Friday, Jan. 12
No. 3 Wisconsin-Stevens Point at Augsburg
This is a matchup worthy of March. The Pointers skate into town riding a five-game win streak. They have scored 65 goals and allowed just 32. They are also unbeaten on the road. Four players have scored at least five goals. Tanner Karty leads the way with 11 to go along with 17 assists. Augsburg is back on track after a five-game losing streak. The Auggies have won two in a row and are a pretty good offensive team in their own right, having scored 55 goals. They’ve given up just 35. Nate Flynn leads the attack with 11 goals and eight assists. Wisconsin-Stevens Point 5-4
Lake Forest at No. 4 Adrian
The Foresters have won only once in their last four games, but have shown they can compete with top-level teams. George Gerasimou has been a key player for Lake Forest, leading the team in points (15) and assists (11). Adrian has skated to three consecutive wins and is looking to stay unbeaten at home. Goaltending has been crucial to the Bulldogs’ success. Adrian has given up just two goals during its win streak behind the play of Kevin Entmaa, who is 6-2 and has come up with 181 saves. Adrian 4-1
Concordia at St. Scholastica
The Falcons are seeking their 10th win of the season. Dante Hahn, Jim Pearson, and Josh Adkins have combined to score 17 goals, and they’ll look to add to their totals against the Saints. Concordia won the last meeting 3-1, but that might not be the case this time as the Saints are one of the hottest teams in the country. Winners of six in a row and unbeaten in their last seven overall, St. Scholastica has scored four or more goals six times during the impressive stretch. Kyle Star leads the team in points (13), with 10 coming off assists. St. Scholastica 5-3
Marian at No. 1 St. Norbert
The Sabres come into the showdown with a lot of momentum, having won four in a row. They lost 4-1 to the Green Knights in the first meeting. Defense will be key, with Marian allowing only three goals during its hot streak. Hunter Vorva is 10-3-1 and has a 1.78 goals-against average. St. Norbert is tough defensively, too, with T.J. Black in goal. Black has won a league-best 90 percent of his games and ranks third in the NCHA in saves with 354. He is 13-1-1 on the season and has given up only 20 goals. St. Norbert 4-2
Friday-Saturday, Jan. 12-13
Gustavus Adolphus vs. St. Thomas
A lot is riding on this two-game home-and-home series. Gustavus is in second place in the conference and can potentially move into first with a sweep. The Gusties have already surpassed their win total from a season ago and have one of the top young players in the league in Caleb Anderson, who has tallied four goals and five assists. The Tommies come in having won five of seven, and Johnny Panvica leads the way offensively, scoring seven goals and dishing out eight assists. He ranks in the top five in the MIAC in scoring. Benjamin Meyers has been impressive in goal. He has started 11 of 12 games and owns a 1.81 GAA. Gustavus Adolphus 4-3, St. Thomas 2-1
Saint Mary’s at Concordia
The Cardinals have had a tough year, winning only three times, and the road doesn’t get any easier this week as they play a two-game series on the road against the Cobbers. Jay Heinle has been a bright spot, scoring four goals and dishing out seven assists. The Cobbers have dropped their last two, but are still alive and well in the hunt for the MIAC crown. Mario Bianchi has played a huge role in the team’s success, scoring six goals and racking up 11 assists. Zach Doerring has been impressive as well, punching in nine goals to go along with five assists. Concordia 5-3, 4-2
Saturday, Jan. 13
Wisconsin-Stevens Point at Saint John’s
The Pointers play tremendous defense, thanks in large part to Max Milosek, who is 9-3-2 in 14 starts. He owns a 1.78 GAA and will look to be on top of his game again in a tough road game. The Johnnies are one of the best at special teams, ranking third in the nation at 59.7 percent. They rank sixth nationally on the power play, converting 25.9 percent of their chances. Saint John’s hasn’t beaten the Pointers since 2007. Wisconsin-Stevens Point 4-3
Wisconsin-Eau Claire at St. Olaf
The Blugolds have won two in a row and look to keep that momentum rolling. They are just 2-4 away from home this season, though. Jake Hopfner has been a big-time contributor offensively, scoring seven goals and dishing out six assists. Camden Haugenoe is 6-4 in goal this season. The Oles have won two of three and have managed to score 36 goals this year while giving up 39. Totro Tuukka is having a solid season for the Oles, tallying five goals and seven assists. He is tied for the team-lead in goals and leads the way in assists. Wis.-Eau Claire 5-3
Lawrence at No. 1 St. Norbert
The Vikings have lost just twice in their last six games and go into the matchup with the confidence that they can play with the Green Knights. They lost 3-2 the first time around. Lane King will need a big game. He comes in having tallied 10 goals and 12 assists. The Green Knights have yet to lose at home this season, sporting a 7-0-1 record, and they have an offense that has cranked out 53 goals. Keegan Milligan leads the way with eight. St. Norbert 5-2
