Thanksgiving has turkey, stuffing and football. The day after, people will wake up early and line up outside their favorite local ice arenas waiting for college hockey Thanksgiving tournaments.
MCHA vs. NCHA Showcase at Marian
Marian will host a Thanksgiving MCHA/NCHA Showcase Friday and Saturday, as Lawrence, St. Norbert, and St. Scholastica will play four games this weekend at the Blueline Family Ice Center in Fond du Lac, Wis.
Lawrence vs. St. Norbert, 3:30 p.m. Friday
Lawrence is led offensively by Matt Hughes, who has five goals on the year, while Gustav Lindgren leads the team in points with eight. St. Norbert has never lost to an MCHA team, carrying an impressive 54-0-1 all-time record against teams in the MCHA. St. Norbert appears to have shaken off early-season road woes after sweeping Wis.-Eau Claire last weekend. Pick: St. Norbert 5-2
St. Scholastica vs. Marian, 7:00 p.m. Friday
Friday’s nightcap will feature host Marian against St. Scholastica. Marian has a 5-2-1 record against St. Scholastica, and has not lost at home in 20 of 21 games. Dakota Dubetz leads Marian in scoring with five goals and 12 points. Brett Corcoran leads St. Scholastica with six goals. Last year’s Thanksgiving game between the two schools ended with St. Scholastica winning in overtime, 6-5. Pick: Marian 4-2
Adrian Thanksgiving Tournament
Adrian will host its Thanksgiving Tournament on Saturday and Sunday at Arrington Ice Arena. The tournament features four teams from four different states.
Buffalo State vs. St. Thomas, 2:00 p.m. Saturday
St. Thomas currently leads the MIAC, is undefeated in conference play, and has a 5-1-1 overall record. St. Thomas is ranked No. 13 in the D-III USCHO.com poll. Robby Phillip and Travis Baker lead St. Thomas’ offense with eight points apiece. Tyrone Simcoe is St. Thomas’ starting goalie, and has a 2.30 GAA and .926 saves percentage. Buffalo State has a 4-3 overall record and a potent offense, scoring at least seven goals on three different occasions. Trevor McKinney and Justin Knee lead the team in scoring, each with nine points. Kevin Carr is the starting goalie. His goals against average is 2.43, with a .919 save percentage. Pick: Buffalo State 6-4
Wis.-Eau Claire vs. Adrian, 5:30 p.m. Saturday
Adrian will take on Wis.-Eau Claire in another MCHA/NCHA showdown. Adrian is No. 4, with a 6-1 record, and at home, where it did not allow a goal to Lake Forest last weekend. Zach Graham leads the team in scoring with 12 points, and Jordan Watt has six goals. Wis.-Eau Claire is a more experienced team, and should provide more of a challenge to Adrian. Jordan Singer leads the team with 10 points, and goalie Brandon Stephenson has logged a majority of time in the nets this season. His goals against average is 2.38, with a .913 save percentage. Pick: Adrian 5-3
