1. Perhaps Minnesota needs to work on that penalty kill. After beating Minnesota-Duluth 6-1 Friday, Minnesota lost 6-2 Sunday, and four of those Duluth goals came on the power play, including Justin Crandall’s game-winning, five-on-three marker at 14:27 in the first period. The Bulldogs began their scoring at 7:47 in the first with a shorthanded goal, so perhaps the Gophers will be looking at special teams overall in practice this week. The Gophers took 10 penalties to the Bulldogs’ 13 in the contest. Wow.
2. Perhaps Michigan State is still looking for some offense. The Spartans were swept by Western Michigan in a home-and-home series this weekend, outscored by the Broncos 6-1 in two games. In Friday’s 2-0 shutout, two nearly identical goals were scored on Western Michigan breakaways in a game that looked otherwise evenly matched. In Saturday’s game, two of the Broncos’ four goals were scored on the power play and another scored four-on-four … so perhaps the Spartans will be working on special teams this week as well. Freshman Mackenzie MacEachern’s fourth goal of the season in the third period of Saturday’s loss was the only Michigan State goal of the weekend, and that goal was four-on-four as well.
3. Perhaps Michigan should just keep on keeping on. The Wolverines rolled past visiting Niagara, 6-0, giving freshman Zach Nagelvoort his second shutout of the season; Nagelvoort made 38 saves in the contest. Sophomore Andrew Copp had two goals in the contest, bringing his season total to seven goals in 11 games — four goals short of his output in 38 games during his freshman season. Copp now leads the Wolverines in scoring with 12 points.
Nebraska-Omaha goaltender Ryan Massa made 29 saves Friday against then-No. 8 Miami, including this one on a penalty shot against RedHawks forward Austin Czarnik. (Photo: Michelle Bishop)
You may remember I suggested in my NCHC column last Wednesday that, with Nebraska-Omaha goaltender Ryan Massa playing so well on Friday nights so far this month, maybe the time had come to make him the Mavericks’ solid No. 1 starter.
It appears UNO coach Dean Blais could be leaning that way.
One wouldn’t expect much to be said about the goaltending in a nine-goal game, but Massa was arguably the Mavericks’ unsung hero in their 6-3 win over then-No. 8 Miami Friday night. He made 29 saves in the winning effort, and he stoned star RedHawks forward Austin Czarnik on three separate breakaways, including a penalty shot on which Czarnik came in too close and wound up shooting at Massa’s midsection.
Blais rewarded the junior goalie by giving Massa the start again Saturday night in what ended up as a 3-1 win for UNO. Massa capped off his first back-to-back starts in the same weekend this season by stopping 25 shots in the rematch while the Mavericks clinched a sweep of Miami for the first time since February of 2002.
The Mavericks went 6-2-0 against a November slate made up of, in order, Denver away and then North Dakota, Michigan and Miami all at home. Massa picked up five of those six wins, putting together a 1.99 goals-against average and .934 save percentage for the month.
Unfortunately for the Mavericks, though, they’re coming into a lull in their schedule at maybe not the best time.
UNO is idle this weekend for the first time this season, and the Mavericks are done until January once they complete a two-game set at Colorado College Dec. 6-7. The challenge, then, is whether UNO can keep its momentum despite only playing two games in six weeks.
Broncos find redemption again
Western Michigan coach Andy Murray spoke at his weekly press conference last Monday about how his Broncos needed to find a way to bounce right back from a pair of disappointing losses on the road the weekend before.
Mission accomplished.
After going 0-for-12 on the power play and giving up three such goals to Denver a week ago, Western almost looked like a different team last weekend in a home-and-home series with former CCHA rival Michigan State. After sophomore goaltender Lukas Hafner made 22 saves Friday in a 2-0 shutout win in East Lansing, the Broncos came home to Kalamazoo and scored two power play goals Saturday en route to a 4-1 win over the Spartans.
Perhaps even better was that Western went a perfect 8-for-8 on the penalty kill against MSU, including 5-for-5 in the Broncos’ home leg of the series.
Here’s one thing that still needs to be fixed, though: What we’ve yet to see from WMU is an ability to string together positive results two weekends in a row.
Western has been a streaky team thus far. After getting swept in a home-and-home with Notre Dame to open the season, the Broncos then went 3-0-1 in their next four games, 0-3-1 in the next four after that, and then 2-0 in the home-and-home with MSU.
This weekend’s slate could provide WMU with tougher sledding than it had against the Spartans. In Notre Dame’s Shillelagh Tournament, Western will square off with Northeastern before facing either the Fighting Irish or Alabama-Huntsville.
Late in North Dakota’s game Saturday night against Boston University, with the score locked at 3-3, BU went on a power play at the 16:57 mark when UND forward Brendan O’Donnell was whistled down for slashing.
The problem? O’Donnell did nothing of the sort.
In the incident in question, O’Donnell had his stick on the ice the entire time and never hit with it Tommy Kelley or Doyle Somerby, the two Terriers around O’Donnell in the play in front BU goaltender Matt O’Connor’s net.
Kelley’s stick broke in two on the play, but only when Kelley hit it against O’Donnell while appearing to try and get to the rebound off an initial shot by UND defenseman Jordan Schmaltz.
O’Donnell remonstrated with Hockey East referee Kevin Shea and linesman Brendan Blanchard on the way to the penalty box, but to no avail. Thankfully for UND, the Terriers didn’t convert on the power play, and the game eventually ended in a 3-3 tie.
Things were a bit hairy for Boston University after lopsided losses to Boston College and Maine. But after a win against Connecticut last Sunday, BU welcomed North Dakota for what turned out to be a pretty successful weekend. That leads the three things I learned this week:
1. Goaltending rotation broken, BU gets win, tie vs. North Dakota
All season, first-year coach David Quinn had rotated his goaltenders. This past weekend, Quinn broke the rotation going with Matt O’Connor both nights versus North Dakota. After an impressive win on Friday that included 37 saves in a 3-1 win, O’Connor got the call again on Saturday. He didn’t simply one-up his Friday performance, instead he posted a career-high 55 saves, including 24 in a wild third period, to earn a 3-3 tie against North Dakota. It’s difficult to tell if BU is suddenly back on path, but the team has great momentum heading into the marquis Red Hot Hockey matchup next Saturday at Madison Square Garden vs. Cornell.
2. River Hawks continue to roll in near-perfect weekend vs. Notre Dame
Massachusetts-Lowell provided a less-than-welcoming reception to Notre Dame this weekend, facing off against the Irish for the first time in the two programs’ long hockey history. The River Hawks were near perfect, allowing just one goal in the two-game series (1-0, 3-1 wins) while scoring all four of their goals on the power play. The Irish entered the weekend the top penalty killing team in the nation. For just the second time this season, Connor Hellebuyck played back-to-back nights, stopping 74 of the 75 shots he faced. Lowell’s five straight wins is tied with Ohio State for the nation’s longest winning streak and the River Hawks power play is now 15 for 51 (29%) after starting the season 1 for 25.
3. Black Bears returning to home ice dominance
Plenty of college hockey fans remember the days when Maine’s Alfond Arena was packed to the rafters every single night and the Maine Black Bears were nearly unbeatable on home ice. Well this year’s edition of the Black Bears seems to be returning their home ice to a place of dominance. After a 5-1 win over Boston College, Maine is now 6-1-0 at home this season. And the fans seem to be noticing. A capacity crowd of 5,125 watched Saturday’s contest at Alfond, an impressive increase from the 3,737 that watch Maine’s Hockey East home opener against just three weeks ago.
Lots of positional poll jockeying has been the norm the over the past two weeks, particularly in the bottom half of the top 10. This weekend was no exception, as chronicled below. Overall, the top ten clubs compiled a 14-4-1 record.
Colby stuns Polar Bears
There are road wins, and there are significant road wins. After dropping a pair to No. 2 Middlebury to start the season, Colby, under the watchful eye of first year interim coach Mallory Young, earned the latter with an eye-opening 3-2 overtime victory against No. 8 Bowdoin at Sid J. Watson arena, Friday afternoon. At 4:40 of the OT, Carolyn Fuwa with a helper from Elisa Rascia sealed the win for the Mules, who were outshot 48-20 by the Polar Bears.
Colby had forged a 2-0 lead into the third before Chelsea MacNeil and Schuyler Nardelli evened things up with goals within a span of 5:07. For Colby, the success was its first against Bowdoin in the last six contests. Big win in hand, the Mules were at it again on Saturday at familiar Alfond Arena. Colby senior Samantha Slotnick’s score at 6:00 of the third served as the game-winner that completed the sweep. The Mules, now 2-2-0, last finished over .500 in the regular season back in 2008-09.
WIAC split
No. 7 Wisconsin-Stevens Point and No. 5 Wisconsin-Superior squared off in the lone matchup of the week that featured two schools currently residing in the top 10. The Pointers holding home ice for the two games received a decisive goal from freshman forward Kendall Nelson 5:18 into the third in the opener on the way to a 2-1 win. Nelson’s score was her second of the year. Stevens Point’s Janna Beilke-Skoug continued her long string of consistent efforts in making 19 stops. Skoug’s counterpart at the other end of the rink, senior Shanley Peters who ranks sixth in the nation with a .952 save percentage recorded 33 saves.
The Yellowjackets got back into the swing the following day in piecing together three unanswered goals after the Pointers had forged a 1-0 advantage on Shauna Bollinger’s second goal of the season. Wis.-Superior made good on two of six power plays in the win, in contrast to the previous afternoon when the Pointers played a penalty-free contest. Wis-Superior came into weekend with a five-game win streak against Stevens Point.
