Three things I learned from Atlantic Hockey this weekend:
Canisius will play Connecticut in the first round of the AHA playoffs. The final weekend will determine who the home team is, but it’s nice to be able to pin down at least one thing with the standings so up in the air going into the final weekend. Seven teams are still in contention for the four first-round byes, and five teams can still claim the regular season title.
Strang is back – Mercyhurst goaltender Max Strang had lost his starting job recently to sophomore Joran Tibbett. But after the Lakers got shelled 8-0 at Air Force on Friday, Strang returned to the nets and posted a huge 2-1 win for the Lakers, making 50 saves in the process. The Falcons outshot the Lakers 51-19. “Their goalie was the best player on the ice by a country mile”, said Air Force coach Frank Serratore.
The stage is set for a big showdown in the East – Bentley and Holy Cross are each undefeated in their art six games and play this weekend. The Falcons lead the Crusaders by a point in the standings. While both teams could conceivably end up with a bye if they split and other things break just right, if either team can win the series they will mostly likely be taking next weekend off.
Getting my vote
Here’s my ballot for Monday’s USCHO.com Division I Men’s poll:
1. Ferris State
2. Boston College
3. Michigan
4. Minnesota Duluth
5. Minnesota
6. Boston University
7. Mass-Lowell
8. Union
9. Denver
10. Merrimack
11. Maine
12. Cornell
13. Michigan State
14. North Dakota
15. Ohio State
16. Miami
17. Colorado College
18. Notre Dame
19. Western Michigan
20. Northern Michigan
