Week one of the season was relatively kind to me and hardly so for Dave. Maybe this is punishment for him playing the four corners offense (well, defense in this case) during last year’s Hockey East tournament weekend.
Last week’s results
Jim: 7-5-3
Dave: 4-8-3
This week’s picks
Friday, October 16
Wisconsin at Boston College
Jim’s pick: BC will be hungry after its Sunday loss at Rensselaer. And Wisconsin has a lot of improvement from last season to win at BC.
BC 4, UW 2
Dave’s pick: Wisconsin recorded two ties last weekend, but last year it went 4-26-5. I can’t see the Badgers in anything close to BC’s class.
BC 5, UW 1
Clarkson at Merrimack
Jim’s pick: Clarkson may not be a popular pick in the ECAC, but it certainly has some depth. Being on the road is my only hesitation here.
CU 3, MC 2
Dave’s pick: Merrimack’s strength at home proves to be the decisive factor.
MC 3, CU 2
Bentley at Northeastern
Jim’s pick: We all remember when Bentley upset Northeastern a couple of years back and began a slide for the Huskies. That won’t be the case this year.
NU 5, Bentley 2
Dave’s pick: I agree. This could be a surprisingly strong year for the Huskies.
NU 5, Bentley 1
Holy Cross at Providence
Jim’s pick: I do get concerned about the distractions that could be associated with a banner raising night. But I think Providence can remain focused enough.
PC 4, HC 1
Dave’s pick: After taking three of four points at Miami last weekend, the Friars aren’t about to slip up.
PC 4, NC 1
Notre Dame at Penn State
Jim’s pick: Penn State is a team I expect to turn a lot of heads once again this year. Might as well start against Notre Dame.
PSU 4, ND 3
Dave’s pick: I’ll disagree. Give me the Irish even though this one is on the road.
ND 3, PSU 2
Maine at Union
Jim’s pick: Maine impressed me last weekend at the Ice Breaker but they are facing a Union team that just beat BU.
Union 4, Maine 2
Dave’s pick: The Black Bears’ two ties were surprising, but I’m going to remain skeptical for a bit longer.
Union 4, Maine 2
Arizona State at Connecticut
Jim’s pick: UConn had a letdown last Saturday at Huntsville but don’t believe that will happen in the home opener.
UC 4, ASU 2
Dave’s pick: I agree. UConn all the way.
UC 4, ASU 1
Sacred Heart at Massachusetts
Jim’s pick: Sacred Heart impressed at Union and UMass impressed at Colorado College. The home opener again should be the motivation for the Minutemen.
UMass 4, SHU 3
Dave’s pick: I don’t think it’ll be that close. The Minutemen go to 3-0.
UMass 4, SHU 2
Colorado College at UMass Lowell
Jim’s pick: The River Hawks defense impressed against Rensselaer and CC simply didn’t against UMass. That influences my picks in this series.
UML 4, CC 1
Dave’s pick: It’ll be like men versus boys, like the Patriots versus the Colts.
UML 5, CC 1
St. Lawrence at New Hampshire
Jim’s pick: If the UNH offense keeps rolling, they’ll earn a victory in this one.
UNH 5, SLU 3
Dave’s pick: St. Lawrence will be a tough opponent, but UNH won’t be digging itself a hole to crawl out of this year.
UNH 4, SLU 2
Nebraska-Omaha at Vermont
Jim’s pick: This should be the best matchup of the weekend in Hockey East. I pick the Catamounts to ride the momentum from Minnesota.
UVM 3, UNO 1
Dave’s pick: It’s hard to pick against the Catamounts after their upset of Minnesota, especially at home.
UVM 3, UNO 2
Saturday, October 17
Northeastern at Bentley
Jim’s pick: Being on the road shouldn’t impact the result as the Huskies begin 3-0.
NU 4, Bentley 2
Dave’s pick: Agreed. The Huskies sweep.
NU 5, Bentley 2
Wisconsin at Boston University
Jim’s pick: While BU plays the Under-18 team in exhibition on Friday, Saturday’s game is the one that matters and will get the season on the right track.
BU 4, UW 2
Dave’s pick: The two teams were polar opposites last year. BU may not have Eichel anymore, but the talent differential is still immense.
BU 4, UW 1
St. Lawrence at Merrimack
Jim’s pick: The Larries rebound at Merrimack to split the weekend in New England.
SLU 3, MC 2
Dave’s pick: Both teams finish the weekend with a split.
SLU 3, MC 2
Maine at Union
Jim’s pick: Same game, same result? I’m simply not confident that the change of day will do enough. But we can see what the Black Bears can do to change my confidence.
Union 4, Maine 2
Dave’s pick: If the Black Bears continue their .500 play through this three-games-in-five-days stretch, I’ll start to believe that this may not be a rebuilding season for them after all.
Union 4, Maine 1
Notre Dame at Penn State
Jim’s pick: Notre Dame rebounds to earn the series split.
ND 4, PSU 2
Dave’s pick: Call me a Hockey East homer (something I most definitely was not during last week’s disastrous picks), but I’m seeing an Irish sweep.
ND 3, PSU 2.
Colorado College at UMass Lowell
Jim’s pick: The River Hawks earn the series sweep but it will be a difficult game.
UML 3, CC 2
Dave’s pick: I really can’t see the River Hawks having a tough time with a team that went 6-26-3 last year and got swept at home by UMass to open this one.
UML 5, CC1
Clarkson at New Hampshire
Jim’s pick: New Hampshire keeps the offensive train rolling and moves to 3-0 on the season.
UNH 4, CU 1
Dave’s pick: I hate to agree with Jimmy, but I also see UNH staying undefeated, although Daniel Tirone will have as much to do with it as Tyler Kelleher and the rest of the offense.
UNH 3, CU 1
Nebraska-Omaha at Vermont
Jim’s pick: The Mavericks go home with two points of four in an entertaining weekend series.
UNO 3, UVM 2 (OT)
Dave’s pick: A split may be the sensible pick, but I’m going with Vermont completing a home sweep.
UVM 3, UNO 2
Tuesday, October 20
Maine at Quinnipiac
Jim’s pick: A relatively-long road trip doesn’t prove fruitful for the Black Bears.
QU 3, Maine 2
Dave’s pick: I also see a Quinnipiac win but with considerably more ease than Jimmy predicts.
QU 4, Maine 1