Two teams remain unbeaten in ECAC East/West Conference play
St. Anselm carved out two road wins over Salve Regina and Holy Cross last week and in the process upped its record to 5-0-0 in ECAC East action and 7-1-0 overall. Norwich overtook Castleton and New England as well, improving to 6-0-0 in the conference.
Elmira, winless in the season opening East-West Classic, took a 5-1 nonconference triumph over Williams in its only game this week. The Soaring Eagles, currently on a five-game win streak, join Plattsburgh as the two unbeaten outfits in the ECAC West.
NCHA shootout
Lake Forest struck three times in the third period in overcoming a three-goal disadvantage in the first game, settling for a 6-6 result with high-scoring St. Scholastica. Michelle Greeneway potted the final two scores for the Foresters just 1:20 apart. Lake Forest held the nation’s top goal scorer, Nina Waidacher, to one tally on the afternoon. Saturday proved to be an entirely different scenario as the Saints got out in a hurry, taking a 3-1 lead after the first and adding three more unanswered goals in the middle period. Lake Forest scratched out a 45-26 advantage in shots on goal in the loss. Eight different players scored goals for the Saints.
Quinnipiac had only allowed three goals in a game three times this season entering Saturday’s matchup against Princeton. But the Tiger shocked the Bobcats at TD Bank Sports Center, scoring three times over the final 10:38, including twice in a 1:04 span, to turn a 3-1 deficit into a 4-3 win.
The loss snapped the Bobcats’ nation-best 13-game unbeaten streak. Quinnipiac had several defensive lapses that finally caught up to them, including a brutal Matthew Peca turnover that Andrew Ammon jumped on for the game-winning goal. Still, give credit to the Tigers, who jumped off the bench as the final horn sounded.
“To get four goals on a team that’s that defensive, it’s huge,” Princeton head coach Bob Prier said. “Pretty proud of the guys for the way that they battled, just the plays they made under duress, maybe that’s what we needed, to be down by a couple and just realize, ‘Hey, we’re just going to have some fun, make some plays and see what happens.'”
Freshman Colton Phinney made 32 saves for his first career win, including several big ones in a scoreless first period, as well as denying Peca on a shorthanded breakaway later in the game.
“He was composed and he outplayed their goalie [Michael Garteig], and that was something we needed,” Prier said.
Even after the loss, Quinnipiac still has the No.1 scoring defense in the country, although head coach Rand Pecknold wasn’t pleased with the way they played Saturday.
“They’re systematic and they’re so safe with the puck,” Prier said of the Bobcats. “They rarely turn it over; it’s always up the boards. Their puck support is incredible; you can tell the chemistry they have.”
There’s potential good news on the horizon for Princeton, as forwards Andrew Calof,Tyler Maugeri and Ben Foster could return from injuries in the next couple weeks, although Prier said nothing was set in stone.
Connecticut streaks snapped
Just as Princeton finished its improbable comeback Saturday to end Quinnipiac’s 13-game unbeaten streak, Cornell held on to beat Yale 2-1, snapping the Bulldogs’ seven-game unbeaten streak. That streak was the third best in the country, trailing only the Bobcats and Ferris State. Still, Yale appears to be in good shape heading into the holiday break. The Bulldogs hosts Merrimack this Saturday, then close out the pre-Christmas schedule with struggling Harvard and Dartmouth next weekend.
Freshmen Patrick Spano and Alex Lyon have split time in net, and each newcomer has been solid so far. The Bulldogs look to have a solid group of forwards as well, despite the mysterious departure of senior Clinton Bourbonais last week. Senior Jesse Root and freshman Mike Doherty, and junior Carson Cooper each have eight points in nine games, while Anthony Day has average a point-per-game in his seven contests, although the junior didn’t play this weekend.
Cornell picking up steam
The Big Red’s win over Yale Saturday was their third win in a row, moving them to 6-3-1. More importantly, Cornell got back top center Cole Bardreau, who had been out with an injury since the Big Red’s season-opening sweep at Nebraska-Omaha. The sophomore had three points in a 5-1 win over Brown Friday, and now has six points in four games this season.
Cornell had a power-play goal in each game this weekend, and the Big Red are first in the nation with a 30.61 percentage on the man advantage. Cornell hosts Niagara in a non-conference game Tuesday before facing Boston University Saturday at Madison Square Garden.
Aaron Kesselman and Princeton lost to Matt Lemire and No. 4 Quinnipiac at home on Friday before scoring a road upset on Saturday (photo: Shelley M. Szwast).
Here’s how the 20 teams in the Nov. 18, 2013, USCHO.com Division I Men’s Poll fared in games from Nov. 18 to Nov. 24:
Three things from Atlantic Hockey play in the week at was:
Representing
Atlantic Hockey went 3-4-1 in non-conference games this past week, which doesn’t sound all that impressive at first blush. But in light of the league’s 6-47-4 record coming into the week, it’s pretty darn good. Mercyhurst and Rochester Institute of Technology earned splits with Rensselaer and St. Lawrence, respectively, while Air Force went 1-1-1 in games with Colorado College (win) and Denver (tie and loss).
It helped that five of the nine games were played in AHA rinks, a welcome change of pace. Only 12 of the league’s previous 57 OOC games were played on home ice.
Air Force owns three of the league’s non-conference wins, one more than the Falcons had last year. They’ll finish their OOC schedule Dec. 29-30 at Dartmouth in the Ledyard Bank Classic tournament, taking on Northeastern in the first round and either Providence or the host Big Green.
Ups and downs
The roller coaster ride continues for American International. The last unbeaten team in conference play is undefeated no more, falling to Connecticut 8-1 on Saturday.
It was a big win for the Huskies, whom had scored a lone goal in losses to Bentley (3-0) and Boston University (4-1) the weekend before.
After the dust settled around the league, we’re left with a seven-way tie for third place, and just six points separating the top and bottom teams in the conference. Other than the Big 10, which hasn’t started conference play yet, every other league has at least an 11-point distribution from first to last. It’s early but expect parity.
Hockey Hotbed
It’s certainly not Boston or Minneapolis, but Rochester, N.Y. has produced it fair share of college hockey players. Former Boston College standouts Brian (and Stephen) Gionta and Marty Reasoner hail from Rochester, as do current stars Mark Zengerle (Wisconsin) and Cole Bardeau (Cornell).
Plenty of local talent was on display this past weekend when RIT hosted St. Lawrence. The visiting Saints featured a pair of freshmen from Rha-Cha-Cha: Woody Hudson and Trevor Hills, the son of RIT associate head coach Brian Hills.
Hailing from RochVegas on the RIT side were a trio of players: sophomore Dan Schuler and rookies Garrett McMullen and Mike Rotolo, who both saw their first collegiate action. Rotolo got his first start and earned his first win in net on Saturday.
Where are the turkey tourneys?
It’s been seven years since I moved from national Division III columnist to covering Atlantic Hockey, but at Thanksgiving time I’m stilling thinking about tournaments, a tradition at the small school level. There are no less than seven on tap for the holiday weekend in men’s Division III hockey, and just one, Notre Dame’s Shillelagh Tournament, scheduled for D-I.
You can’t have enough in-season tournaments, in my opinion. There will be eight D-I Tourneys around New Year’s but the more the merrier. Connecticut is the only Atlantic Hockey team that hosts a tournament (the UConn Holiday Classic, also featuring Massachusetts, Quinnipiac and Sacred Heart) and that tradition will leave with the Huskies at the end of the season. Here’s hoping another AHA school or two will get into the game.
Correction: Thanks to the many readers for pointing out my omission of the Three Rivers Classic Tournament hosted by Robert Morris at CONSOL Energy Center. Last year’s inaugural tournament was a big success, and this year’s version on Dec. 27 and 28 features the host Colonials along with Penn State, Bowling Green and Boston College.
Colby captain Nick Lanza picked up a hat trick last weekend against Bowdoin as the two teams split (photo: Alex Shehata/Maine Hockey Journal).
Here’s what happened this past weekend across the country in Division II and Division III circles:
NESCAC
The rivalry between Colby and Bowdoin resumed this weekend and the two teams earned a split. The Polar Bears went up to Waterville, Maine, on Friday night and earned a 3-1 win over Colby. Ollie Koo, Jay Livermore and Harry Matheson all scored for Bowdoin, while Geoff Sullivan scored for Colby. On Saturday night, the Mules earned the 4-2 victory down in Brunswick, Maine, on Nick Lanza’s hat trick. EJ Rauseo also scored for Colby. Kendall Culbertson and Matt Rubinoff scored for Bowdoin.
Two teams ranked in last week’s USCHO.com Division III Men’s Poll, Williams and Amherst, were also in action. Williams earned a 5-2 victory over Connecticut College on Friday night, getting goals from five different players. On Saturday night, Williams earned a 4-1 win over Tufts behind Craig Kitto’s two goals. Amherst earned a 3-1 win over Trinity on Saturday night with Brian Safstrom picking up a power play and shorthanded marker. Sunday, Amherst picked up a 4-1 victory over Wesleyan.
ECAC East
Norwich earned three points on the weekend, starting with a 2-2 tie with St. Anselm. Paul Russel and Shane Gorman scored for Norwich. Joe Tebano and Kevin Vanous scored for St. Anselm. On Saturday, Norwich’s offense came to life with a 6-2 victory over New England College. Travis Janke had a goal and two assists, while Shane Gorman had a goal and an assist. Nick Pichette, Chris Duszynski and Anthony Flaherty also scored. Jesse Ostring and Garrett Brazzier scored for New England College.
