think he lets his team lose sight of what’s in front of them. Holy Cross sweeps. Chris: I think if Holy Cross can avoid a letdown after two night of war last weekend against Robert Morris, the Crusaders will come through at home. Holy Cross sweeps.
Mercyhurst at Robert Morris Dan: This is one of those weekends where I see kinds of signs pointing to an RMU sweep. That’s exactly when something weird happens, especially with a Mercyhurst team I’m still pretty high on. In the words of Admiral Ackbar, “it’s a trap!” I’m going to party like it’s 2014 if RMU makes me eat my hat again. Robert Morris wins on Friday; Mercyhurst wins on Saturday. Chris: I really want to pick Mercyhurst to win one of these games, but RMU is tough to pick against at this point. I think the Colonials will take at least three points, and I’m going with all four. Robert Morris sweeps.
Rochester Institute of Technology at Sacred Heart Dan: I had a chance to really watch RIT last weekend when they came to Bentley. In a game of highs and lows, they do an amazing job of staying cool under pressure. Top to bottom, I’m starting to feel like they may be the most complete team in the league. Despite how much I’ve been heaping love on Sacred Heart this year, RIT sweeps. Chris: The Tigers have finally got their offense in gear, and historically the Tigers have done well in Milford. I’m going with an RIT sweep.
Tuesday, January 26 American International at Princeton Dan: The Princeton strategy is usually simple – sit back on defense, let goalie Colton Phinney do his thing, then capitalize when the other team opens the door. I’ve seen them a couple of times, and there’s something about that strategy I don’t feel is going to work against AIC. AIC wins. Chris: AIC is struggling at the moment, and I don’t see the Yellow Jackets picking up a road win here. Princeton wins.
Sacred Heart at Connecticut Dan: In-state rivalries are the best, especially when you have a team from Western Connecticut taking on a team most closely associated with Hartford. I really want to take Sacred Heart because I think this is a good matchup for them (and so I can use a Mets-Yankees analogy for Pioneer athletic director Bobby Valentine), but I’m going with the Huskies in this one. UConn wins. Chris: Sacred Heart has done well lately against its cross-state rival and former league foe, but I think it’s time for the Huskies to come out on top. UConn wins.
Jim and I had pretty good weeks, but both games we differed on ended as ties so I made up no ground. So that’s a good week for him and a bad one for me.
Dave last week: 8-2-3 Jim last week: 8-2-3 Dave’s record-to-date: 117-52-30 Jim’s record-to-date: 120-49-30
Here are this week’s picks:
Friday, Jan. 22
Massachusetts-Lowell at Providence
Dave’s pick: The marquee matchup of the weekend goes to the Friars on their home ice, but they need overtime to do it. PC 3, UML 2 (OT)
Jim’s pick: This is a tough game and series to call, so I as well will let home ice dominate my picks this weekend. PC3, UML 2
Boston College at Massachusetts
Dave’s pick: With only a single win for UMass since Nov. 7 — and that one over Army West Point — it’s hard to see anything but a lopsided win for the Eagles, home ice or no. BC 5, UMass 1
Jim’s pick: I feel like UMass might be motivated against Boston College, a team they often play tough. But I also believe they are missing too many pieces to win. BC 4, UMass 2
Notre Dame at New Hampshire
Dave’s pick: This series is likely a split since it’s at the Whitt. (There’s your poetry for today.) In fact, it wouldn’t be a stunner to see the Wildcats do even better than that. But with four straight losses, it’s tough to pick them over a Notre Dame squad on a 10-game undefeated streak. ND 4, UNH 3 (OT)
Jim’s pick: This will be a tight game but I like Notre Dame right now. A lot. ND 3, UNH 2
Northeastern at Merrimack
Dave’s pick: The Warriors got off to a great start, but have only won one game (against Canisius) since Nov. 13. This is a classic example of two teams going in different directions. NU 4, MC 2
Jim’s pick: This is as much about the way Northeastern is playing as much as how much the Warriors are struggling. NU 4, MC 1
Boston University at Maine
Dave’s pick: That was a pretty impressive tie for the Black Bears against top-ranked Quinnipiac, but it’ll take more than that and home ice for me to pick them over BU. BU 4, Maine 2
Jim’s pick: I am with Dave here. The fact Maine couldn’t hold onto a two-goal, third period lead at home is disappointing. BU 3, Maine 1
Vermont at Connecticut
Dave’s pick: On neutral ice I might lean ever so slightly toward Vermont, but I’m going with home ice on this one. And yes, I know UConn’s road record has been better than its one at home, but that, I think, is a statistical fluke. UConn 1, UVM 0 (OT)
Jim’s pick: I don’t know how much of a fluke that UConn’s home record is. The building simply hasn’t been as dominating this season. And I feel like Vermont is ready for a road win. UVM 2, UConn 1
Saturday, Jan. 23
Notre Dame at New Hampshire
Dave’s pick: I’m going with an Irish sweep knowing full well that could be a double dip. ND 4, UNH 3
Jim’s pick: I’m not as confident that Notre Dame could lose twice to New Hampshire. At least not the way the Wildcats are playing. ND 3, UNH 1
Connecticut at Boston College
Dave’s pick: UConn has fashioned some pretty big upsets in the last couple years, but I don’t see it happening here. UConn coach Mike Cavanaugh experiences an unpleasant return to Conte Forum. BC 4, UConn 1
Jim’s pick: I think the Cavanaugh/York matchup will be closer than Dave does, but I also see BC winning. BC 3, UConn 2
Merrimack at Northeastern
Dave’s pick: As noted above, this is an easy pick, especially at Matthews Arena, between two teams going in different directions. NU 4, MC 1
Jim’s pick: If Northeastern does, in fact, carry out a weekend sweep, you need to begin taking this team seriously as one of the scariest clubs to face down the stretch. NU 3, MC 1
Vermont at Massachusetts
Dave’s pick: Despite home ice for the Minutemen, I can’t pick them in this one. The Catamounts look like the clearly stronger team. UVM 2, UMass 1
Jim’s pick: Twice in the same weekend an assistant faces the former head coach he works under. And twice the mentor prevails. UVM 4, UMass 2
Providence at Massachusetts-Lowell
Dave’s pick: I’m going with a split, favoring the home teams each night, in this battle of Hockey East titans. UML 3, PC 2 (OT)
Jim’s pick: Though Providence has been slightly dominant of UMass-Lowell in the last few years (2-4-0 in last six), I still think the River Hawks earn the split. UML 4, PC 2
Maine at Boston University
Dave’s pick: In this long-distance (for Hockey East, at least) home-and-home series, I see only scarlet and white. The Black Bears become even more ensconced in the cellar. BU 5, Maine 2
Jim’s pick: Rack up another one for the Terriers, making the top 5 in Hockey East tight as can be. BU 3, Maine 2
Tuesday, Jan. 26
Sacred Heart at Connecticut
Dave’s pick: Two out of three ain’t bad (as Meatloaf once sang) for the Huskies on their extended weekend. UConn 4, SH 2
Jim’s pick: This could be the dangerous letdown game for UConn if it has any success. But I’ve already predicted a not-so-great weekend for UConn, so I believe it will be motivated for this in-state battle. UConn 5, SH 2
According to the Democrat and Chronicle, potential above-average crowds in the wake of last weekend’s tragedy have prompted Geneseo to accept only advance sale tickets for admission to Saturday’s hockey game and Tuesday’s women’s and men’s basketball games.
