Yale and Rensselaer just came out of the same tournament, Yale finishing third and Rensselaer second in the Rensselaer Marine Midland Holiday Hockey Tournament.
"It’ll definitely give us a chance to get a real close look at each other," joked Yale head coach Tim Taylor. "But we each have to get by our teams first, or lose to both."
Princeton upset Boston University on Tuesday evening 3-2, and that should give them momentum going into the weekend.
Union traveled to Makato State and dropped a game and then tied the Mavericks.
This was a set of games that determined a lot of playoff positions last year from home ice to making the playoffs. It’s early this year, but there is still a lot at stake. Rensselaer, Princeton, and Union are trying to bring Yale back to the pack, and with the three of those teams separated by just one point in the standings, there’s bound to be a lot of jockeying.
PICKS: Rensselaer at Yale: Yale gets the turnaround on home ice this time around. Yale 4 Rensselaer 3 Union at Princeton: Princeton is good at defense. Union can’t score. `Nuff said. Princeton 4 Union 0 Union at Yale: A feeling. Just a feeling. Union 3 Yale 2, in overtime Rensselaer at Princeton: This is a great battle brewing. Princeton 3 Rensselaer 3
Dartmouth (4-3-3, 1-3-1 ECAC, 11th) and Vermont (3-9-2, 0-3-2 ECAC, 12th) at Harvard (4-7-2, 4-3-1 ECAC, T-3rd)
Friday – Saturday, 7:30 pm – 7 pm, Bright Hockey Center, Cambridge, Mass. Vermont (3-9-2, 0-3-2 ECAC, 12th) and Dartmouth (4-3-3, 1-3-1 ECAC, 11th) at Brown (2-10-0, 2-6-0 ECAC, 10th)
Friday – Saturday, 7:30 pm – 7 pm, Meehan Auditorium, Providence, RI
There should be more jockeying in this set of games as well, as three of the cellar dwellers try to move out of the cellar.
Dartmouth surprised a few people with the Sheraton/US Airways Classic Championship, while Vermont finished last in the same tournament.
Harvard and Brown also finished in the bottom half in their tournaments over the holidays. Harvard finished in a tie for third in the Bank One Badger Showdown, and Brown finished last in the Mariucci Classic.
PICKS: Dartmouth at Harvard: Dartmouth has a little momentum, and it carries them in this one. Dartmouth 4 Harvard 3
Vermont at Brown: Brown plays to a win. Brown 3 Vermont 1 Vermont at Harvard: Vermont stays winless on the ECAC season. Harvard 4 Vermont 2 Dartmouth at Brown: A Dartmouth four point weekend. Dartmouth 5 Brown 3
Colgate (10-4-0, 6-2-0 ECAC, T-1st) at UMass-Lowell (6-8-2, 4-5-2 Hockey East, T-6th)
Colgate (10-4-0, 6-2-0 ECAC, T-1st) at Providence (11-4-1, 5-3-0 Hockey East, T-6th)
Friday, 7 pm, Tully Forum, Billerica, Mass.
Saturday, 7 pm, Schneider Arena, Providence, RI
Colgate finished second in the Syracuse Invitational, not much of a surprise, but the surprise was who the Red Raiders lost too. Minnesota-Duluth took the championship in that tournament.
UMass-Lowell is coming back to action after a three week layoff for the holidays and exams, and Providence finished second in the Sheraton/US Airways Classic.
For more information on the Riverhawks and Friars, please refer to the Hockey East Preview.
PICKS: Colgate at UMass-Lowell: Colgate continues on its hot streak. Colgate 5 UMass-Lowell 3 Colgate at Providence: The two teams battle to a tie. Colgate 3 Providence 3
Cornell (7-4-1, 4-3-1 ECAC, T-3rd) at Gryphon Invitational Tournament
Friday, January 2 Game 1: Wilfred Laurier vs. Brandon, 1 pm, Gold Rink, Guelph, Ontario
Game 2: Waterloo vs. Lethbridge, 1:30 pm, Red Rink, Guelph, Ontario
Game 3: York vs. Alberta, 4:30 pm, Gold Rink, Guelph, Ontario
Game 4: Cornell at Guelph, 8 pm, Gold Rink, Guelph, Ontario
Saturday, January 3
Game 5: Loser Game 2 vs. Loser Game 3, 9:30 am, Gold Rink, Guelph, Ontario
Game 6: Loser Game 4 vs. Loser Game 1, 1 pm, Gold Rink, Guelph, Ontario
Game 7: Winner Game 2 vs. Winner Game 3, 4:30 pm, Gold Rink, Guelph, Ontario
Game 8: Winner Game 4 vs. Winner Game 1, 8 pm, Gold Rink, Guelph, Ontario
Sunday, January 4
Seventh Place Game: Loser Game 5 vs. Loser Game 6, 8:30 am, Gold Rink, Guelph, Ontario
Fifth Place Game: Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6, 1 pm, Gold Rink, Guelph, Ontario
Third Place Game: Loser Game 8 vs. Loser Game 7, 4:30 pm, Gold Rink, Guelph, Ontario Championship: Winner Game 8 vs. Winner Game 7, 8 pm, Gold Rink, Guelph, Ontario
Cornell finished third in the recent Pepsi College Hockey Tournament, losing to defending national champion North Dakota. The Big Red then bounced back with a win over Western Michigan in the consolation game.
It’s another tournament for the Big Red, but all of these games will be exhibitions.
Cornell losing a game in this tournament. Are you kidding me?
PICKS: OK, here’s a stab. Cornell defeats Guelph, Wilfred Laurier, and then York for the Championship, 4-1, 5-3, 3-1
We’ve got some more ECAC action the following weekend, and non-conference play begins to wrap up.
(ECAC Games in Bold) Friday, January 9 Brown at Union Harvard at Rensselaer Princeton at Dartmouth Yale at Vermont New Hampshire at St. Lawrence UMass-Lowell at Clarkson
Saturday, January 10 Brown at Rensselaer Harvard at Union Princeton at Vermont Yale at Dartmouth New Hampshire at Clarkson UMass-Lowell at St. Lawrence Colgate vs. Cornell (Nassau Coliseum)
Sunday, January 11 Colgate at Merrimack
