There is no drop-off on the important matchups this week in conference play with several marquee games this weekend amongst nationally ranked teams. I continued my slide with last weekend’s tournament and non-conference picks that finished at 8-5-1 (.607) which lowers the overall record to 34-18-6 (.638) so it’s time to rally and close out the remaining first-half schedule with some solid picks. Here are the picks for this weekend that hopefully will have me trending upward to start December:
Thursday, December 2, 2021
Fitchburg State v. Westfield State
The Owls have won three in a row with Paul Frys and Jake Ratcliffe leading the offense. The Falcons won’t give up much, but the home team finds a way to keep the win streak alive – WSU, 3-2
Friday, December 3, 2021
Hobart (5) v. Skidmore
After the holiday weekend off, Hobart takes to the road to face a boosted Skidmore squad fresh off winning their own tournament so don’t expect this one to be easy for the visitors. They find a way to solve Tate Brandon but need the empty-net goal for the final margin – Hobart, 4-2
Amherst v. Trinity (10)
The Bantams lost a tough one to Adrian so look for a rebound win against the Mammoths who suffered back-to-back losses to Utica and Massachusetts-Boston last weekend – Trinity, 4-1
Endicott (8) v. Curry (13)
The first game of the two-game series looks to be a great game between two major CCC contenders. The Gulls will look to start fast and rely on Conor O’Brien to hold off the Colonels – Endicott 4-3
Anna Maria v. Rivier
The battle of independents may be the offensive game of the weekend as both teams have shown they can score in bunches. Expect this one to go back and forth to an overtime conclusion for the visitors – Anna Maria, 6-5
Wilkes (11) v. Utica (3)
The Colonels put their unbeaten record on the line against the Pioneers who lost a tough one to No. 1 Geneseo in their own tournament last weekend. Look for Utica to set the tone early and capture a big UCHC conference win at home – Utica, 4-3
Saturday, December 4, 2021
Salem State v. Plymouth State
The Panthers look to complete two straight conference wins at home against the Vikings on Saturday after downing Framingham State on Thursday. They do and remain unbeaten in MASCAC play – PSU, 5-3
Buffalo State v. Geneseo (1)
The Bengals have always played the Knights tough so there shouldn’t be any lack of motivation for Chris Schultz’s squad returning to SUNYAC play. Third period scoring is the difference – Geneseo, 5-3
Post v. Stonehill
This NE-10 matchup will find Stonehill looking to build some momentum in the conference and find some needed offensive punch beyond John Peloso, Mike Seoane and Brendan Nehmer. The win helps in the conference standings – Stonehill, 4-3
Bowdoin v. Colby
Always one of the great rivalries and this year being played in Colby’s new rink. New venue but same hard-fought game between the long-time rivals. Colby finds the needed offense to down the Polar Bears – Colby, 3-1
Babson (9) v. Norwich (6)
Very few teams have had much success in Northfield against the Cadets, but Babson isn’t one of those teams. The Beavers always play the Cadets tough in Kreitzberg Arena and while Brad Arvanitis will keep it close, the Cadets score late to win – Norwich, 3-2
Cortland v. Manhattanville
Hey Manhattanville – don’t look past the Red Dragons. They beat Hobart and tied Geneseo. They also eke out a tough road win here – Cortland, 3-2
The calendar has turned to December, so the first-half is winding down to a close soon. Every point is important heading into the break – “Drop the Puck!”