Kelsey Annese, a senior guard on Geneseo’s women’s basketball team, and Matthew Hutchinson, a senior defenseman for the hockey team, were killed in what has been deemed a murder-suicide by Annese’s ex-boyfriend, Colin Kingston, early Sunday morning in Annese’s apartment near campus.
Hutchinson’s family members, including parents Keith and Susan, are scheduled to be at Saturday’s 7 p.m. hockey game against Cortland.
Tickets will not be sold at the door at the hockey game or Tuesday’s 5:30 p.m. women’s basketball or 7:30 p.m. men’s basketball games against Cortland.
Fans who have already purchased a Roundtable Athletic Association badge may also use them at these games.
Tickets (cash only) are being sold at Geneseo’s MacVittie Student Union Ticket Office, which is located in the MacVittie College Union adjacent to Schrader Gymnasium. The ticket office will be open Friday, Monday and Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
There are a handful of important games this weekend in the world of women’s Division III hockey, so without further ado, Candace and Matt make their picks.
Friday, Jan. 22
No. 9 Castleton at St. Anselm Candace: A tough game to pick. I think the home team wins a close one. St. Anselm 3-2 Matt: Castleton is ranked, but it’s hard to ignore that 13-2-0 record at St. Anselm. I see St. A’s win here. St. Anselm 4-2
Friday-Saturday, Jan. 22-23
No. 2 Elmira at Chatham Candace: The Soaring Eagles will keep pace with top-ranked Plattsburgh. Elmira 5-1, 4-1 Matt: Looks like a sweep for the Soaring Eagles. Elmira 4-1, 3-0
Finlandia at No. 3 Adrian Candace: Adrian is looking more and more like one of the teams to beat for the national championship. Adrian 4-1, 6-1 Matt: This series shows that NCAA women’s hockey is alive and well in Michigan. Unfortunately for Finlandia, the Bulldogs take both games by wide margins. Call them wins for Adrian on shutouts by Brooke Gibson and Jade Walsh. Adrian 5-0, 6-0
Saturday-Sunday, Jan. 23-24
No. 1 Plattsburgh at Oswego Candace: I’m beginning to wonder if Plattsburgh might match what Minnesota did a few years ago. Plattsburgh 4-1, 4-0 Matt: Plattsburgh probably won’t lose another game. Ever. The Cardinals take down their in-state rivals 3-1 and 4-2 here.
Wednesday, Jan. 26
No. 4 St. Thomas at No. 8 Wisconsin-River Falls Candace: Can home ice propel River Falls to an upset? Possibly. Wisconsin-River Falls 3-2 Matt: This weekend, UST plays a home-and-home with St. Catherine, and my money says the Tommies get the sweep there and then head to River Falls to grab a weeknight victory. St. Thomas 3-2
Storm warnings
Storms often make people late, but this weekend in the ECAC, a winter storm is making things happen earlier. The league moved up the start times on both Friday and Saturday due to the snowstorm forecast to hit much of the East Coast.
Rensselaer at Brown, Friday, 3 p.m. EST
Last weekend, the Bears grabbed a point from Cornell. Can they do damage to RPI’s playoff push as well?
St. Lawrence at No. 10 Colgate, Friday, 3 p.m. EST
Colgate won in Canton, so the Saints will look to return the favor in Hamilton.
No. 5 Clarkson at Cornell, Friday, 3 p.m. EST
In recent years, the conference lead has often been at stake when these teams have played. There is no such reward this time, but the points are just as vital.
Ohio State at Minnesota State, Friday and Saturday, 2:07 p.m. CST
The Mavericks have demonstrated their improvement in recent weeks. Now is the time to show more tangible improvement in the win column.
No. 3 Minnesota at St. Cloud State, Friday and Saturday, 3:07 p.m. CST
Through coach Eric Rud’s first eight games versus Minnesota, the Gophers have outscored the Huskies 60-1.
Connecticut at No. 6 Northeastern, Friday, 7 p.m. EST; No. 6 Northeastern at Connecticut, Saturday, 3 p.m. EST
It’s offense versus defense when the two squads of Huskies square off in a home-and-home. Earlier this month, offense won as Northeastern came away with the points on home ice, 5-1.
Mercyhurst at Lindenwood, Friday, 6 p.m. CST, and Saturday, 1 p.m. CST
The Lakers retained their grip on the top spot in the CHA last week. They’ll need to avoid a letdown to do so again as they face the Lions in St. Charles.
Vermont at No. 1 Boston College, Friday, 7 p.m. EST, and Saturday, 2 p.m. EST
The Eagles are due to just explode against someone. Sorry, UVM. Last year, the Catamounts were able to keep things from getting out of hand, but BC is a ticking bomb.
No. 7 Bemidji State at Minnesota-Duluth, Friday, 7:07 p.m. CST, and Saturday, 4:07 p.m. CST
The Bulldogs have to be asking, “When will this run of ranked opponents end?” Not until next week. However, UMD played two tight games in Bemidji, so this weekend could bring its first 2016 win.
Union at Brown, Saturday, 1 p.m. EST
If the Dutchwomen don’t win here, it is looking like they aren’t going to win at all.
Rensselaer at Yale, Saturday, 1 p.m. EST
One has to go back to 2007 to find a year where both the Engineers and the Bulldogs made the playoffs, and given they look to be fighting for the same turf, that likely doesn’t change this season.
