At A Glance:
Last week’s record: 3-6
Overall Record: 73-41-2
This Week’s Picks*:
*All games are subject to change.
Atlantic Hockey Tournament
Semifinal Round
Friday, March 19
Canisius vs. Army West Point
Dan: It would take a crazy person to pick against the Black Knights given how they’ve played over the past couple of months. They’re cruising and haven’t really stopped, and their style lends itself to a big time postseason run. They took three-of-four from Canisius last year with the only loss coming in overtime. In all honesty, I just can’t believe we’re seeing crossover (finally). Army West Point wins.
Chris: Seriously, how can you pick against Army at this point? I expect a low-scoring affair with the Black Knights finding a way to win, as they have for thirteen straight (12-0-1 with a shootout victory). Army West Point wins.
Niagara at American International
Dan: AIC hasn’t played in almost two months, but Eric Lang indicated his team has practiced to be ready for this exact situation. I think there will be some rust early, and Niagara likely pounces on it, but even Cinderella’s glass slipper won’t fit after the Yellow Jackets right themselves. There’s a reason AIC barely lost to anybody this year, and even though Niagara is catching fire at the right time, the east is just so powerful. AIC wins.
Chris: This will be intriguing for sure. AIC hasn’t play since January 30, a span of 49 days that saw Niagara play eight games, including four last week. Things could get off to a rocky start but the Yellow Jackets have enough talent to overcome the long layoff. AIC wins.
Championship Game
Saturday, March 20
Canisius/Army West Point vs. Niagara/AIC
Dan: I wish I could go back in time for a number of reasons, but I would love to go back anywhere from 7-10 years and tell myself that in 2021, two eastern teams would finish 1-2 in the standings despite playing in the same division and would dominate the league. I’d probably believe a team was a three-time regular season champion, but there’s no way I’d believe it was AIC. That said, I love an AIC-Army West Point championship game, and I love the idea of a two-team bid. That said, both would go on merit, and it’s based on pure hockey when I offer this one up. Army West Point wins its first Atlantic Hockey banner.
Chris: Nothing ever goes exactly as planned, and while I think the top two teams in the league will play in the title game, I’m going for an upset here and possibly both teams in the NCAA tournament. Army West Point wins.
