Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. And now it’s time to serve up another edition of game picks.
Not a ton of games on the slate this week because of the holiday, but there is still hockey to be played. Check out my latest game picks below and enjoy the weekend.
Friday and Saturday
Bethel (5-2-1) at Lake Forest (3-3-3)
The Royals are unbeaten in their last three games. They have scored four goals in two of their three wins and have hit the mark of four or more goals five times this season. Jarrett Cammarata leads Bethel with four goals. He also has four assists.
Like Bethel, Lake Forest hasn’t lost in its three outings, playing to a tie twice. And the Foresters have an offense capable of putting up a lot of goals. Six times this season they have scored at least five goals in a game. This series could be a high-scoring one between the two teams.
Lake Forest, 5-4; Bethel 6-5
Saint John’s (4-2-1) at MSOE (5-2)
The Johnnies face a big test on the road. Nick Michel and Lewis Crosby have been keys to the early-season success Saint John’s has enjoyed. Michel has tallied seven goals and three assists while Crosby has tallied four goals and seven assists. If those two are on, the Johnnies will be in good shape.
The Raiders have won four of five and will look to counter with Kyle Herbster, who has come through with six goals and five assists. Christian Sabin has also been solid, scoring a goal and three assists. It all comes down to who makes the most of their opportunities in what should be a tightly contested series.
MSOE, 4-3; Saint John’s 5-4
UW-Eau Claire (4-2) at St. Norbert (5-0-1)
It’s a big series for both teams. The Blugolds have a chance to make a statement against the No. 2 team in the nation and perhaps catapult itself back into the top 15. UW-Eau Claire has won its last two games but has yet to win a road game. The Blugolds spread the wealth, scoring 20 goals on 36 assists, and eight players have four or more points.
The Green Knights have won their last four games, outscoring the opposition 20-6 during that stretch, and playing at home is always a huge deal for them. Michael McChesney and Ben Schmidling lead the charge for the Green Knights, tallying four goals and five assists apiece.
St. Norbert, 5-3 and 4-1
Northland (0-7-1) at UW-Superior (5-3)
It’s been a tough start for the Lumberjacks and it doesn’t get any easier going on the road to play the Yellowjackets. Northland is winless in its last 16 games dating back to last season. UW-Superior has won four of five and has been solid on the defensive end of the ice during that stretch, recording a pair of shutouts.
One thing Northland does is compete hard. It nearly beat UW-Eau Claire last week. Perhaps this is the weekend the Lumberjacks end the streak.
UW-Superior, 4-2; Northland, 2-1
Saturday and Sunday
Marian (3-4) at St. Olaf (5-1)
The Sabres want to get back on track after dropping two in a row. Getting the offense going is key. Marian has managed just one goal in its last two games and haven’t scored more than two goals in a game since a 5-2 win over Adrian on Nov. 11.
St. Olaf is off and running coming off a season where it won the MIAC tournament and this is a chance to keep that momentum going. The Oles have won two in a row and have been solid defensively in those two wins, giving up just two goals.
St. Olaf, 3-1 and 4-2
Saturday
Trine (4-4) at Utica (6-2)
The Thunder is coming off a win over nationally ranked Adrian last Saturday and now faces another team ranked in the DCU/USCHO.com NCAA Division III poll. The Pioneers come in at No. 4 in the nation.
The Thunder have shown they can compete with anyone and head coach Alex Todd is a former assistant with the Pioneers. The key for the Thunder is slowing down a balanced Utica attack. Four Pioneers have nine points, including Regen Cavanagh, who has four goals and five assists. Trine has four goaltenders who have seen time on the ice, with Elias Sandholm logging the most minutes with more than 140.
Utica, 5-3