New Hampshire at Maine, Saturday and Sunday, 2 p.m. EST
What’s wrong with Maine? The Wildcats hope that the Black Bears don’t figure that out in the next few days. Maine beat UNH by four to kick off the season for both teams.
No. 5 Clarkson at Colgate, Saturday, 3 p.m. EST
The Raiders’ overtime win in Potsdam was the most impressive result of what has been a turnaround season. The teams share third place entering the weekend.
Providence at Boston University, Saturday, 3 p.m. EST; Boston University at Providence, Sunday, 2 p.m. EST
After a tough game at Quinnipiac, the Terriers will attempt to get well at the Friars’ expense.
No. 8 North Dakota at No. 2 Wisconsin, Saturday, 2:07 p.m. CST, and Sunday, 1:07 p.m. CST
I don’t expect that the Fighting Hawks are going to get the warmest of receptions in Madison. However, they really need points to hang onto their newly gained third-place standing.
Dartmouth at Harvard, Saturday, 4 p.m. EST
The Big Green haven’t won in their last 11 games, and the home team has lost three in a row. When’s the last time these two have played when they’ve both been scuffling this badly? The good news is that somebody is going to get much-needed points.
No. 9 Princeton at Connecticut, Monday, 7 p.m. EST
The Tigers take to the ice for the first time in 16 days. This contest could produce a top-notch goalie battle between senior goalies Kimberly Newell and Elaine Chuli.
No. 5 Clarkson at Cornell, Thursday, 7 p.m. EST
St. Lawrence dropped the Golden Knights in their first game as defending NCAA champs, but Clarkson has rattled off five head-to-head wins since then.
There are two Big Ten series this weekend. First, a peek at how Drew Claussen and I are doing so far with our picks.
Last week
Drew: 4-1-1 (.750)
Paula: 4-1-1 (.750)
Season
Drew: 57-34-15 (.608)
Paula: 62-29-15 (.656)
This week
Both Michigan teams play in exhibition against the U.S. Under-18 team this week. On Thursday night, the Wolverines beat the youngsters from the Developmental Program 5-2 and the Spartans host the lads Saturday night.
There are two B1G series this week, as Ohio State hosts Penn State and Minnesota travels to Wisconsin. Both the Nittany Lions and the Golden Gophers will have the chance to pull ahead of Michigan — currently tied with Minnesota — in league standings this weekend.
Minnesota at Wisconsin
Drew: The last time the Gophers swept Wisconsin at the Kohl Center was in 2005-06. What’s interesting is that Minnesota returned the favor after the Badgers picked up a sweep at Mariucci Arena earlier that season. There’s something else memorable about that particular season — more specifically the way it ended — but we won’t bring that up again. Long story short, I think the Badgers will find a way to pick up at least a point this weekend. I’m going to pick a split because predicting a tie is no fun, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the series ended with the Gophers winning one and the other ending in a tie.
Paula: Last weekend, the Badgers dropped two to Penn State on the road, marking the first time this season that Wisconsin failed to take at least a point in a two-game series. Minnesota swept Michigan State at home. The Badgers and Gophers can’t agree on how many times they’ve met; according to UW records, these will be the 275th and 276th games all-time, but according to Minnesota records, Friday’s game is No. 274. Also according to the Gophers, they lead this series 161-89-23. Last season, Minnesota was 2-0-2 against Wisconsin with the Badgers picking up a pair of extra shootout points. Friday’s game begins at 8:00 p.m. and is televised by the Big Ten Network, while Saturday’s 7:00 p.m. start will be carried by the American Sports Network.
Drew: Ohio State will be down two forwards for Friday’s contest because of suspensions at the end of last Sunday’s game against Michigan. Not having those two available isn’t ideal for Steve Rohlik, but I don’t think it will affect the series too much. While we might not get as many of the post-whistle shenanigans, I expect this series to be a high-scoring one, just like last weekend’s Michigan-Ohio State’s games. If Penn State can keep the goal totals low, the Nittany Lions will leave Columbus with the majority of the conference points. If Ohio State can continue scoring like it has been since returning from Florida, it can find some success. I’m thinking split.
Paula: Last weekend, the Nittany Lions swept the visiting Badgers, outscoring Wisconsin 8-4 but needing overtime to win Friday’s 4-3 contest. Meanwhile in a home-and-home series, the Buckeyes scored 11 goals against the Wolverines — enough to at least win one, conventional wisdom would say — but came away with two points in a 5-5 tie at home with the subsequent shootout point plus an 8-6 road loss. Freshman forwards Dakota Joshua and Brendon Kearney were the two Buckeyes given DQs at the end of the 8-6 game; each has a goal this season. OSU is 7-3-0 versus PSU all-time, including a record of 4-1-0 in 2014-15. I am going against conventional wisdom with my picks, based on what I saw of Ohio State last weekend. Games are Friday and Saturday at 7:00 p.m. and neither is televised.
Drew’s picks: Penn State 3-2, Ohio State 6-4. Paula’s picks: Ohio State 4-3, 5-4.
Despite my inability to pick CHA games, I still went a very respectable 24-7-4 (.742) last week. On the year, I am 265-76-39 (.748), better than Vegas odds.
