The first full weekend of hockey in 2023 has arrived and two of the biggest matchups of the weekend feature nationally ranked opponents squaring off. St. Norbert plays Aurora in a pivotal NCHA series and Augsburg goes on the road to take on UW-Stevens Point. Check out the picks for those games and more below.
Friday and Saturday
Concordia (5-5-1, 2-2) at St. Scholastica (5-4-2, 3-0-1)
The Cobbers have a lot of confidence after a weekend split with nationally ranked Aurora. Winners of three of its last four, Concordia looks to gain ground in the MIAC standings. It currently sits in seventh. The Saints finished third at the UW-Superior Showdown and seek their first win since Dec. 9. This one could turn out to be a defensive battle.
Concordia,3-1; St. Scholastica, 3-2
Adrian (10-2-1, 4-2) at Lawrence (2-10-1, 1-5)
Momentum is on the side of the Bulldogs going into its first NCHA weekend of the new year. The Bulldogs just won a holiday tournament at Oswego State and look to keep things rolling. They enter this game on a five-game winning streak and are unbeaten on the road. Its high scoring offense, which has produced 55 goals, will be tough to slow down. Lawrence has dropped its last two and has just one road win. It did tie St. John’s on the road, though, last month. Things could be interesting if the Vikings can be at its best defensively.
Adrian, 5-2 and 6-2
St. Norbert (9-3-1, 6-0) at Aurora (10-3-2, 6-0-2)
It’s one of the biggest matchups of the weekend in the west region. The Green Knights are ranked fifth in the nation in the DCU/USCHO NCAA Division III poll. The Spartans are 12th. Aurora is currently atop the conference while St. Norbert is just two points behind in the standings. Two high-scoring offenses will be on the ice and that should make for an interesting weekend of hockey. Aurora has tallied 63 goals on the year. St. Norbert has come through with 49 goals.
St. Norbert, 5-4; Aurora, 6-5
MSOE (8-5, 3-3) vs. Marian (5-8, 2-4)
It’s an important home-and-home weekend for the Raiders, who currently sit in fifth place in the conference standings. MSOE swept the series against the Sabres last year and hope to pull off the feat again. The Raiders lost three of four in December and aim to get the new year started on the right foot. One interesting note about this series is Marian coach Clay Van Diest was a former assistant at MSOE. The Sabres come in confident after winning the UW-Superior Showdown championship.
Marian, 4-2; MSOE, 5-3
Friday
St. Olaf (9-3-1) at UW-Eau Claire (7-5)
Neither team is currently nationally ranked, but both programs are among the best in the nation. The Oles are eager to make a statement on the road against the Blugolds. The Oles are playing for the first time since Dec. 10. A balanced attack will be key as St. Olaf has scored 45 goals off 75 assists. UW-Eau Claire is hoping to bounce back after dropping its last two games. This is also the Blugolds’ first game since Dec. 10.
St. Olaf, 3-2
Saturday
Augsburg (7-3-1) at UW-Stevens Point
It doesn’t get much better than a top 10 showdown to kick off 2023. The fourth-ranked Auggies and ninth-ranked Pointers square off in a non-conference battle that will carry a lot of weight come NCAA tournament time. Augsburg has had mixed results on the road this season, sporting a 3-3 record, and this will mark the second time in a month that the Auggies have played a nationally ranked opponent away from home. The Pointers might be the hottest team in the nation right now as owners of an 11-game unbeaten streak. They have won six in a row, including two against then No. 14 UW-Eau Claire.
UW-Stevens Point, 4-3
Saint Mary’s (6-6-1) at UW-Eau Claire (7-5)
The Blugolds close out the weekend with a home game against the Cardinals. They are 2-2 against MIAC opponents on the season. Saint Mary’s has an opportunity to make a big statement as it tries to keep its win streak going. The Cardinals are surging as winners of five in a row and have an offense that has come to life during its win streak, scoring four or more goals four times.
Saint Mary’s, 5-3