Babson earned a pair of 2-1 victories over Skidmore and Castleton. Friday at Skidmore, Nik Tasiopoulos and Mike Vollmin scored. Thomas Park scored the lone goal for Skidmore. Saturday against Castleton, Mike Driscoll and Matt Furley scored, while Bart Moran scored for Castleton.
ECAC Northeast
Salve Regina leads a tightly-bunched ECAC Northeast and picked up a 4-1 victory over Western New England in what was supposed to be an offensive showdown Saturday night. Trace Redman, Cameron Gaudet, Jonathan Felteau and Peter Gintoli scored for the Seahawks. Dan Monahan picked up the lone goal for Western New England.
Nichols, the other team with only one loss this season, picked up a 3-1 victory over Johnson and Wales Saturday night. Sean Fleming, Joe Sposit and Daniel Bufis scored for the Bison. Eddie Patterson scored for Johnson and Wales.
Wentworth picked up a 1-0 victory over Curry while Becker and Suffolk skated to a 3-3 tie.
ECAC West
The matchup of the weekend in the ECAC West was the two games between Utica and Hobart, which didn’t disappoint. Friday night, the two teams skated to a 3-3 tie. Pete LaFosse, Rob Morton and Kevin Kiristis each scored for the Pioneers. Hobart responded with goals from Robert Sovik, Bo Webster and Keith Clarke. Saturday night, it was a 3-2 thriller in overtime that went to Utica. Adam Graff had two goals, including the game-winner, and an assist. Jide Idowu also scored. Webster and Terrance O’Neil tallied for Hobart.
Elsewhere, Neumann and Manhattanville faced each other in a game where defense was apparently optional in Neumann’s 7-4 victory. Collin O’Neil had two goals. Kajon McKay, Ryan Luiten, Shane Topf, Chris Bournazos and Shayne Morrissey also scored for Neumann. Louie Balzano had two goals for Manhattanville, while Adam Young and Anthony Luzzi also scored.
MASCAC
Westfield picked up two wins this past week after a slow start to the season. Thursday, Westfield defeated Fitchurg State 6-4. Tyler Prendergast had two goals in the victory with teammates Jackson Leef, Taylor Murphy, Vincent Perrault and Dan Loughlin also scoring. Jake Martin, Max Lorenzen, Ryan Connolly and Cameron Synder scored for Fitchburg State. Saturday night, they squeaked out a 3-2 victory over Massachusetts-Dartmouth. Dalton Jay had two goals and an assist, while Josh McCully scored the game-winner. Shaun Walters scored both goals for UMass-Dartmouth.
In other MASCAC action, Salem State also handed UMass- Dartmouth a heartbreaking loss on Thursday, coming out on top with a 4-3 victory. Fitchburg State earned a 5-2 victory over Framingham State. Worcester State and Framingham State ended in a 3-3 tie. Plymouth State defeated Worcester State on Saturday 5-3.
MIAC
St. Thomas swept the weekend with two wins over St. Olaf. On Friday night, St. Thomas needed a shootout to beat St. Olaf 3-2 (officially a 2-2 tie). Alex Altenbernd and Steve Sorensen scored for St. Thomas. St. Olaf picked up goals from Peter Lindblad and Marc Richards. Saturday, it was a 3-0 victory with Altenbernd scoring twice and Drew Fielding making 30 saves in the victory.
Augsberg’s offense was clicking with 9-2 and 7-3 victories over Northland. Ben McClellan had four goals and two assists in Friday night’s 9-2 win. He also had two assists on Saturday. On Saturday, B.J. McClellan had two goals and an assist. St. John’s earned a split with St. Mary’s. After Friday’s 4-3 victory, St. John’s dropped Saturday’s game 3-2.
NCHA
Clash of the Titans faced off in a nonconference matchup as St. Nobert welcomed Wisconsin-Eau Claire to town. St. Nobert handed Wisconsin-Eau Claire their first loss of the season with a 5-2 victory. Pijus Rulevicius, Michael Hill, Erik Cooper, Brandon Hoogenboom and Mason Baptista scored for St. Nobert. Jon Waggoner scored twice for the Blugolds. On Saturday, St. Nobert defeated Wisconsin-Stout 5-2. Chris Rial provided two goals, while Cooper, Baptista and Joe Perry also scored.
St. Scholastica had two nonconference games this past weekend. They opened the weekend with a 4-3 victory over Stout. Dave Williams and Keegan Bruce each provided the lone assist on the others’ goal. Chad Golanowski and Paul Marcoux also scored for St. Scholastica. Wisconsin-Superior came to town on Saturday and came away with the 3-2 victory. Bruce and Josh Hansen scored in the loss.
Northeast-10
Southern New Hampshire earned two victories this past weekend. On Tuesday, they defeated Franklin Pierce 5-1 behind a two-goal effort by Joe Collins. John Humphrey, Steven Berry and Zach Lubinski also scored. The lone goalscorer for Franklin Pierce was Bryan Colella. On Saturday, Berry got the game-winning goal in the 3-2 victory over Assumption. Jay Sylvia and Dane Caracino also scored. Nick Mattiello scored twice for Assumption.
Stonehill earned a 6-2 victory over Canton. Richard Harris had two goals and Bryan Rooney, Kevin Aufiero and Bill Carey also scored for Stonehill.
SUNYAC
Plattsburgh continues to roll with a weekend sweep of Morrisville. Friday night, the Cardinals put seven goals on the scoreboard from seven different players. Alex Jensen had a goal and two assists, while Dillan Fox and Ryan Farnan each had a goal and assist. Luke Baleshta, Connor Gorman, Mark Constanine and Adam Scuglia also scored. Zach Bake picked up the lone goal for Morrisville. Saturday, Gorman had a goal and three assists. Barry Roytman, Jensen and Fox picked up the other goals. Joe Santino, Ryan Marcuz and Marc-Antone Chaput scored for Morrisville.
Oswego and Geneseo met Friday night with Geneseo coming out on top with the 7-4 victory. Justin Scharfe had two goals for Geneseo, while Connor Anthoine, Jonathan Sucese and Matt Solomon had a goal and assist. AJ Sgaraglio and Zach Vit also picked up goals in the win. Mike Montagna, Brandon Adams, Andrew Barton and Chris Waterstreet scored for Oswego. Saturday, Geneseo defeated Cortland 7-4, while Oswego defeated Brockport 4-0.
WIAC
Wisconsin-Stevens Point picked up two victories with a 6-1 win over the Milwaukee School of Engineering on Friday and a 2-0 win over Marian Saturday. Garrett Ladd and Evan Dixon had a goal and assist Friday night. Kyle Brodie, Joe Kalisz, Kyle Heck and Lawrence Corneller also tallied a goal Friday night. Kalisz had both goals Saturday night in the win over Marian.
After dropping a 5-2 decision to St. Nobert on Friday night, Wisconsin-Eau Claire ended the weekend on the road with a 7-0 victory over Concordia (Wis.). Jon Waggoner had two goals and an assist, while Charles Thauwald also had a pair of goals. Brian Nehring, Joe Krause and Jason Eddy added the other goals. Jay Deo stopped 29 shots to earn the shutout.
On the season:
Dan: 56-24-5 (.688)
Chris: 59-21-5 (.724)
This Week’s Picks
Friday, Nov. 22 and Saturday, Nov. 23: Holy Cross at Robert Morris Dan: Holy Cross has a team that just doesn’t quit. So does Robert Morris. A big weekend by either of this team can create some separation between themselves and the lower part of the league. We predicted RMU to finish middle-to-high. We said the same with Holy Cross. They’ll split. Holy Cross wins Friday; RMU wins on Saturday. Chris:The season really begins to take shape when you start seeing the two-game series between east and west scheduling pod teams. This is just the second such series played this season, and it’ll be a good one with two teams in the middle of the pack looking to break out. The teams split in the Crusaders’ last visit in 2012 and I think they’ll do it again. Robert Morris wins Friday; Holy Cross wins Saturday.
Rensselaer at Mercyhurst Dan: RPI got swept last weekend by Union in a series they should’ve taken at least three points in as the preseason league champion. Mercyhurst is rolling. But there will be too much Engineers. RPI sweeps. Chris: This is the second non-AHA team to visit the Mercyhurst Ice Center this season, a rarity. RPI has never played there, but that disadvantage is offset by that No. 14 ranking. The Engineers are probably still smarting from last weekend’s sweep at the hands of arch-rival Union. I think they rebound here. RPI sweeps.
St. Lawrence at Rochester Institute of Technology Dan: RIT is really struggling, and as good as I think they can be, I’m starting to sway against them. SLU has a dynamic offense that can carry a sometimes-lapse in defense and goaltending. When I saw them play at Brown earlier this year, their ability to explode out of a zone was pretty amazing. SLU sweeps. Chris: The Tigers always seem to give SLU trouble, dating all the way back to RIT’s first season in Division I when they stunned the then 14th ranked Saints at Ritter Arena. Two seasons ago it was an amazing come-from-behind victory for RIT at Blue Cross Arena. The teams played a fairly even series in the North Country last season, splitting the games. But RIT is struggling right now to play a full 60 minutes of hockey, and lapses in almost every game have been costly. SLU dropped out of the Poll this week after a pair of tough losses at home to Colgate and Cornell, but I think are the better team and will rebound here against a desperate Tiger squad. SLU sweeps
Denver vs. Air Force Dan: Air Force is on fire these days, and I think that might be enough for them to upset the Pioneers at home, as crazy as that might sound. They’re not winning on Saturday, though. Air Force on Friday. Denver on Saturday. Chris: Denver leads the all-time series 32-3 with the Falcons’ last win coming in 2008. The teams play at The Academy on Friday and then move to Magness Arena on Saturday. Air Force is on a (Rocky Mountain) high after beating cross-town rival Colorado College on Tuesday, but I think will come up short in this series. Denver sweeps.
