Well, Arlan and I tied again last weekend, something that has happened a lot this season. Last weekend, we went 18-5-1 (.770). On the year, I am 144-44-23 (.736), while Arlan is 140-48-23 (.718).
Friday, Dec. 5
Cornell at Clarkson
Candace: Cornell would love to escape this weekend at .500, but I don’t think it happens. Clarkson 3-1
Arlan: Before last year’s ECAC title game, the Big Red hadn’t defeated Clarkson in Potsdam since 2008. Clarkson 2-1
Quinnipiac at Dartmouth
Candace: This will be low-scoring. Quinnipiac 1-0
Arlan: It might not be pretty, but it will likely be effective. Quinnipiac 2-0
Princeton at Harvard
Candace: The Tigers usually give the Crimson some trouble, and Harvard looked awful last weekend, but I think they regroup. Harvard 2-1
Arlan: Can the Crimson carry some momentum into a huge game versus Quinnipiac? Harvard 3-1
Brown at Rensselaer
Candace: The Engineers finally won again last weekend, but I like the Bears in this. Brown 3-1
Arlan: Luckily the Engineers are one of the least-penalized teams in the country, because if this becomes a special-teams battle, statistics suggest that they’re in big trouble. Brown 2-1
Boston College at Maine
Candace: The Eagles usually don’t score 10 on consecutive weekends, but I still like them to score a lot. Boston College 6-1
Arlan: Bus legs might shave a couple of goals off the margin, but that’s about it. Boston College 5-0
New Hampshire at Providence
Candace: The Friars have shown signs of life of late, and they are home. Providence 3-2
Arlan: After getting outscored 31-2, the Wildcats have to be glad to see the stretch of five straight games versus ranked opponents end. Providence 2-1
Friday-Saturday, Dec. 5-6
Robert Morris at Penn State
Candace: I’m tempted to pick a sweep for the home team, but that’s a rare occurrence, even with the improvement shown this season by the Nittany Lions. Robert Morris 2-1, Penn State 2-1
Arlan: Nothing more fun than guessing at the order of a split. Robert Morris 3-1, Penn State 2-0
Minnesota State at Bemidji State
Candace: The Beavers keep pace with Minnesota-Duluth. Bemidji State 2-1, 3-1
Arlan: The Mavericks are still looking for their first win, and I think they’ll have to resume that search after Christmas. Bemidji State 4-0, 2-1
Minnesota-Duluth at Ohio State
Candace: The Buckeyes looked good against Robert Morris, but most teams do this year. Minnesota-Duluth 2-1, 2-0
Arlan: Over the last couple of seasons, games between these two teams have been just about coin flips. Minnesota-Duluth 1-0, 1-0
St. Cloud at Minnesota
Candace: The Gophers beat St. Cloud 5-0 a couple weeks ago. Might they score more? 6-1, 4-0
Arlan: Will the pressure of the Teddy Bear Toss stall the Gophers’ offense? Minnesota 4-1, 2-0
Friday-Sunday, Dec. 5 and 7
North Dakota at Wisconsin
Candace: Wisconsin is second to only Boston College in scoring. Wisconsin 4-1, 5-1
Arlan: UND’s two postseason wins over the Badgers in the last couple of years matches the number of regular season wins its had in the regular season over the last 18 meetings. Wisconsin 4-0, 2-1
Saturday, Dec. 6
Princeton at Dartmouth
Candace: Something tells me the home team gets back to its winning ways. Dartmouth 2-1
Arlan: Both teams bring losing streaks into the weekend. Princeton 3-2
Quinnipiac at Harvard
Candace: If Harvard had looked any better last weekend, I might pick the Crimson, but no. Quinnipiac 3-1
Arlan: Most, if not all, of Candace’s lead is the result of me picking the Bobcats to lose. Quinnipiac 2-1
Yale at Rensselaer
Candace: Which RPI team shows, and which Yale team? Yale 3-2
Arlan: Early results hint at the Bulldogs playing to the level of their competition to a degree. Yale 3-1
Cornell at St. Lawrence
Candace: Nothing I saw last weekend makes me confident enough to pick the Big Red. St. Lawrence 4-2
Arlan: The Saints are 0-5-1 since upsetting Cornell for the 2012 ECAC Championship. St. Lawrence 2-1
Boston University at Vermont
Candace: Maybe the long bus ride will help the Catamounts stay close. Nah. Boston University 5-2
Arlan: The Catamounts have been outscored 17-4 while losing four straight. Boston University 4-2
Monday, Dec. 8
Providence at Boston University
Candace: The Terriers keep pace with the Eagles. Boston University 4-1
Arlan: Providence has split its last four weekends down the middle, but those opponents weren’t ranked. Boston University 4-1
Wed. Dec. 10
Boston College at Dartmouth
Candace: The Eagles close their first half undefeated. Boston College 6-1
Arlan: A more interesting question than who wins is will BC match or exceed its five-goal margin of last year? Boston College 7-3