Friday, Jan. 22
Rensselaer at Brown
Based on Brown’s loss to Merrimack, I’m going with the Engineers. Rensselaer 3-1
St. Lawrence at Colgate
Colgate squeaked one out against the Saints on the road in December. I think they do so again at home. Colgate 2-1
Clarkson at Cornell
Cornell just hasn’t shown enough consistency for me to think it can win this. Clarkson 3-1
Union at Yale
Two teams that will likely not make the playoffs. Home ice wins. Yale 3-1
Friday-Saturday, Jan. 22-23
Mercyhurst at Lindenwood
The Lions are showing continued improvement, but I think the Lakers take the sweep. Mercyhurst 2-1, 2-1
Robert Morris at Penn State
The Nittany Lions might throw a scare into the Colonials, but not enough to win. Robert Morris 2-1, 3-1
Syracuse at RIT
Did last week’s win show the Tigers are getting a spark? Maybe, but I’ll go with the Orange to sweep. Syracuse 3-1, 3-2
Vermont at Boston College
The Eagles haven’t been playing that great so far in the second half, but they are still winning. Boston College 4-2, 5-2
Connecticut versus Northeastern (home-and-home)
Home ice on Saturday won’t make any difference for Connecticut. Northeastern 4-1, 3-1
Ohio State at Minnesota State
I like the Mavericks to pick up a conference win in this series. Minnesota State 2-1, Ohio State 3-1
Minnesota at St. Cloud State
The Huskies have been known to throw a scare into the Gophers, but I have to go with Minnesota to sweep. Minnesota 3-1, 4-1
Bemidji State at Minnesota-Duluth
The Bulldogs weren’t able to beat Bemidji in October, but they are better now than then. Bemidji State 2-1, Minnesota-Duluth 2-1
Saturday, Jan. 23
Union at Brown
Will the Dutchwomen finally get a win? Probably not. Brown 2-1
Clarkson at Colgate
Look for the visitors to get revenge for the loss back in December. Clarkson 3-2
St. Lawrence at Cornell
Home ice versus the team that showed promise last weekend. Hmm. Cornell 3-2
Dartmouth at Harvard
Will the loss to BC be a springboard, or an emotional drain? Harvard 2-1
Rensselaer at Yale
I’m bucking a trend here and going with the lower-ranked team. Yale 3-2
Saturday-Sunday, Jan. 23-24
New Hampshire at Maine
The Black Bears haven’t won in a while, so I’ll go with the visitors. New Hampshire 3-2, 2-1
Providence versus Boston University
Wednesday’s beat down by Quinnipiac shows how far the Terriers have fallen, but I think they win on home ice and then use that to get the win on the road Sunday. Boston University 3-1, 2-1
North Dakota at Wisconsin
The Badgers will be super motivated to get revenge for the series loss in December, and I think they do. Wisconsin 3-2, 4-1
Monday, Jan. 25
Princeton at Connecticut
This will be a close one, but I like the Tigers to pull it out. Princeton 3-2
Tuesday, Jan. 26
Boston College at Merrimack
I have difficulty seeing this being as close as the last time BC played Merrimack on the road. Boston College 5-1
Last weekend, thanks to Anthony Louis’ last-second goal for Miami, I increased my lead over Matthew in our season picks’ race. I didn’t have a great week, going 3-2-2 (.571), while Matthew went 2-3-2 (.428). On the year, I am 80-36-13 (.670) while Matthew is 75-41-13 (.631).
We have some intense matchups this week, so let’s see how we can do.
Friday-Saturday, Jan. 22-23
No. 19 Minnesota-Duluth at No. 15 Denver Candace: I’d like to pick the Pios to sweep, but I just don’t see it. Denver 3-2, Minnesota-Duluth 2-1 Matthew: This one’s a bit tough to call, but Denver has played well lately and they’re at home so I’ll stick my neck out slightly. Denver 3-1, 3-2
Western Michigan at No. 5 St. Cloud State Candace: Western is a very scrappy team, as evidenced by their never-say-die play against Denver last weekend. Still, I have to think St. Cloud has the edge. St. Cloud State 3-2, 3-1 Matthew: Western always takes points in St. Cloud, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see it happen again. Western Michigan 3-2, St. Cloud State 4-2
Colorado College at No. 2 North Dakota Candace: The Tigers are playing better, but I think that after North Dakota blew last Friday’s game against Omaha, they will play with more consistency this weekend. North Dakota 4-2, 4-1 Matthew: CC’s rested after having last week off and the Tigers are looking much better than they did at the start of the season, but I don’t know if they take points this weekend. North Dakota 3-1, 3-1
Miami at No. 7 Omaha Candace: The last time these two played, both games went to overtime. This series is the hardest for me to call, because who knows which RedHawks team and which Mavericks team will show up? I’m going out on a limb and calling Omaha to sweep, though I think both games are close. Omaha 3-2, 2-1 Matthew: UNO has lost three of its last four, but I like the Mavericks to take care of business at home here. Omaha 3-2, 3-1
Here’s a look at the schedule for the next few days in ECAC Hockey. All games start at 7 p.m. unless noted.
Thursday, Jan. 21
Rensselaer at Quinnipiac
It’s a meeting of the first and second place teams in the ECAC in a rare Thursday night conference game. At this point, Quinnipiac looks to have first place locked up, and now it’s just a matter of determining which teams get the last three first-round byes. While the Engineers only have one loss in their last eight games, the Bobcats are clearly the class of the league right now. Quinnipiac wins
Friday, Jan. 22
Yale at Clarkson
Lost amongst Quinnipiac’s year-long dominance has been Yale’s recent play. The Bulldogs are on a six-game unbeaten streak that stretches back to December. Clarkson has picked it up recently as well, as the Golden Knights have won three of their last four. Goalie Alex Lyon stole a game for the Bulldogs last Friday, and I think he and Yale’s power play (ranked tenth in the country) could be the difference against a Clarkson team that scored five goals against Harvard last weekend, but has struggled to score goals for stretches this season. Yale wins
Harvard at Colgate
Both teams have strong power-play units, so really it could come down to which one does the best job staying out of the box. The Raiders and the Crimson have several impressive forwards, but I like Harvard’s depth a little better. Harvard wins
Dartmouth at Cornell
Outside of Yale, there might not be a hotter ECAC team than Dartmouth over the last few weeks. The Big Green are 5-1 in 2016, including a sweep against Clarkson and St. Lawrence at home last weekend. This should be a tight game, but it’s hard to pick against Cornell’s season-long steady play, especially given that the Big Red are at home. Cornell wins
Brown at St. Lawrence
It’s been a rough go of things lately for the Saints, who are stuck in a five-game losing streak. The Bears outplayed Yale for stretches last Friday, and Brown’s top line of Tommy Marchin, Mark Naclerio, and Nick Lappin is quietly one of the better in the conference. But Brown had some turnover problems against the Bulldogs on Friday, and that could hurt them against a St. Lawrence team that plays at a fast pace. St. Lawrence wins
Saturday, January 22
Brown at Clarkson
Clarkson is 7-1-1 at home this year, so it’s tough to pick them to get swept at Cheel this weekend. Still, the Bears top line should be able to generate enough offense for Brown to head home with two points. Brown wins
Dartmouth at Colgate
Freshman Adam Dauda’s arrival has given the Raiders some needed depth, and the defense allowed four goals in a three-point weekend last time out against Union and RPI. Those are good signs for a struggling Colgate team, but Dartmouth has been playing extremely well lately and it’s tough to pick against the Big Green. Dartmouth wins
Harvard at Cornell
Harvard’s ridden a high-powered offense this year, but might have a hard time creating chances against the Big Red’s rock-solid defense. Cornell has shown the ability to score goals this season, and that should be enough to keep up with the Crimson. Cornell wins
Yale at St. Lawrence
This should be an entertaining game, as both teams play an up-tempo style and move up the ice quickly. But Yale’s Alex Lyon and St. Lawrence’s Kyle Hayton are arguably two of the best goaltenders in the conference, so don’t expect a lot of goals. Yale’s shown the ability to finish its chances lately and that should give them the edge. Yale wins
Union at Rensselaer, 7:30 p.m. (Mayor’s Cup)
Union looked like it was getting back on track earlier in the month, as a 5-4 win over Robert Morris on Jan. 3 pushed the Dutchman’s unbeaten streak to seven games. But Union is 0-2-2 since then, while the Engineers are 2-1-2 since returning from the holiday break. RPI is dealing with some injuries, but it’s a veteran team that shouldn’t repeat last year’s 8-3 loss to Union in the Mayor’s Cup. Rensselaer wins
Tuesday, Jan. 26
American International at Princeton
The Tigers are back in action for the first time since Jan. 8 following the school’s exam break. Princeton has show signs of improvement this season, and it should start the stretch run with a win against an American International team that doesn’t have a non-conference win this year. Princeton wins
Notre Dame defenseman Jordan Gross has already matched his seven-goal output of last season (photo: Jim Rosvold).