Sacred Heart vs Army Dan: Both teams are extremely Jekyll and Hyde. They’ll play well for swaths of a game, then shoot themselves in the foot. As an editorial, playing each other for points now is going to come back and haunt both teams if they’re in a playoff race later in the year. SHU wins on Friday. Army wins on Saturday. Chris: These squads are getting their season series over quickly – they just played back on Nov. 11 with the Black Knights coming out on top 6-2. Their second and third (and final) meetings see Army hosting on Friday and he action shifting to Milford on Saturday. I’m picking the Black Knights to sweep this weekend and the season series. Army sweeps.
Friday, Nov. 22: Niagara at Michigan Dan: Michigan is ranked #5 in the nation. With the way the AHA has played in non-conference games this year, it’s not if the Wolverines will win, it’s by how much. Michigan wins. Chris: Niagara has played a tough non-conference schedule (Clarkson, Denver, Ohio State) and it doesn’t get any easier with the No. 5 Wolverines. Michigan wins.
Saturday, Nov. 23: Connecticut at American International Dan: For the early part of the year, this is the eastern pod’s showcase game of the first half right now. If AIC wins, they’re going to be a serious contender. If UConn wins, AIC is still a contender, but the noise will come out of the woodwork if their run is starting to plateau. Right now, this game is a little bit more important to UConn because of the loss last week. AIC is in this for the long haul, but I think there’s too much goalie in Storrs for the plucky AIC offense. UConn wins. Chris: UConn needs a win to re-establish itself as one of the top teams in the AHA, while the Yellow Jackets can add to their record-setting start in conference play. At the beginning of the season I wouldn’t have called this game a tossup, but it’s a tough one to call with UConn having a slight edge. Connecticut wins.
Tuesday, Nov. 26 Army at American International Dan: See below. AIC wins. Chris:After what I predict to be a loss on Saturday, I expect the Yellow Jackets to rebound here. AIC wins.
Niagara at Cornell Dan: Going to Cornell is something everyone should do once in their life. But I mean that as a fan, not as an opponent. Cornell wins. Chris: Another game, another ranked opponent for the Purple Eagles, who travel to Ithaca to face the No. 18 Big Red. Unfortunately, I think Niagara’s non-conference schedule concludes with a loss. Cornell wins.
I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop. I mean, it’s not surprising that Drew’s doing so well, but why am I still above .500?
This week
Half the Big Ten plays in this final weekend of nonconference-only action. Ohio State, Penn State and Wisconsin sit this one out.
Minnesota-Duluth at Minnesota
Drew: A week after sweeping an in-state rival and former conference foe, the Gophers will get the opportunity to perform an encore in front of their home fans. This series was changed to a Friday-Sunday series because of the Gophers’ football game against Wisconsin on Saturday; Friday’s game will begin at 7:10 p.m. and faceoff is set for 4:10 p.m. on Sunday afternoon. The Gophers played well last weekend, but the scary thing — for other teams — is that they showed some of their youth and still handled Mankato with ease. This series has been close in its last 10 games. Minnesota holds the 5-2-3 advantage. With the way Minnesota is playing right now, I think the Gophers will roll through UMD and ride a wave of momentum into conference play next weekend.
Paula: That about covers it.
Drew’s picks: Minnesota 3-1, 4-1. Paula’s picks: That about covers it. Minnesota 3-1, 4-1.
Niagara at Michigan
Drew: One game against a team with a 3-7-1 record, whose wins came over Army and Canisius. I don’t have much to say about this game. Michigan shouldn’t have any problems.
Paula: The Wolverines return to Yost Ice Arena after splitting with Nebraska-Omaha on the road last weekend, losing 3-2 and winning 4-3. After the loss, Michigan coach Berenson said, “I thought we were ready to play, and that wasn’t the case.” It’s never good for visiting teams after the Wolverines return from what they consider to be at least a semi-disappointing road trip. Michigan last hosted the Purple Eagles Oct. 4, 2011, a 5-0 win for Michigan. This is a single Friday night game that begins at 7:05 p.m.
Drew: After a weekend off, Michigan State will get a chance to rebound after being swept at Michigan Tech when the Spartans face another in-state school and former CCHA foe. Western Michigan has been hit or miss so far this season; the Broncos split two games between the Alaska schools after starting the season off by getting swept in a home-and-home series with Notre Dame. They then went on to sweep Colorado College at home before losing three out of their next four games. The Spartans’ season has been less like a roller coaster — well, maybe it’s been like a really boring roller coaster with one high point, their win over Boston University.
Paula: For pure nostalgia, I’m so freaking excited about this series. Home-and-home between two former CCHA rivals? Swoon! As Drew said, the Spartans last played two weeks ago, a road series against Michigan Tech that coach Tom Anastos said was disappointing. The Spartans are 35-6-6 against the Broncos in Munn Ice Arena; the Broncos are 25-22-3 versus Michigan State in Lawson Arena. Anastos is 3-1-1 over WMU in the Andy Murray era. Last season, the teams went 1-1-1, with the tie coming at the Great Lakes Invitational Tournament. Friday’s game in East Lansing begins at 7:00 p.m.; Saturday’s rematch in Kalamazoo begins at 7:05 p.m.
Drew’s picks: Michigan State 2-1, Western Michigan 4-1. Paula’s picks: Michigan State 3-2, Western Michigan 3-2.
Keep in touch, right?
Drew’s at Mariucci this weekend. I am going to be in one of my happiest of happy places, Munn Ice Arena, in what will likely feel like old times. Say hello, please.
Can Wisconsin-Eau Claire keep winning? WIAC columnist Brian Lester thinks so (photo: Wisconsin-Eau Claire Athletics).
The USCHO.com Division III gang is back at it this week with their predictions on this weekend’s games.
ECAC EAST – Tim Costello
Back-to-back weeks at 4-1-0 (.800) bring the season total to 8-2-0 (.800), which is a pretty good start to the prognostications for the conference this season. The schedule heats up this week, so the challenge to be accurate only gets harder.
Here are my picks for the upcoming weekend: Friday, Nov. 22
St. Anselm @ Norwich
The Cadets have had great success against the Hawks particularly at home and this year is not likely to be different in the regard. This one sees too much offense for the Hawks to handle and another win for Norwich. Norwich 4-1.
University of New England @ Southern Maine
This rivalry of travel partners is on the rise and while the Huskies have had the early advantage in the series, the Nor’easters are out to prove they are up to the task on the opponent’s rink. It’s close, but a late goal swings it to the visitors. UNE 3-2.
Massachusetts-Boston @ Castleton
Both teams are off to good starts in the season and are looking to build on that success. Home ice and a raucous crowd will help the home team eke out a tight one where special teams are the difference. Castleton 3-2. Saturday, Nov. 22
St. Anselm @ St. Michael’s
One game that counts in two leagues – now that is unusual, but all the more important to theses two D-II schools fighting for seeding in the NE-10, as well as looking to move up in the ECAC East. Neither team has started out great, but this might be the jump start the Hawks need to get in the win column. St. Anselm 5-4.
Babson @ Castleton
Sometimes you have to grit one out with a lot of team defense and goals that aren’t going to make anyone’s highlight reel but get the job done. The Beavers may be better at that than anyone and it is an effort level that is needed to take down the Spartans at home. Babson 2-1.
Some really key matchups this weekend that will help separate the contenders in the early season schedule – drop the puck!
ECAC NORTHEAST – Nathan Fournier
Saturday, Nov. 23
Suffolk at Becker
This should be an interesting matchup. Suffolk has confidence after a win against Western New England last Saturday. Becker has been struggling to score some goals so far. It should be a very competitive game and I will take Becker in this matchup 3-2.
Nichols at Johnson and Wales
A very intriguing game between a team of veterans in Nichols and a young team in Johnson and Wales. Nichols, so far, has lived up to the expectations they had going into the season, while Johnson and Wales is also off to a strong start with their freshmen and sophomores. Both teams have excellent goaltenders and while Joey Ballmer has USHL experience and off to a great start with Johnson and Wales, I will take Nichols in a 4-1 victory.
Curry at Wentworth
If both teams want to turn things around, they will need to get the power play going. Overall, both offenses have been struggling. Curry defense has been strong and to keep the goals down. I think Wenworth is going to get it together sooner rather than later and take this contest at home 4-3.
Salve Regina at Western New England
This will be an offensive showcase and both defenses will be on their heels all game long. Who will win this game will come down who can can score on the power play. Both team have solid penalty kills and if one team can score on the power play, I think they will be the victor because both teams have shown to score at even strength. I will take Salve Regina on the road with a 6-4 victory. Tuesday, Nov. 26
Johnson and Wales at Assumption
I think Johnson and Wales will come out on top in this contest. They have been battle-tested this season and their top line has been lights-out this season. Assumption has been struggling to score goals so far this season. Johnson and Wales 5-2.
Southern New Hampshire at Suffolk
This is a team Suffolk doesn’t want to see coming into town. Southern New Hampshire has been very good on the road, winning their first three games on the road this season. They have outstanding offensive firepower with four players with eight or more points so far. I think the Penmen will be too much to handle for the Rams in a 6-3 victory.
Becker at Tufts
Becker has to like its chances going into Tufts with the Jumbos playing not only their third game of the season, but third in five days. That will definitely play in Becker’s advantage as they will have only played one game the previous weekend. I think Becker comes away with the 5-2 win in this midweek contest.
