Last time: 1-0
Overall: 28-12-8
It was an eventful Thursday night in ECAC Hockey, as Princeton and Rensselaer played to a 3-3 tie, Quinnipiac rolled over Union 5-0, and Boston University rallied for a 6-5 win over Harvard.Here’s a look at the rest of the games scheduled for this weekend. All start times are 7 p.m., unless noted.
Friday, Jan. 8
Merrimack at Cornell
Merrimack has been in a bit of a tailspin lately, as the Warriors have one win over its last ten games dating back to Nov. 13. The Big Red are coming off an 8-0 loss to Ohio State on Dec. 29. Those eight goals were more than Cornell had allowed in its previous six games prior to that. Cornell should rebound against a Merrimack team that has had trouble scoring goals this season. Cornell wins
Colgate at Maine
I keep on waiting for a breakout from the Raiders. While Colgate might not have the depth to be a top-four team in the ECAC, they should be playing better than they are. A win against a struggling Maine team might not be much, but its a start. Colgate wins
Northeastern at St. Lawrence
With the season halfway done, the Saints’ 10-5-2 mark is the program’s best record at the midway point since the 2005-06 season, when St. Lawrence was 11-5-1. Meanwhile, the Huskies have struggled thus far, scoring 2.3 goals per game while allowing just over three. That doesn’t bode well against a St. Lawrence team that has been strong on both ends of the ice. St. Lawrence wins
Union at Princeton
The Dutchmen saw their seven-game unbeaten streak come to an end with an ugly 5-0 loss Thursday at Quinnipiac. Union should rebound against the Tigers, but I think this will be a close game. Union wins
Dartmouth at Vermont
These old ECAC rivals meet on a night when Vermont will honor former player Martin St. Louis, who recently concluded a lengthy NHL career last season. The Big Green’s 5-7-1 record isn’t very impressive on its own, but Dartmouth has won two in row and is currently ranked 23rd in the PairWise. Goalie Charles Grant has been playing well lately, and that should be the difference against a Vermont team that has really struggled to score this season. Dartmouth wins
Yale at Arizona State, 10 p.m., ET
The Bulldogs head west to take part in the inaugural Desert Hockey Classic, facing host Arizona State at Gila River Arena. The Sun Devils have the pieces in place to be a contender down the road, but it’s been a mostly bumpy first season in Division I so far. Yale wins
Saturday, Jan. 9
Merrimack at Cornell
I think the Big Red finish off the sweep. Cornell wins
Colgate at Maine
Black Bears rebound for the series split. Maine wins
Northeastern at St. Lawrence
Sure, the Huskies tied Quinnipiac last weekend, but I think the Saints take care of business for the second night in a row. St. Lawrence wins
Quinnipiac vs. Harvard, 7:30 p.m. (Rivalry on Ice at Madison Square Garden).
Harvard’s defense was exposed Thursday night, as the Crimson allowed three goals is under three minutes late in the third period in a 6-5 loss to Boston University on Thursday. Harvard didn’t muster much against Quinnipiac when these teams met in November. It might be able to score a few more goals this time around, but the Crimson’s defensive struggled might hurt them against the Bobcats. Quinnipiac wins
Sunday, Jan. 10
Connecticut/Michigan Tech vs. Yale, 2 p.m. EDT (consolation) or 5 p.m. EDT (championship)
The Bulldogs will play the winner of the Connecticut/Michigan Tech game that will be held Saturday. Regardless of the opponent, I think Yale heads home with a sweep. Yale wins
Holy Cross at Dartmouth
Holy Cross has been strong on both sides of the ice this season and should have enough to get by the Big Green. Holy Cross wins