Last weekend’s first full slate of Hockey East games had major implications in the standings, with not a single status-quo split. Three of those sweeps came from teams jockeying for first place, with another home-and-home series — Boston College taking three of four points from Boston University — further clarifying the top positions, at least for now.
Arguably, four teams — Massachusetts-Lowell, Boston College, Notre Dame and Providence — rank as the early favorites for a first-round playoff bye. Three of the four have only a single league loss and the fourth, Lowell with two, has the most wins.
Coming in at No. 5, perhaps squeaking into the top tier while still finding itself significantly behind the other four in the pursuit of a bye, is BU (5-4-3). After that, teams are at least a couple games under .500, making all of them long shots to join the top tier and seriously contend for the bye.
Below the top five, there’s hardly any separation at all in the race for home ice in the opening round. Other than BU, or whatever top-tier team fails to secure a bye, New Hampshire is best situated to get home ice with two games in hand over all its likely competition.
All of which magnifies the importance of this weekend’s upcoming full slate of league contests.
Notre Dame on a roll
With its sweep last weekend of Merrimack, Notre Dame extended its unbeaten streak to 10, dating all the way back to the day after Thanksgiving. While one could quibble with blowing a 3-0, third-period lead at Western Michigan two weeks ago, there’s no discounting the rest of the Irish’s results. They’ve moved into 10th in the PairWise Rankings (13th in the USCHO.com Division I Men’s Poll) and appear to have as good a shot at finishing atop Hockey East as anyone.
“We’ve started to play more consistently,” Notre Dame coach Jeff Jackson says. “We had the little blip against Western Michigan, but we’ve got a lot of guys going good right now. That certainly helps, it makes your depth better.
“A lot of it goes to our young guys developing, learning how to play the game at this level, both sophomores and freshmen, because that’s probably close to two-thirds of our team. With them maturing and getting more confidence, it certainly makes a big difference.”
Two of those younger players, sophomore Jordan Gross and freshman Bobby Nardella, are providing considerable offense from the blue line, filling out the team’s top five in scoring, including a total of 11 goals.
“Sometimes we play them together, sometimes we split them up,” Jackson says. “A lot of it’s based on matchups. Both of them have really good puck skills and instincts. They’re both willing to try to make a play offensively, and jump into the play if it’s off the rush or the cycle. They’re creative and they make plays, so that certainly makes them dangerous, makes us a better team.”
While there’s no superstar to dominate the scoring, there are 13 players ranging from Anders Bjork’s 24 points to multiple players with nine. That type of balance creates effective matchup problems.
“Going into the season, I knew that if we were going to have any success we were probably going to have to have balanced scoring and so far it’s played out,” Jackson says. “There’s not one line on a given night that you have to shut down. It could be any one of actually four lines; even our fourth line has started to be more productive in the last month.
“So it’s hard to create matchups against us because really any line can score. Our scoring depth has really helped us, no question.”
Arguably, balance is the mantra of this team, with no apparent weaknesses. The Irish rank fourth in Hockey East in team offense and defense, fifth on the power play and third on the penalty kill.
“The only weakness may be the inexperience sometimes,” Jackson says. “That shows up every once in a while. We blew the three-goal lead [against Western Michigan].
“But we’ve also come from behind a couple of times like that. We’ve been down a couple of goals and come back to tie it or win.
“This group is resilient, but they don’t have the confidence to finish out games sometimes. So that’s been one of the deficiencies, that we relax a little bit or we get a little comfortable and all of a sudden, boom, the opponent’s back in the game. So we’re still learning.”
Although the Irish have compiled a strong 8-2-3 record at home, they’ve been only 3-2-4 on the road so this weekend’s two games at New Hampshire represent a challenge.
“We haven’t had the best track record against UNH,” Jackson says. “We have to understand that they’re a good offensive team. They’ve got a great power play. They’ve got some dynamic offensive players, some of the best in the country.
“We don’t look to go shut guys down. We worry more about us. [But] we have to be conscious of the fact that they are a very good offensive team.
“They were really coming on there for a while. After a tough start, they really started getting hot. For whatever reason, they’ve had a little blip here in the last few weeks, but, I know [UNH coach Dick Umile] will get them going again. They’re never an easy out.
“We just have to play smart hockey when we play on the road, regardless of who the opponent is.”
Providence back on track
Nick Saracino is one of three Providence seniors with more than 20 points (photo: Melissa Wade).
The Providence Friars approached perfection through the holiday break, allowing only three ties to sully their 15 games. So it was a bit of a shock to see them falter to the tune of 1-3-1 in their five games coming out of the break before getting back on track last weekend with a 3-1 and 6-3 sweep of Vermont.
But a few facts are worth noting. First, two of the three losses came in overtime. Which, for all you non-math majors, means Providence still has lost only a single game in regulation all year. Second, the Friars were without star sophomore defenseman Jake Walman for four games due to injury, including two of the losses. Despite missing time, Walman remains the top-scoring defenseman in the country, so his absence was sorely felt.
