League play gets into full swing this week in the west region of Division III hockey and there is no shortage of interesting matchups. Among the highlights is a key NCHA two-game series between Trine and Adrian. In the MIAC, Augsburg will aim to keep its overall unbeaten record intact and Wisconsin-River Falls and Wisconsin-Stevens Point face off in a one-game scenario.
Nov. 19-20
Concordia at St. Olaf
The Cobbers currently sit atop the conference standings, but that doesn’t mean anything will come easy against Oles.
Tyler Bossert leads the MIAC in points (11) while Cole O’Connell and Brady Tatro each have five goals on the season. They’ll be a tough team for the Oles to slow down.
St. Olaf has shown it can score as well, putting up five goals in a game against St. Scholastica last week. Ashton Altman leads the offense with two goals and four assists.
Concordia, 5-2 and 4-3
St. Scholastica vs. Augsburg
The Auggies are playing a MIAC opponent for the first time and they come in unbeaten through their first four games.
Augsburg features one of the top goaltenders in the league in Jack Robbel. He boasts a goals against average of 0.67 and the Auggies have been tough defensively as a whole, giving up just three goal in their first four games.
The Saints will try to counter with standout Arkhip Ledenkov, who has racked up three goals and three assists and is among the MIAC leaders in points on the season.
This home-and-home series could be one of the best of the weekend.
Augsburg, 4-1 and 3-2
Bethel vs. Gustavus
The Royals are off to an impressive start, winning five of their first six, and they’ll try to keep things rolling against the Gusties.
Bethel has scored three or more goals four times and has recorded two shutouts. The team is playing with confidence to say the least.
Gustavus is looking to snap a two-game losing streak. Getting its offense going is key. The Gusties have managed just four goals in their last four games.
Bethel, 5-2; Gustavus, 3-2
Lake Forest vs. Aurora
This home-and-home series should be interesting. Aurora looks to keep its hot start to the year rolling along. The Spartans have won their first six games, outscoring the opponents 33-9. Jack Jaunich, Andrew Lane and Simon Boyko are the top three in points in the conference. Boyko has scored eight goals.
The Foresters have Nick Wiencek in goal and he’ll be tasked with keeping the Spartan offense in check. He’s fashioned a 1.68 goals against average on the year.
Aurora, 5-3; Lake Forest, 3-2
Trine vs. Adrian
It’s a huge early-season showdown between two of the top teams in the NCHA.
Both the Thunder and the Bulldogs are unbeaten in league play. Trine has been impressive offensively, racking up 22 goals. Garrett Hallford and Bobby Brice have fueled the offense with four goals apiece. Trine has won its last three games. Adrian has rattled off three consecutive wins as well. Matthew Rehding has four goals for the Bulldogs.
Adrian, 5-4; Trine 6-4
Concordia vs. Marian
The Falcons and Sabres come in looking for their first conference wins of the season. Both teams are 0-2 in the NCHA.
Concordia has dropped three in a row, giving up four or more goals in each of those losses. The Falcons will have to shore things up defensively to have a shot.
It’s been a tough start to the year for the reigning conference tourney champs. The Sabres have lost their last two and will try to tighten things up defensively as well after giving up 11 goals in the last two games. The team that plays the best on defense likely prevails in this series.
Marian, 4-3; Concordia, 5-4
Nov. 19
Wisconsin-Superior at Wisconsin-Eau Claire
The Yellow Jackets have won two in a row, scoring 11 goals in that stretch, and they’ll aim at keeping things going against the Blugolds in a huge WIAC opener. They have outscored the opposition 21-9, with Dylan Johnson and Chad Lopez paving the way with four goals apiece.
The Blugolds have won two of their last four. Sammy Martel leads the team with two goals.
UW-Superior, 2-1
Wisconsin-River Falls at Wisconsin-Stevens Point
The Falcons have lost just once this season and look to gain early ground in the race for a conference championship. They have scored at least two goals in every win this season and have held four teams to one goal. Dysen Skinner has been solid in goal for UW-River Falls, fashioning a 3-0 mark and a 1.67 goals against average.
The Pointers have won their last two and have shown their ability to generate offense, scoring four goals three times. Colin Raver has been on point early in the year, racking up five goals to go along with seven assists.
UW-Stevens Point, 3-2
