Well I turned out to be correct on the night and day results for Adrian. The only problem was, Adrian didn’t take a game like I thought they might be able to do against top-ranked RIT.
Instead, the Tigers (15-0-0) rolled into Michigan and downed the Bulldogs by scores of 4-2 and 8-0. However, to my credit, Adrian was tied 2-2 after two periods until RIT poured it on in the third period, outshooting Adrian 15-1 to win on Friday night.
Wis. River Falls continued to match RIT win for win as the Falcons swept rival Wis. Stevens Point by scores of 5-3 and 3-0. The Falcons maintained their stranglehold on the top spot in the NCHA and the No. 2 ranking in the latest USCHO.com Poll that was released today.
Plattsburgh continued its dominance of Manhattanville thanks to a four-point night from senior Steph Moon. Moon had a goal and three assists to lead the Cardinals to a 5-2 win down in Rye, N.Y. at the Playland Ice Casino.
For two teams that are perennial powers and ranked in the top 10 in the nation every week, Plattsburgh’s dominance over Manhattanville is uncanny. The Cardinals are 10-1-3 against the Valiants all-time after Saturday’s win. Manhattanville’s only win came on Nov. 24, 2007, but Plattsburgh got the last laugh at the end of the season by downing the Valiants 3-2 in the national championship game to wrap up its second-straight national championship.
Lastly, Middlebury and Trinity gained absolutely nothing in their first NESCAC showdown as the two clubs tied 1-1 on Saturday as they both look to knock off Amherst from the top of the pedestal.
I made 20 bold predictions around this time last year so I’ll try it again this year. I didn’t do so hot last season as I think I got just under 50 percent of them right. However, most of the predictions were pretty out there and not along the lines of Amherst will beat Wesleyan or something like that.
1. RIT or Wis. River Falls will finish the regular season undefeated.
2. Elmira’s Tori Charron will lead the country in goals.
3. Norwich’s Sophie Leclerc will lead the country in total points and win the Laura Hurd Award.
4. Norwich beats Plattsburgh on Jan. 12. at the Stafford. (This actually is a bold statement. Trust me.)
5. Finlandia gets its first win of the season before Marian.
6. Adrian’s Emily Michelin breaks Wis. Stevens Point’s Amy Statz’s record for shutouts in a single season. Michelin has 6, the record is 13.
7. Amherst doesn’t lose again until the NCAA Tournament.
8. Concordia-Moorhead’s Abby Taffe leads the country in freshman scoring.
9. Bowdoin makes the NESCAC finals.
10. Elmira and Middlebury do not make the NCAA Tournament.
11. RIT’s Scott McDonald wins Coach of the Year.
12. St. Norbert makes the NCHA Final Four.
13. St. Mary’s makes the MIAC championship game.
14. Manhattanville doesn’t make the ECAC East championship game.
15. Oswego wins an ECAC West playoff game.
16. Plattsburgh wins the ECAC West.
17. One of the conference tournament championships goes to double overtime.
18. RIT hosts the Frozen Four.
19. RIT, Plattsburgh, Norwich, and River Falls make the Frozen Four.
20. RIT wins the national championship.
