Here’s a look at the upcoming games in ECAC Hockey, including the opening round of the Beanpot on Monday. All games start at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted.
Last time: 4-4-3
Overall: 46-27-11
Friday, Feb. 2
Rensselaer at Colgate
Don’t expect a lot of goals in this game, as both teams rank near the bottom of Division I in scoring. But the Raiders have the edge with goalie Colton Point and a talented defense. Colgate wins
Union at Cornell
Cornell enters the weekend as the top-ranked team in the USCHO.com poll for the first time since March 28, 2003. The Dutchmen only had one shot on goal in the third period against RPI on Saturday, and will need to generate more chances than that against a Big Red team that has been lights out defensively lately. Cornell wins
Harvard at Dartmouth
The Crimson were shutout in back-to-back games last weekend for the first time in seven years. Dartmouth has been playing well lately, but I think Harvard is too talented to get shutout for a third game in a row. Harvard wins
St. Lawrence at Princeton
Princeton hasn’t lived up to its preseason expectations, but the Tigers offense hasn’t been a disappointment thus far, averaging more than three goals per game. I’m not sure if St. Lawrence has the firepower to keep up with the Tigers. Princeton wins
Clarkson at Quinnipiac
The Golden Knights are 1-2-1 since their fourteen-game winning streak ended two weeks ago. Even so, Quinnipiac hasn’t shown much spark this season and Clarkson has depth that the Bobcats simply don’t have. Clarkson wins
Arizona State at Yale
Outside of the Beanpot, February non-conference games are rare in ECAC Hockey, but the Bulldogs will host Arizona State in the second-ever meeting between the teams. Yale lost both its league games last weekend, but the Bulldogs had put together a nice stretch prior to that and should be able to rebound against Arizona State. Yale wins
Saturday, Feb. 3
Union at Colgate
For the second night in a row, Union will face another tough defensive team. However, the Raiders don’t have the same offensive capability as Cornell. The Dutchmen should be able to generate enough goals to win and head home with a road split. Union wins
Rensselaer at Cornell
Like I said above, the Big Red are in the midst of an impressive stretch. I just don’t see RPI being able to match Cornell in any aspect. Cornell wins
Clarkson at Princeton
This should be a good matchup between the Tigers’ high-flying and Clarkson’s stingy defense, anchored by goalie Jake Kielly. I like the Golden Knights defense a little better than Princeton’s offense. Clarkson wins
St. Lawrence at Quinnipiac
The Saints won their first two conference games of the season last week. I think they pick up another win against the Bobcats, as Quinnipiac conclude January with one win in six games. St. Lawrence wins
Connecticut at Brown
Brown tied Clarkson on Saturday, but outside of that it has been a rough go of it lately for the Bears, as they have only one win over the last two months. The Huskies have won three in a row following a rough stretch, and they should be able to extend that streak to four on Saturday. Connecticut wins
Arizona State at Yale
I think the Bulldogs finish off the sweep and head into the stretch run with a bit of momentum. Yale wins
Monday, Feb. 5
Boston University vs. Harvard, 8 p.m. (Beanpot)
For the first time since 1994, Harvard enters the Beanpot as defending champions. Prior to losing twice last weekend, the Crimson hadn’t lost in eight games, while the Terriers are on an eight-game unbeaten streak of their own. I could see this game going either way, but I’m going to give the defending champions the edge. Harvard wins