Manhattanville at Western New England
This a very good nonconference matchup. Both teams are very skilled, which will make for a competitive game. Both teams are defensively sound, but Western New England has the advantage offensively. I will take Western New England in a 4-2 victory.
ECAC WEST – Dan Hickling
Friday, Nov. 22
Elmira (2-2-0, 3-4-0) @ Nazareth (0-4-1, 1-4-1) – Nazareth 4 Elmira 3
A tough team on their home ice, Nazareth is seeking its first league victory of the year. Elmira is looking to move up in the standings. The guess here is that the Golden Flyers will find a way to eke this one out. Saturday, Nov. 23
No. 7 Utica (4-1-0, 5-1-0) @ No. 14 Hobart (2-0-2, 2-1-3) – Utica 5 Hobart 4
The back end of a two-game set between the two at Hobart. It would be a shock if one team swept both games, but no surprise to see the Pioneers avenge their last second loss to Hobart at home a few weeks back.
MASCAC – Nathan Fournier
Saturday, Nov. 23
Framingham State at Fitchberg State
The Rams of Framingham State have been a surprise so far, winning their first three MASCAC games of the season. They aren’t relying on one guy either, as only five players who have appeared in a game this season haven’t put up a point. They are winning the high-scoring contests. The Falcons also have put some goals on the board early on this season. It will be a high-scoring contest and I will take the Falcons in a 6-3 game.
Massachusetts-Dartmouth at Westfield State
This is probably the game of the night in the MASCAC. Both teams have high hopes of championship aspirations this season. UMass-Dartmouth has been struggling defensively so far, allowing around four goals per game and the penalty killing has been sub par. Westfield has had their struggles so far to this season, but seemed to turn things around last Saturday. I will take Westfield at home in a 7-4 game.
Plymouth State at Worcester State.
It was a storybook start for Worcester State, winning their first three nonconference games, but MASCAC hasn’t been as nice to them. They have dropped their first two games in conference and I think Plymouth State will be ready to hand them another loss. They have had a slow start, but I think this is a game they are looking to turn things around. The Panthers win 4-1. Tuesday, Nov. 26
New England College at Framingham State
This is a very good nonconference contest for Framingham State to see where they stand. The Pilgrims of New England College are off to a strong start and have gotten contributions from all the lines do far. The Rams might not have many chances offensively to score as New England College has allowed under two goals per game so far. With Thanksgiving just two days away, I will take the Pilgrims 5-1.
Babson at UMass-Dartmouth
At the start of the season, this was one of the games circled on the calendar on the East Coast. Babson has been as advertised so far, both offensively and defensively. It will be interesting how well the Corsairs do this upcoming week with two other non-onference games right after Thanksgiving against Colby and Bowdoin. Until UMass- Dartmouth puts a couple of games together, I will take Babson 4-2.
Salem State at Southern Maine
The Vikings will travel up to Gorham, Maine, and take on the Huskies of the Southern Maine. This should be an even matchup. The Viking will have the advantage offensively, scoring nearly 3.50 goals a game compared to USM’s 2.50. The Vikings aren’t afraid to put up shots either, which will create rebounds and scoring chances. I will take Salem State in a 4-3 win.
Franklin Pierce at Westfield State
It has been a tough start for Franklin Pierce so far this season. The Ravens have had trouble finding the back of the net and the penalty kill has already allowed six goals so far. That’s not a very good combination in facing an offensive team like Westfield State, who has shown they can put the puck in the net early and often. I will take Westfield State in a 7-1 victory.
MIAC/WIAC – Brian Lester
It’s time for another week of hockey picks.
Conference play begins to pick up in the MIAC and this is the time of the year where teams start establshing themselves as contender or see their hopes to contend in the conference begin to fade away.
In the WIAC, several teams will be on the road, including Wisconsin-Eau Claire, which has a pivotal non-conference battle with St. Norbert in what will be a statement game for both teams.
So once again, it’s time to test my intelligence and make some predicitions. Friday, Nov. 22 – MIAC
Bethel at Concordia (Minn.)
Bethel heads into its matchup with Concordia looking for its first win of the year. The Royals have lost thre consecutive games and have managed only 10 goals while allowing 18. Colin Mayer and Travis Payne have two goals apiece and will need to play well for the Royals to have a shot at winning this series opener. Concordia has been very productive on offense, racking up 17 goals, and it has allowed only 10 goals. If the Cobbers get a solid effort from Chris Neamonitis (1.67 goals-against average, 214 saves) and are as effective offensively as they have been during their 4-2 start, they will prevail. Concordia, 4-1.
Hamline at Gustavus Adolphus
The Pipers are another MIAC team searching for their first victory of the season. They have forged one tie in six games and have lost two in a row. Their problem has been they have allowed far too many goals, giving up 32 on the year. John Sellie-Hanson has started one game and if he starts again, he will need to be at his best for Hamline to have a shot. The Pipers need to be solid all around on defense to be successful. Gustavus is 3-3 and has an opportunity to pick up momentum in the conference. The Gusties have tallied 16 goals, including four by Corey Leivermann, and if Gustavus can execute on offense, they will be tough to beat in this one. Gustavus, 6-2.
St. John’s at St. Mary’s
The defending conference champion Johnnies will be tested in this road series with the Cardinals, but they have an opportunity to send a message early that they are the team to beat in the league. Josh Gross, Kevin Becker and Tyson Fulton have scored two goals apiece and the Johnnies have the balance to be successful against the Cardinals. Throw in the fact that Saxton Soley has made 79 saves and allows just two goals per game, and the Johnnies are going to be tough to top. St. Mary’s has won twice in six games and has struggled to keep the puck out of the net. The Cardinals have allowed 20 goals while tallying 13 on the year. Bob Marx has scored three goals to pace the Cardinals offensively, but if St. Mary’s is going to win this one, Christian Gaffy needs to have a strong showing in goal. He has given up 14 goals on the year and has tallied 155 saves. He has a goals-against average of 2.85. St. John’s 4-2. Saturday, Nov. 23 – MIAC
St. John’s at St. Mary’s
The Johnnies are determined to win another league title and closing out this series with a win would be a huge step forward in that quest to be champions. But the Cardinals are at home and I can see them taking one in this series. St. Mary’s 3-2.
Bethel at Concordia (Minn.)
The Cobbers are too good on offense and are at home as well. They will prevail for the second straight night. Concordia, 4-3.
St. Olaf at St. Thomas
St. Olaf has won only one game and is winless in three road games. Playing at St. Thomas will be a challenge. The Oles have managed to score only 12 goals and have given up 26. They will need to be at their best on defense to get out of town with a win. The Tommies have only one loss and lead the league in goals allowed (nine). Considering how tough they are on defense, especially with Drew Fielding (1.50 goals-against average, 154 saves) in goal, don’t expect St. Thomas to come up short in this win. St. Thomas 5-1. Friday, Nov. 22 – WIAC
Wisconsin-Stevens Point at Milwaukee School of Engineering
The Pointers have yet to lose in six games and have racked up 42 goals on the season. Their ability to step up on the offensive end will make them tough to deal with. The Pointers have 11 players with two or more goals, including Garrett Ladd, who has scored seven to go along with six assists. If the Pointers play up to their potential offensively, they will be fine against the winless Raiders. Stevens Point, 5-2.
Wisconsin- Eau Claire at St. Norbert
The defending national champions play a key road game agianst St. Norbert, and this one, a battle of the top two teams in the nation, could go a long way in helping the Blugolds build momentum for another title run at the end of the year. They have given up only five goals and Tyler Green has been tough in goal, allowing only four goals. If Eau Claire plays well on defense, it will be in good shape. The Green Knights are unbeaten as well and have given up just eight goals. The team that can play the best defensively will prevail. Eau Claire, 2-1.
Wisconsin River Falls at Concordia (Wis.)
The Falcons have won two of their first four games, but have managed to only score 13 goals. But they have given up just nine goals and will be looking for Willie Hess (five goals) to step up in order to help lead the way to a win. Concordia has lost two in a row, but has tallied 19 goals on the year. It has allowed 23. If the Falcons can get on track early, it should be in a position to steal this win. River Falls, 4-3. Saturday, Nov. 23 – WIAC
River Falls at Milwaukee School of Engineering
The Falcons will have an opportunity to cap their weekend with a win on the road over a Raiders team that has yet to win. Again, the key for the Falcons is to get off to a good start. Scott Lewan (2.28 goals-against average, 69 saves) will need a strong game in goal as well, especially with this being on the road.
Wisconsin-Stout at St. Norbert
Stout faces one of its toughest challenges of the year against the Green Knights. Stout has lost three in a row and has scored two or more goals only twice. It will need its best all-around effort of the year to pull this game off. The Green Knights are just too strong, though, and will prevail. St. Norbert, 5-2.
Eau Claire at Concordia (Wis.)
The Blugolds have enough talent offensively to overwhelm Concordia. Not only are they the better team on offense, but their defense will be tough to crack. Eau Claire, 5-1.
NCHA – Katie Carito
I’m going to keep my picks this season to conference games and so far on the season, I am 7-2-0 – not a bad way to start. There is only one conference series on the docket this weekend.
Finlandia at Lake Forest
Last weekend, the Foresters (3-2-0) were swept by St. Norbert, marking their first two losses of the season. Finlandia (0-6-0) was swept by St. Scholastica. Finlandia joins MSOE as the only team in the NCHA without a conference win. Finlandia sophomore goaltender Troy Chandler made a total of 78 saves on the weekend, which makes me think that their defense needs to step up this weekend. Lake Forest wins both, 3-2, 4-1
NESCAC – Tim Costello
Opening week, I went 4-0-1 (.900) on my picks, so not much room for improvement with some interesting games among some of the closest rivals.