“It gave some other guys a great opportunity to play and to develop, but we missed him pretty dearly on the power play, and we missed him from the offensive standpoint of just being able to get pucks down to the net quickly,” Providence coach Nate Leaman says. “He’s our power-play quarterback. He brings the puck up the ice very well.
“We struggled in that area with him gone. He adds another dimension to our power play.”
It’s hardly a coincidence that the Friars scored three goals on the man advantage last weekend with Walman back.
That said, Walman isn’t the only offensively gifted blueliner on the Friars. John Gilmour (17 points), Tom Parisi (10) and Anthony Florentino (nine points, including five goals) also add punch in the offensive zone.
“We have to be a multi-faceted team,” Leaman says. “Getting our defensemen involved has been something that we’ve been focusing on this year. Our defensemen are a big strength to our team because they can get involved, every one of them. So we’ve just been trying to use them as much as possible and use that to our advantage.”
There’s an old adage that you need a core group of seniors to lead you to championships. If true, Providence is in great shape. Other than Walman and fellow sophomore Brian Pinho, all of the Friars’ top eight scorers are seniors.
That’s a mother lode of leadership.
“Our seniors were our first recruiting class [when Leaman arrived at Providence], so they got put in a situation where they had to come in and be good right away,” Leaman says. “So they’ve played a lot of hockey. From freshman year on, they’ve played in just about every situation.
“So they have a lot of experience. With that experience comes a lot of confidence, a lot of poise. They’re doing a terrific job of leading the team.
“That being said, I really feel that our freshman group is really starting to play well. They’re starting to feel a lot more comfortable on the ice. Erik Foley has played terrific for us here in the second half. Garrett Gamez and Ryan Tait have.
“So we’re starting to feel the impact of our freshmen pushing. I don’t think they’re going to have the numbers that our seniors have because our seniors were able to do it from the start of the season, but I really feel like our freshmen are coming along and providing that secondary push that we need.”
Arguably the biggest question coming into the year — how do you replace Jon Gillies in goal? — has been answered emphatically. Nick Ellis has played all but one game, meaning his record of 14-3-4 is beyond repute, and the same can be said for his other statistics: a 2.11 GAA and a .928 save percentage.
Not too shabby.
“Nick’s a good goaltender,” Leaman says. “He’s one of our hardest-working players. Being behind Jon for two years, he was able to watch Jon, but he was also able to work and work and work.
“It’s fun as a coach to see someone rewarded like he’s being rewarded with the season he’s having because I know the amount of work that he’s put into it.”
A pivotal weekend series with Lowell beckons, one that could determine each team’s fate. Lowell sits atop Hockey East in terms of total points, six ahead of Providence, but the Friars hold four games in hand so another strong weekend could put them in an ideal position.
“They’re all good series from here on out,” Leaman says. “The standings matter, but with every game there’s so much on the line that you’re getting everyone’s best game.
“We’ve obviously had great games with Lowell in my time here. They’re always hard-working and highly contested games, and we’re expecting nothing different.”
A milestone deferred
Boston College could have given its longtime mentor, Jerry York, his 1,000th career win last Saturday night at BU, but a tie left that milestone waiting.
Not that York cares one whit.
“I’m not involved in that,” he said predictably. “We’ve always talked about it being a team sport. We, not me. So it’s just a number to me.
“The early part of my career, I didn’t think I’d make it to 37.”
Close but no cigar
BU had to settle for only a single point in its home-and-home series with BC but was awfully close to a lot more.
The Terriers didn’t play well on the road on Friday but almost rode three power-play goals to a tie. However, a late Ian McCoshen goal and then empty-netter sent them home empty handed.
“We took a step back tonight,” BU coach David Quinn said, finding little solace in the near miss. “It’s certainly not the way we want to play or need to play if we’re going to have success moving forward. I thought we were slow. I thought we were soft.
“[We gave up] way too many odd-man rushes. Not an awful lot to like about our game tonight.”
When asked what led to all the conceded odd-man rushes, Quinn pulled no punches.
“Poor puck management, puck-watching and being lazy,” he said.
One night later, goaltender Sean Maguire had another strong performance and two points loomed large, but BC tied it to salvage a point.
“It’s disappointing the way both games ended,” Quinn said after Saturday’s game. “We were two-and-a-half minutes away from at least getting a point [at BC], and tonight we’re two and a half minutes away from getting a win, so disappointing from that regard, but it’s Jan. 15, and you don’t want to be playing your best hockey now.”
Maguire’s play, however, bodes well for the stretch run and playoffs. After missing all of last year with injury, he started slow in the fall semester but finished it with a bang, leading the Terriers to an upset of top-ranked Quinnipiac, still that team’s only loss.
“He’s been getting better and better,” Quinn said. “The great thing over the weekend is we got elite goaltending, and that certainly bodes well going forward.”
Time to rally the hockey community
Two of our family could use your support.
You’ve no doubt heard of Denna Laing, the member of the Boston Pride women’s hockey team who suffered a significant spinal injury in the first-ever Women’s Winter Classic.
This strikes close to home. I’ve written many pieces about spinal cord injuries, starting with the first one about Travis Roy 20 years ago. Additionally, my niece Cherie Hendrickson plays for the Pride.
One fundraiser can be found at http://auctions.nhl.com/dennalaing, where game-worn jerseys from Tuesday night’s Bruins-Canadiens game are being auctioned off.
I’m sure that other fundraisers will follow.
Additionally, courtesy of John “Jocko” Connolly’s column in the Boston Herald, longtime BU supporter Elliot Driben is ailing. Send your own word of cheer to him at Driben c/o Briarwood Rehab and Healthcare Center, 150 Lincoln St., Needham, MA 02492.
And finally, not that it has anything to do with anything, but …
It’s been gratifying to see the response to my new novel, “No Defense,” a hockey romance. Thanks to all for your interest.
If you haven’t gotten a copy, it’s available in all electronic formats and trade paperback. If you’d like a personalized, autographed copy of the trade paperback for $15 (which includes standard shipping), email me at [email protected].