Here are my picks heading into the weekend and second week of conference play: Friday, Nov. 22
Middlebury @ Tufts
The Panthers came out of last week’s games with Bowdoin and Colby showing they can play it close and also open up the offense. Tufts should be worried about the potent Panther attack that is balanced across all lines. Middlebury 5-2.
Bowdoin @ Colby
Throw out the statistics in this 101st edition of the Maine hockey rivalry. Since both games now count in the standings, it’s a chance make a statement in the conference and on behalf of hockey alumni everywhere for your school. Polar Bears look to bounce back after tough outing at Williams. Bowdoin 4-3.
Williams @ Connecticut College
The Ephs are off to a fast start, including last Sunday’s 5-2 win over Bowdoin. The Camels certainly deserved some points out of their first weekend, but couldn’t get the puck bounce when they needed it most. Williams doesn’t beat itself and here won’t let the Camels do it either. Williams 3-1. Saturday, Nov. 23
Trinity @ Amherst
The Lord Jeffs have a history of playing great at home and making things very difficult for the opposition to score goals. Trinity will get its chances, but Amherst takes advantage of a power play late and that is the difference in this contest. Amherst 3-2.
Wesleyan @ Hamilton
After missing game two last weekend, Keith Buehler is back in the lineup and that is not good news for Hamilton. Don’t know if the Vorel-Hartnett-Buehler line can keep scoring at this pace, but Wesleyan has enough depth elsewhere to pick up the slack. Wesleyan 4-1.
There’s lots of great action as teams still figure out all of the pieces coming together – drop the puck!
SUNYAC – Dan Hickling
Friday, Nov. 22
No. 8 Oswego (2-1-0, 3-1-0) @ No. 15 Geneseo (3-1-0, 4-2-0) – Geneseo 4, Oswego 2
A year ago, the Lakers went into Genny and administered a 10-1 beating. Not this time. Despite their national rankings, both teams have had a few early-season struggles and are seeking to find an indentity. On this night, the Ice Knights will find theirs. Saturday, Nov. 23
No. 4 Plattsburgh (4-0-1, 4-0-1) @ Morrisville (1-4-1, 1-4-1) – Plattsburgh 5, Morrisville 1
The Mustangs are capable of giving any opponent a tough time, but do not have enough horses to upend the nation’s fourth-ranked team.
Well, we picked a lot of games last week, and Arlan moved even farther in front of me. Last week, I went 20-7-3 (.716) to move to 95-33-14 (.723) on the year, while Arlan went 21-6-3 (.750) to move to 102-26-14 (.773). I wonder how many games he’ll beat me by this year?
Friday, Nov. 22
Clarkson at Princeton Candace: Princeton is showing marked improvement, but Clarkson needs this game. Clarkson 3-2 Arlan: Is Princeton in the domain of teams that Clarkson can defeat? Just how big is that domain? Clarkson 2-1
St. Lawrence at Quinnipiac Candace: This should be close, but I expect the Bobcats to come out on top. Quinnipiac 2-1 Arlan: The Bobcats look to avenge their ECAC playoff loss to the Saints. Quinnipiac 2-1
Boston University at Harvard Candace: I have to make up some ground somehow. Maybe the Terriers will help. Boston University 2-1 Arlan: A win should move Harvard into the top four in the PairWise Rankings. Harvard 1-0
Friday-Saturday, Nov. 22-23
Mercyhurst at RIT Candace: I expect two close games, with the Lakers winning both. Mercyhurst 3-2, 3-1 Arlan: Let’s just pretend that it is the old days and the Lakers don’t lose to anyone, including RIT. Mercyhurst 3-2, 4-1
Robert Morris at Syracuse Candace: Which Syracuse team shows, and which Colonials team shows? Robert Morris 2-1, 3-2 Arlan: I left this one for last because it had me dreaming up grammar errors like “perplexingest.” Robert Morris 1-0, 4-3
Northeastern at Vermont Candace: This is more than likely a split, but I’ll pick a Northeastern sweep in the hopes that I get some more ground back. Unlikely, since it’s a Hockey East game. Northeastern 2-1, 2-1 Arlan: I’m not sure if Northeastern has anyone as good as Pelkey and Zuback. Vermont 3-2, 2-1
Ohio State at Minnesota State Candace: Arlan’s right. No idea on who wins which night, so we’ll go Buckeyes as the more likely to take both. Ohio State 3-2, 3-1 Arlan: My guess is that this is a split, but I have zero insight into the order, so I’ll try to get one right. Ohio State 2-1, 4-2
Bemidji State at Minnesota-Duluth Candace: The Bulldogs continue to puzzle me, but I think this is a sweep. Minnesota-Duluth 3-1, 3-2 Arlan: Both the Beavers and Bulldogs have better records on the road. Minnesota-Duluth 2-1, 4-1
Wisconsin at North Dakota Candace: North Dakota is primed for a letdown after an emotional win in breaking Minnesota’s streak. Plus, NoDak has even more trouble beating Wisconsin than Minnesota. Wisconsin 2-1, 2-1 Arlan: UND is looking for its first sweep of the Badgers, but I look for Alex Rigsby to be the difference. Wisconsin 2-1, 3-2
Saturday, Nov. 23
St. Lawrence at Princeton Candace: Princeton really surprised me last week against UNH and BC. I think they might take this. Princeton 2-1 Arlan: Another game that promises entertainment value, and likely the best chance of the week for the Saints to win. St. Lawrence 3-2
Clarkson at Quinnipiac Candace: This is a hard game to pick. I’ll go with the Golden Knights goalie. Clarkson 2-1 Arlan: Clarkson hasn’t had much success against ranked opponents. Quinnipiac 3-1
Saturday-Sunday, Nov. 23-24
Connecticut home and home with Boston College Candace: Will the real BC Eagles stand up? Hopefully. Boston College 2-1, 4-1 Arlan: If I think about this too long my head will hurt, so I’ll just say that suddenly the Eagles are all better. Boston College 4-2, 5-1
Maine at Providence Candace: Sooner or later, Providence should start winning. Providence 4-2, 3-2 Arlan: PC hasn’t won in seven games; Maine hasn’t won at all. Providence 3-2, 5-2
Sunday, Nov. 24
Boston University at New Hampshire Candace: New Hampshire has plagued me all season. I’ll take the Terriers. Boston University 3-1 Arlan: UNH is supposedly getting players back from injury; the question would be, how soon? Boston University 2-1
Tuesday, Nov. 26
Quinnipiac at Princeton Candace: Should be a great game, but I expect Quinnipiac to win. Quinnipiac 4-2 Arlan: A very entertaining bunch of games coming up in the ECAC. Quinnipiac 4-3
Robert Morris at Ohio State Candace: OSU upset Mercyhurst earlier in the year. Then they tanked. Robert Morris has shown signs of life. Robert Morris 4-2 Arlan: Ohio State has been about as steady as a Hockey East team, so it won’t do what I expect — whatever that is. Ohio State 2-1
Tuesday-Wedneady, Nov. 26-27
St. Lawrence at Mercyhurst Candace: As Arlan says, this is a brutal stretch for the Saints. Mercyhurst 4-2, 3-2 Arlan: SLU plays four games in six days in three states, all on the road — brutal. Mercyhurst 3-2, 3-1
Marian goaltender Josh Baker notched back-to-back shutouts last weekend over MSOE, earning NCHA defensive player of the week honors in the process (photo: Jim Naprstek/Marian University Athletics).
Last weekend, Marian shut out the Milwaukee School of Engineering in 4-0 and 2-0 performances and the series sweep came after a 6-2 win over Lawrence the previous weekend.
Riding high on the three-game win streak is exactly where the Sabres hoped to be after losing the first four games of the season.
“We weren’t playing bad, we started with a tough schedule and were playing really good teams,” said coach A.J. Aitken of the team’s first four games. “We were learning the process for us, we changed the lineup a few times and things start to work.”
Aitken is correct. The Sabres opened their season with a 4-3 overtime loss against Wisconsin-Stout. They then started conference play against St. Norbert and battled them to a 2-1 loss before dropping game two of the series 5-2.
Before the win streak started, the Sabres fell to Lawrence 3-1 on Friday night. All four games were hard-fought battles that the team wasn’t getting rewarded for.
“The first weekends we had tough opponents and we learned a lot about our team,” said senior captain Matt Berger. “We got stung and learned a lot. It is going to take the same compete level every night moving forward.”
The current win streak has been highlighted with a pair of shutout wins against conference foe MSOE.
Senior goalie Josh Baker started both nights last weekend and made 36 saves on the weekend. Baker turned away 15 shots on goal in Friday’s 4-0 victory and then Saturday night, he blanked the Raiders with 21 saves.
“We are confident in [Baker],” said Aitken of the reigning NCHA defensive player of the week. “He has always given us a chance to win every night.”
Another standout early in the season has been sophomore transfer Ben Morgan, who transferred from Norwich and has been on a tear this since his arrival. During the win streak, Morgan has a 2-3-5 scoring line.
“[Morgan] is a hard worker, he brings speed to the team,” said Berger. “This has been good for him.”
Looking forward to next weekend, the Sabres want to keep their momentum moving forward. They will travel to face two nonconference opponents with Wisconsin-Superior and Wisconsin-Stevens Point on the docket.