Believe it or not, I made it home from Houghton unscathed on Sunday despite the fact that the town got 27 or so inches of lake-effect snow last Saturday while I was there for the Minnesota State-Michigan Tech series. While I was worried about getting out of town, the Yoopers basically said, “This is nuthin,” and went about their business, including nearly filling up the MacInnes Arena for the second game of that series. That’s college hockey right there. Tech gets the weekend off after that three-point weekend, but six teams are in action, as are Jack and I and our picks. …
Alaska Anchorage at Bowling Green
Shane: The Seawolves wrap up a two-week road trip with this Thursday-Friday series at Bowling Green. It’s an important weekend for both teams, who are trying to create a little separation in the standings. Anchorage, which is tied with rival (and idle) Alaska for eighth has been better on the road than previous years, but it’s hard to pick against the Falcons, who are tied for second with Michigan Tech, at home. Falcons 3-2, 4-2
Jack: Normally I would agree and call for a BGSU sweep in this series — especially as good as they’ve been at home — but they’ve struggled in general lately. I think the Seawolves can score one win. Seawolves 4-1, Falcons 3-2
Lake Superior State at Minnesota State
Shane: The Mavericks made it to Mankato before I did, and I don’t think they were too happy about getting just one point against the Huskies. Scoring continues to be an issue for them, and the stingy Lakers won’t willingly help them get on track. Still, something tells me MSU is poised for a breakout weekend, and this could be it. Mavericks 5-2, 4-2
Jack: The Lakers have been somewhat resurgent in the second half of the year, scoring a win against Bowling Green and tying Michigan Tech in the past month-and-a-half. They haven’t played Minnesota State yet, and although the Mavericks will surely be surly after getting just the point against Tech, I think the Lakers may be able to win a squeaker and earn the split. Lakers 2-1, Mavericks 6-2
Ferris State at Bemidji State
Shane: The Beavers are the hottest team in the conference right now. They’re on a six-game unbeaten streak with five wins and 4.1 goals per game over that stretch. The Bulldogs are playing well, too, and — I know this sounds like a broken record (kids today know what that means, right?) — they find a way to get points every weekend. A split is the safe bet here. Beavers 5-2, Bulldogs 3-2
Jack: This series is turning into a nice little rivalry since the Bulldogs joined the WCHA. BSU and Ferris have already played 12 times in the past three seasons (these two games will be Nos. 13 and 14), including first-round playoff series in both 2014 and 2015. (Both of those playoff series featured Ferris advancing following a marathon overtime in game two). Anyway, the teams already split a series earlier this season in Big Rapids. And although the Beavs are red-hot right now, I think the Bulldogs will cool them down somewhat and earn yet another split. Beavers 5-3, Bulldogs 4-3
Last week: Shane 5-4-2, Jack 5-4-2. Overall: Shane 78-47-25, Jack 69-56-25
Michigan Tech’s Jamie Phillips had his best weekend of the season against Minnesota State, Huskies coach Mel Pearson says (photo: Rachel Lewis).
The WCHA has three teams in the USCHO.com Division I Men’s Poll for the first time since Oct. 12, and the hottest team appears to be the one that just kicked down the door to get back into the top 20, not to mention second place in the conference standings.
Michigan Tech is 17th, leapfrogging over Minnesota State (20th) and Bowling Green (18th) following its three-point home weekend against the Mavericks, a team it hadn’t beaten in 10 games. Saturday’s 3-1 victory was the Huskies’ first against the Mavericks since 2011-12, coach Mel Pearson’s first season at Michigan Tech.
“I didn’t realize the streak was like it was,” Pearson said. “We’ve had really good games with them, tight games. You wish you had more games like this. Two good teams. They play hard, play clean. They’re good, clean games, but you’ve got to show up. You have to earn your victories.”
The Huskies have been doing just that.
Since a somewhat perplexing pair of home losses to Alaska-Anchorage on Dec. 4-5, Michigan Tech has lost just once in eight games, and that was to No. 6 Michigan in the finals of the Great Lakes Invitational on Dec. 30.
Against Minnesota State, the seniors took over. Goaltender Jamie Phillips had his best weekend of the season, Pearson said, stopping 55 of 58 shots in the series. That included a 16-for-16 performance in the first period of Friday’s 2-2 tie.
Meanwhile, forwards Alex Petan and Malcolm Gould combined for four goals (three by Petan) and three assists (all by Gould) in the series.
“Minnesota State has an excellent team, but we have a pretty good team ourselves,” Pearson said. “What can you say about Alex Petan and Malcolm Gould … and Jamie Phillips? I thought they were really the three stars for us.”
Petan was named the WCHA’s offensive player of the week, and Phillips was awarded defensive player of the week for their efforts.
The Huskies also did it without junior forward Tyler Heinonen, their second-leading scorer, who missed the series with an injury.
“We have depth,” Pearson said. “We’ve talked about that all year. Guys rallied around that, and we got key performances from key people.”
The Huskies have a week off before traveling to Bowling Green to face the team with which they’re tied for second place. The two are three points behind first-place Minnesota State.
Pearson lamented that his team doesn’t get another shot at the Mavericks, and not just so the Huskies can try to start an unbeaten streak of their own against their nemesis.
“You’d like to play them more often, believe it or not, even with that streak,” he said. “It just brings out the best in your team. It’s unfortunate we only have them two times on the schedule this year. We want to play the best and I’m sure they do, too. … But I have a feeling we’ll meet again somewhere down the line.”
College hockey faithful
An extra shout-out this week has to go to the Michigan Tech fans. There were more than 3,100 in the MacInnes Student Ice Arena for Saturday night’s game against Minnesota State despite a lake-effect snowstorm that dumped a reported 27 inches of snow in the Houghton area that day and night.
Much of that area is Green Bay Packers territory, too, and with a playoff game going on at the same time, there were plenty of reasons for people to just hunker down at home instead of braving the elements.
“No. 1 star tonight’s our fans,” Pearson said. “I mean, given the weather and everything going on, for them to turn out 3,000 people to come out to a game tonight really says a lot about the support in the community, and I just couldn’t be happier that we have the support that we get from them.”
Ferris gets to three
Gerald Mayhew had an assist in both games last weekend for Ferris State (photo: Michael Dubicki).
Ferris State’s three-point weekend against visiting Alabama-Huntsville was its first of the season, having taken two points in every other series before that. The result pushed the Bulldogs into fourth place in the tight league standings, three points out of second place. They’re one point ahead of Northern Michigan and two ahead of Bemidji State, where they will travel this weekend.
“That’s probably the best weekend of hockey we put together,” coach Bob Daniels said after Saturday’s 4-1 victory. “Had we not, I don’t think we would have come out with three out of four [points]. It shows you we’re getting closer.”
Bulldogs goaltender Darren Smith, who stopped 38 of 42 shots in the series, was named WCHA rookie of the week.
Daniels said it was a tough call to play Smith both games. The freshman has been sharing time with senior Charles Williams.
“It was a real tough call,” Daniels said. “It came down to he hasn’t lost. We beat UConn the second night at the Minnesota tournament, tied [Friday] and won again today. Right now, if a guy gets hot and starts to roll off and can keep us undefeated for a length of time, I’d like to stay with that goaltender.”
That doesn’t necessarily mean Smith will start against the Beavers on Friday night.
“With that said, Darren’s marching orders are: Let’s show up Monday, let’s work hard in practice, let’s make sure there’s no dip in your game because I guarantee Charles Williams is champing at the bit to get back in the goal.”
Offensively, 10 different Ferris State players have reached double-figure point totals already, led by junior forward Gerald Mayhew’s 21 points. Michigan Tech is the only other team that has 10 skaters with 10 or more points.
Ice chips
• Alabama-Huntsville took just one point from Ferris State last weekend, tying 3-3 on Friday before losing 4-1 on Saturday. Chargers netminder Matt Larose was the goaltender of record in Friday’s game; he is unbeaten in his last three starts and is averaging 36.3 saves with a .957 save percentage, which is good for third in the WCHA since Dec. 18.
• Following its two-week road trip to Alabama-Huntsville and Northern Michigan, in which it went 2-2, Alaska is off this weekend. But the Nanooks will go right back out on the road after that for a nonconference series at Wisconsin on Jan. 29-30. Following that road trip, they will play three of their final four series at home.
• With a win at Lake Superior State on Sunday that snapped a five-game winless streak, Alaska-Anchorage already has surpassed last year’s league point total. The Seawolves have 14 points; they had 12 in 2014-15. They will play at Bowling Green on Thursday and Friday to wrap up a two-week road trip.
• In defeating Arizona State 5-0 and 2-0 in a nonconference series last Friday and Saturday, Bemidji State earned its second consecutive sweep. The Beavers are unbeaten in their last six games (and since the calendar turned to 2016). And in each of those six games, sophomore forward Gerry Fitzgerald has had at least a point. Fitzgerald has scored a goal in each of Bemidji State’s last four games and is tied with Alaska’s Tyler Morley for second place in goals (with 12).
• Despite losing 2-1 to nonconference foe Miami on Saturday, Bowling Green has allowed three or fewer goals in 19 consecutive games. The Falcons’ 1.84 goals allowed per game ranks fifth nationally. Bowling Green is tied for second in the league with Michigan Tech but has two games in hand.
• Lake Superior State’s youngsters continue to power the Lakers. The nine-member freshman class (10 if you count goalie Nick Kossoff, who has one assist) has accounted for 28 goals and 40 assists this season. Mitch Hults has 12 points (6 goals, 6 assists) to lead the freshmen, while Gage Torrel and Anthony Nellis are also in double figures in points for the Lakers.
• Don’t expect to see a lot of power-play goals when Minnesota State plays. The Mavericks have not allowed a power-play goal in their last 10 games, with opponents going 0-for-31 in that span. Meanwhile, the Mavericks’ own power play has struggled, going 0-for-21 over their last six-plus games.
• Northern Michigan coach Walt Kyle always expected his team to have a balanced scoring attack this season. During their recent series split against Alaska, 13 different Wildcats players posted at least one point, while six recorded two. Defensemen Barrett Kaib scored two of his team’s six goals, while fellow blueliners Ryan Trenz and Brock Maschmeyer added one apiece. Junior forward Dominik Shine also scored in Saturday’s game. The Wildcats’ goal-scoring leader (10) has a point in seven of the team’s last eight games.
• This week’s WCHA players of the week are Michigan Tech senior forward Alex Petan (offensive), Michigan Tech senior goaltender Jamie Phillips (defensive) and Ferris State freshman goaltender Darren Smith (rookie).
The level of competition across all of the conferences has simply been outstanding.
No, I am not saying that in any way to justify my picks being just over the .500 mark in recent weeks. The old adage of any team being able to win on any given night is the reality these days and the scoreboard each week clearly reflects the need not to take any opponent lightly.
The picks for last week missed out on a couple of surprising results, leaving me just above the .500 mark at 4-3-0 (.571) for the weekend. That brings the season record to 32-22-7 (.582), which has me trending down just from the 60 percent success threshold. Never fearful, this week brings more opportunity to change momentum.
Here are my picks for the East this week:
Thursday, Jan. 21
Southern New Hampshire @ Stonehill
This NE-10 battle may be critical as teams are jockeying for just four positions in the D-II tournament starting about a month from now. Wins and points are critical and the home team has just enough to eke out the win against the Penmen – Stonehill 4, SNHU 3.
Friday, Jan. 22
Neumann @ Utica
The atmosphere at Utica makes playing a game a challenge for any visitor and the Pioneers love to make the most of their home-ice advantage. Neumann won’t be intimidated by the crowd, so expect an empty-netter to be needed to send the crowd home happy – Utica 4, Neumann 2.
Amherst @ Hamilton
Rob Haberbusch has Hamilton playing some very sound hockey right now and conversely, Jack Arena’s Lord Jeffs are trying to find their offensive game. The battle between the travel partners could continue the Continentals rise to the top of the NESCAC standings – Hamilton 2, Amherst 1.
Southern Maine @ University of New England
TheNor’easters have been getting balanced scoring and good goaltending. That’s two critical elements to winning hockey games so expect the strong play to continue on the “big sheet” in their home rink – UNE 4, Southern Maine 3.
Saturday, Jan. 23
Middlebury @ Bowdoin
This is still one of the best rivalries in D-III so throw out the records when they play each other. The Panthers let a 4-1 lead slip away on the opening weekend of the season, so expect things to be played a little tighter in this one at “The Sid” – Middlebury 2, Bowdoin 1.
Suffolk @ Salve Regina
This ECAC Northeast game finds two teams battling for one of those home-ice playoff positions. That is a strong motivator for points and the home team has been making big plays when needed in recent games – Salve Regina 3, Suffolk 2.
Tuesday, Jan. 26
Geneseo @ Oswego
The Knights and the Lakers have been looking for that run, that consistency in their game to start that second-half run in SUNYAC play. Expect this one to be tight with neither team wanting to make a crucial mistake – Geneseo 3, Oswego 2.
The number of weekends and games is dwindling so now is the time to truly gear up for that stretch run and make sure you are playing your best hockey when it matters most – drop the puck!