“For us, it is just another weekend, each weekend is the same process,” said Berger. “Monday through Thursday we work hard, always moving forward. Everyone knows the importance of what we are doing at practice.”
Around the League
Adrian (7-0-0) and St. Norbert (6-0-0) remain the two perfect teams in the league that have yet to suffer a loss or a tie. Adrian swept past Concordia (Wis.) over the weekend before a 5-1 win over Geneso on Tuesday night. The Bulldogs have outscored their opponents by a 36-6 count.
St. Norbert swept past Lake Forest last weekend with 9-1 and 4-1 scores.
St. Scholastica has an equally impressive record at 4-0-2 on the season.
Finlandia (0-6-0) and MSOE (0-6-0) remain winless on the season.
St. Scholastica senior forward Brandon Nowakowski was named the NCHA offensive player of the week with a 3-2-5 scoring line in the weekend sweep of Finlandia.
There is only one conference series this upcoming weekend with Finlandia traveling to Lake Forest. Everyone else will be playing nonconference games.
For the first time this season, all 10 WCHA teams are in action in WCHA series, and it only took until the second-to-last week in November for this to happen.
This strange phenomenon will only happen again Dec. 6-7 and then not again until Jan. 10-11.
I’m with Shane that the league needs to find some stability with its scheduling. It’s tough to get psyched up for league play when you go two weeks in between seeing WCHA opponents like Northern Michigan just did.
Here’s how we think the league shakes out this week, with all games taking place Friday and Saturday.
Minnesota State at Bowling Green
Matt: Speaking of scheduling quirks, why are the Falcons and Mavericks meeting again just two weeks after their first conference series? Couldn’t the league spread this out a little more with one series before New Years Day and the other after? If there’s any bad blood lingering from the last meeting, it still has to be boiling. Mavericks 2-1; Falcons 4-3
Shane: If there’s any bad blood, it’s from the fact that each of these teams has won just one of its last four games, not necessarily with each other. Bowling Green’s been good at home, and Minnesota State has gotten a boost with the return of Zach Lehrke. I, too, see a split, but the Mavs have been better on Saturdays. Falcons 3-2, Mavericks 3-1
Alaska at Ferris State
Matt: The Bulldogs have won five of their first six WCHA games with the Nov. 15 tie against BGSU being the lone blemish. Someone needs to slow down the Bulldogs before they begin to run away with things, and the Nanooks win at Lake Superior State Nov. 8 gives me confidence Ferris’ unbeaten streak will be snapped. Bulldogs 4-2, Nanooks 3-2
Shane: Everyone in the WCHA outside of Big Rapids is rooting for Alaska this weekend in hopes of tightening up the standings. The Bulldogs had to score some late goals against Bowling Green last weekend to tie and win, so there might be some vulnerability there. I’m with Matt here. Bulldogs5-1, Nanooks 4-2
Alabama-Huntsville at Northern Michigan
Matt: Four of the Chargers six losses have come by one goal and all four of those have come in the second game of the series. Eventually UAH will break through, but I don’t see it happening on the road. Wildcats 5-1, 2-1
Shane: Reading the tweets from the UAH crew, this is one heck of a bus trip. In fact all of the road teams are logging lots of miles this weekend. The Wildcats might have some rust after having a week off, but I can’t pick a Chargers win until I see one. Wildcats 4-0, 4-3
Lake Superior State at Bemidji State
Matt: The Beavers appear to be the only school to get into a conference groove early having played the previous four weekends all against WCHA foes. They get another this week in LSSU, which struggled offensively Saturday at Michigan Tech. The Lakers will need its top line of Dan Radke, Colin Campbell and Alex Globke to be at its best to beat BSU. Beavers 4-1, Lakers 3-1.
Shane: This is a matchup of the WCHA’s surprise teams. Neither one wants to start slipping now. Both will get points this weekend. Lakers 3-1, Beavers 4-1
Michigan Tech at Alaska-Anchorage
Matt: The Huskies have yet to win a game away from Houghton and I can’t think of a tougher way place to get your first road win than in Alaska. Getting that first win on Friday would go a long way to making this trip more enjoyable, even if Tech can’t sweep. Huskies 3-2, Seawolves 2-1.
Shane: This seems to be a huge series for both of these teams. As you said, Matt, the Huskies are wondering if they can win on the road, while the Seawolves are trying to change that losing culture. I’ll go the other way on the split. Seawolves 4-2, Huskies 2-1
Last week: Shane 6-2-2; Matt 5-3-2. Overall: Matt 47-22-9; Shane 44-25-9.
John Celli has been putting up big numbers on a line with Jake Martin and Max Lorenzen this year at Fitchburg State (photo: Frank Poulin).
Jake Martin was quick to point out why he’s off to a hot start.
The freshmen center at Fitchburg State leads all freshman in Division III in points with three goals and six assists.
“I couldn’t have done it without my linemates,” he said.
He said he likes to set up his teammates and let them score the goals.
His linemates are John Celli (four goals and four assists) and Max Lorenzen (two goals and four assists) and their chemistry started the first day the team hit the ice.
At the first captain’s practice, the captains had a draft and all three wound up on the same team – they haven’t been separated since.
“[Martin] has really come in and he’s a good-size kid that competes hard,” Fitchburg State coach Dean Fuller said. “He has got some skills and he has been able to get off to a quick start and be able to be a competitive forward.”
Fuller said Martin also has good speed and is very good on special teams.
Martin has also taken advantage of the opportunity to contribute right away with three centers from last year’s squad lost to graduation.
“Coach told me I would make an impact right away,” Martin said. “I told myself that I need to tryout for the team and do whatever I can to be on one of those top two lines.”
“We were graduating three senior centers, so it seemed a good match,” Fuller said of Martin’s recruitment process. “You bring kids in all across from North America from different leagues [and] you aren’t exactly sure what you are getting. I will say this, he has been a pleasant surprise. He’s really a more complete player than what were expecting.”
Martin said he needs to work on winning more faceoffs as he’s making the transition from being a winger in juniors. He also said didn’t put any extra pressure on himself coming into his first season of college hockey.
“I was just mostly anxious and I just thought of it as any other hockey game,” said Martin.
Martin came from the Cornwall Colts of the Central Canadian Hockey League where he won the league championship last season.
“It helped a tremendous amount [playing for Cornwall],” Martin said. “My coach [at Cornwall] Ian MacIinnis helped me out. The hockey [in Division III] is a little bit faster, the guys are a little bit older, that’s a little bit of a change. The CCHL and playing two years of juniors really helped me for the college level.”
He had nine goals and 15 assists last season with the Colts and with many good players coming out of Cornwall, Martin doesn’t feel he was stuck behind other good players and is glad to have an opportunity at Fitchburg State.
“Coach Fuller is giving me a shot right now,” Martin said. “And I am just playing as hard as I can.”
Both Dave and I had banner weeks and posted identically impressive results.
Jim last week: 8-1-2
Jim year-to-date: 58-24-7
Dave last week: 8-1-2
Dave year-to-date: 58-24-7
Friday, November 22
Northeastern at Merrimack
Jim’s pick: Last weekend was hardly ideal for the Huskies and Merrimack continued to struggle to score goals. I think NU will come with a little more hunger. NU 3, MC 1
Dave’s pick: I’m going to disagree here. The Warriors have gone through tough times on the road, but I like them to hold serve at home. MC 2, NU 1
New Hampshire at Providence
Jim’s pick: Battle of two of Hockey East’s hottest teams. I’m giving this one to home ice, at least on Friday. PC 3, UNH 2
Dave’s pick: Agreed. I like both teams, but I can’t pick against the Friars at home. PC 3, UNH 2
Vermont at Massachusetts
Jim’s pick: I like the way both of these teams are playing, but think UMass at home gets the edge. UMass 4, UVM 2
Dave’s pick: UMass looked too good against BC to pick against them at home in this matchup. UMass 3, UVM 2
Notre Dame at Massachusetts-Lowell
Jim’s pick: With Notre Dame hit by the injury bug, I need to go with the River Hawks at least in the opener. UML 3, UND 2
Dave’s pick: Agreed. I’d feel differently about this one in Notre Dame’s barn. UML 3, UND 2 (OT)
North Dakota at Boston University
Jim’s pick: Neither team has been stellar out of the gate, but I think North Dakota is still the better team on paper. NoDak 4, BU 2
Dave’s pick: I don’t like the way the Terriers have been playing at all lately. NoDak 4, BU 2
Saturday, November 23
Boston College at Maine
Jim’s pick: I was impressed by the seven goals Maine scored last Friday, but I’m more impressed by the 25 games BC has scored in its last five games. BC 5, Maine 2
Dave’s pick: I’m not sure if Maine’s seven goals against BU were a tribute to the Black Bears or a condemnation of the Terriers. I’m opting primarily for the latter and BC certainly didn’t dominate UMass last weekend, but I’m still going with the Eagles. BC 4, Maine 2
Merrimack at Northeastern
Jim’s pick: If my picks are correct in this series, Northeastern is looking good heading to Thanksgiving while Merrimack is in a lot of trouble. NU 4, MC 1
Dave’s pick: The Huskies salvage the split at home. NU 3, MC 2
New Hampshire at Providence
Jim’s pick: The Wildcats salvage a split in a two-game road series vs. the Friars. UNH 3, PC 1
Dave’s pick: I could certainly see a split, but I’m going with home ice to give the Friars a sweep. PC 3, UNH 2
Notre Dame at Massachusetts-Lowell
Jim’s pick: If Notre Dame isn’t banged up, I’m probably picking this a sweep for the Irish. But instead I’m picking a sweep for the River Hawks. UML 4, UND 3
Dave’s pick: Though I hate to agree with Jim again, I’m opting for a Lowell sweep that needs overtime in both games. UML 3, UND 2 (OT)
North Dakota at Boston University
Jim’s pick: North Dakota gets the much-needed non-league sweep on the road. NoDak 3, BU 2
Dave’s pick: I don’t like at all where the Terriers are headed. Losing 7-0 to Maine and getting hammered by an archrival don’t fill me with much confidence. NoDak 4, BU 2
Sunday, November 24
Massachusetts at Vermont
Jim’s pick: Catamounts earn split on home ice. UVM 4, UMass 2
Dave’s pick: Agreed. The Minutemen impressed at BC last weekend, but they’re still 0-5-1 on the road. UVM 3, UMass 2
Tuesday, November 26
Harvard at New Hampshire
Jim’s pick: Harvard is going to have to play a lot better than it did against BC, and even that likely won’t be enough. UNH 5, HU 2
Dave’s pick: The Wildcats will recover from a frustrating weekend at Providence. UNH 4, HU 2
Wednesday, November 27
Providence at Quinnipiac
Jim’s pick: This has the makings of being one heckuva game between top 10 (maybe top 5?) squads. I know Quinnipiac is great at home but I feel like Providence can end the Bobcats streak. PC 2, QU 1
Dave’s pick: I’ve really gone back and forth on this one, but I’m a Friars believer and a Hockey East homer to boot. Friars by the slimmest of margins. PC 3, QU 2 (OT)
Two enticing match-ups, both out of the NCHA head this week’s picks. St. Scholastica hosts Lake Forest and Adrian hopes to continue to impress amongst the pollsters in taking on St. Norbert.
ECAC DIV-III EAST
Friday Nov. 22
Massachusetts-Boston at Holy Cross
The Crusaders have made the most of play at friendly Hart Athletic Center, winning both home contests. Massachusetts-Boston came back from a 3-0 deficit on the road against ranked Manhattanville, closing the gap to 3-2 before the Valiants sealed the win with an empty net score. The Beacons concluded the game with a 42-25 advantage in shots on goal. It’s evident that the Beacons can put shots on opposing goalies in quantity. With a team shot percentage of 4.5 percent however, making those bids count will be the key against the Crusaders who are hitting the mark at nearly triple the rate of MB.Holy Cross 4, Massachusetts-Boston 2
NCHA
Friday Nov. 22, Saturday Nov. 23
St. Norbert at Adrian
Freshman Rachel Koppang leads the Green Knights in scoring but has been held to one goal over her last three games. Fortunately, forwards Ali Parker and Lauren Roethlisberger have reeled in the slack combining for four goals and six helpers over the span. Adrian’s Kelsey Kusch has created havoc for opposing defenders as evidenced by her 11 points. Additionally, the Bulldogs specialty teams have numbers in their favor. Kusch has led a power play that is steaming along with a 26.1 percentage. Adrian 5 St. Norbert 3, Adrian 3 St. Norbert 3
Lake Forest at St. Scholastica
The offensive numbers are bound to add up to the gaudy level with this anticipated early season set. Both clubs average over 40 shots per game and the respective power play units are dangerous- St. Scholastica checks in at 41.4 percent while the visitors are hitting at 32.1. The Foresters Michelle Greeneway is 2-3-5 over her last two, and Morgan Pope has registered two multi goal games thus far. More than a few sub plots in this one including opposing goalies and cousins Casey Hartfiel and the Saints Lindsay Hartfiel. St. Scholastica 5-3, 4-3
ECAC DIV-III WEST
Saturday Nov. 23, Sunday Nov.24
Oswego at Chatham
Oswego has had eleven different players score goals through its six games. Catherine Cote and Bridget Smith have allowed just seven goals combined in splitting time in net for the Lakers. Chatham’s penalty killing crew has been solid with a 90-plus success rate and freshman Brianna Rice has made a large impact on the offensive front but the Cougars will have to get a full collective effort this time out. Oswego 6-1, 5-0
MIAC
Friday Nov.22, Saturday Nov.23
St. Olaf at St. Thomashome and home
The Oles gave Wisconsin-Stevens Point a scare in a 3-2 overtime loss in the season opener. Last week they provided another strong effort in a 4-2 defeat against Adrian. Seniors Mary-Grace Flesher and Jenny Saxon give the Tommies a flash of pop up upfront. A sweep in this series puts the victorious team in the mix in regard to the early MIAC standings. St. Thomas 2-1, St. Olaf 3-1
Well, thanks to picking the right dates for North Dakota and Minnesota-Duluth to win, I am back ahead in the picks race. Last week, I went 7-4 (.636) to move to 34-25-6 (.569), while Matthew went 5-6 (.454) to move to 33-26-6 (.553). Let’s see how long I can keep the lead in the six-pack race!
Friday-Saturday, Nov. 22-23
Colorado College at No. 2 St. Cloud State Candace: CC’s disappointing season probably reached its nadir in losing to cross-town rival Air Force on home ice Tuesday night. Unfortunately, it doesn’t get any easier, and St. Cloud is looking like a strong candidate for the division title. St. Cloud 3-1, 4-1 Matthew: I keep thinking CC is due to pick up the pace on offense and nab its first win since the opening night of the season, but I don’t see either happening this weekend. Having Division I’s second-worst offense (1.22 goals per game) travel to face D-I’s second-best defense (1.80) doesn’t sound appealing for the former. Doesn’t help that the Huskies are scoring three and a half goals per outing, either, so I’m taking SCSU to sweep. St. Cloud State 4-1, 3-1
No. 8 Miami at Nebraska-Omaha Candace: I pondered whether Nebraska-Omaha, sitting at .500, might be the hottest team in the country right now in my Monday wrap blog this week. The Mavericks really surprised me against Michigan. Miami, meanwhile, continues its search for a weekend sweep. I’ll call a split. Nebraska-Omaha 3-2, Miami 3-2 Matthew: UNO has only picked up splits from its last two weekend series, but at 4-2-0 so far this month — all against then-ranked opponents — nobody in the Mavericks’ camp is complaining. They’ll get another stern test this weekend, especially as Miami (2.08) is a lot tougher defensively than UNO (3.25). I’d pick a RedHawks sweep if this was in Oxford, but I think UNO will do enough to get another split this weekend in Omaha. Nebraska-Omaha 5-3, Miami 3-1
No. 15 North Dakota at Boston University Candace: North Dakota has to become more consistent at some point, but I think this weekend is all about a split, and I’ll guess that it’s the Saturday curse that still does North Dakota in. North Dakota 3-2, Boston University 3-2 Matthew: BU has been decidedly mediocre so far this season, and that’s good news for a UND team maybe even more depleted than it was last week when it was hit by a flu outbreak. North Dakota only has 11 available forwards for this weekend, but with the Terriers giving up three goals per game so far this season, that’s not as big a disadvantage for UND as it could be. North Dakota hasn’t really been pulling up trees on the defensive side, either, though, so I like both teams to pick up a win here. BU 3-2, UND 3-1
Denver vs. Air Force (at Air Force Fri., at DU Sat.) Candace: Air Force might just come out flat after pulling off the upset Tuesday night, even if the Falcons are on home ice. Denver, meanwhile, has Sam Brittain in net. Denver 2-1, 3-1 Matthew: Air Force’s 3-1 win over Colorado College on Tuesday might’ve thrown light on a shift in Colorado Springs-area college hockey dominance. However, the Falcons will have a big challenge on their hands — talons? — in trying to contain a Denver team that has rebounded well from a not-so-great start to the season. The Pioneers have won each of their last four games and five of their last eight, I think DU will get another victory here, but Air Force — winner of seven of its last eight — is too good a team right now to get swept. Air Force 2-1, Denver 3-1
Western Michigan vs. Michigan State (at MSU Fri., at WMU Sat.) Candace: I picked Western Michigan to split last weekend, and they got swept. The Broncos haven’t won since the first weekend of the season. Michigan State, meanwhile, needs to rebound from getting swept by another in-state rival last weekend against Michigan Tech. I think this is a home-ice split. Michigan State 3-1, Western Michigan 2-1 Matthew: Michigan State is about as ripe for the picking it’s seemingly ever been, but whatever success Western has this weekend will depend largely on how its special teams units perform. The Broncos went 0-for-12 on the power play in last weekend’s sweep at the hands of Denver, and DU’s 1-0 win last Saturday came thanks to a Pioneers goal that came while DU was on a five-on-three power play. The good news here is MSU has the nation’s seventh-worst penalty-killing units (74.3 percent); the bad news is Western has the eighth-worst power play (11.3). If special teams play breaks in Western’s favor, this is the Broncos’ time to shine. If it doesn’t, this series is a toss-up. Michigan State 3-1, Western Michigan 3-1
Friday-Sunday, Nov. 22 and 24
No. 19 Minnesota-Duluth at No. 1 Minnesota Candace: Minnesota has been playing exceptionally well, but when big rivals meet, records don’t mean much. Home ice might however, but I’ll give the Bulldogs a split. Minnesota 4-1, Minnesota-Duluth 2-1 Matthew: Given this is a Friday-Sunday series, I really wish it was home-and-home, and both these teams might feel the same way come NCAA tournament selection time. As for these two games, though, I think UMD’s issues with inconsistency might rear their ugly heads again. The Bulldogs haven’t yet put together two rock-solid games in any one weekend, and that’s going to be a difficult thing to do away to a Gophers team that is scoring goals almost at will so far this season and is giving up fewer than two goals per game at its own end of the ice. Minnesota 4-1, 3-2
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