It’s the middle of the month and the hockey just keeps getting better. Several ranked teams are in action, including in a showdown featuring Adrian and Aurora.
Let’s dive right in with a few game picks for this weekend.
Friday
UW-Eau Claire at Concordia
The Blugolds (0-1-1) are searching for their first win. Max Dronen has two early-season goals and having Max Gutjahr in goal always means Eau Claire has a shot to win. He already has one shutout this season.
Concordia (3-1) won its first three games before dropping a game and looks to bounce back. The Cobbers have scored four or more goals twice and have held an opponent to a single goal twice as well. This is also Concordia’s home opener.
Concordia, 4-3
UW-Superior at St. Scholastica
The Yellowjackets (1-0-1) are off to an unbeaten start and face a big test on the road against the Saints. They only have one goal off the power play in nine chances,but on the flip side, they have forced to just 1-for-10 in those situations.
St. Scholastica (1-2-1) has had a tough start to the year, dropping its last two, and hope to get back on track this weekend. Minimizing opportunities for the opponent is key as the Saints have given up eight goals in their last two games.
UW-Superior, 4-2
Saturday
UW-Eau Claire at Augsburg
Eau Claire faces a big early-season test against an Augsburg team that is always a contender in the MIAC and beyond. It’s a chance for the Blugolds to make a statement on the road.
The Auggies (2-2) are feeling good after a big win over Concordia last weekend and they look to keep that momentum going into the weekend. Graham Harris is among the players off to a great start, dishing out four assists while scoring a goal. Having this one at home could prove to be a big advantage.
Augsburg, 3-2
UW-Stout at Saint John’s
The Blue Devils (3-0) are unbeaten coming into this one and face a big road test here. Twice this season Stout has come through with a shutout and it’s offense has shown how dynamic it can be, scoring five or more goals twice.
Saint John’s (3-1) is coming off a big time win over nationally ranked UW-River Falls on Thursday, winning 3-0, and Jon Howe was stellar in goal, stopping a career-best 44 saves. It was his second collegiate shutout and the 10th win of his career.
Saint John’s 3-1
UW-River Falls at Concordia
The Falcons (3-1) are ready to bounce back after a tough road loss to Saint John’s, but it won’t be easy against a Concordia team that has been playing well. River Falls has been pretty good offensively, having averaged five goals per game prior to Thursday’s loss. Jonny Meiers has tallied three goals to lead the way.
Concordia knows this game provides an opportunity to potentially get into the national ranking discussion and having this game at home is a big deal.
UW-River Falls, 3-2
Friday and Saturday
Aurora at Adrian
Does it get better than this? Two NCHA rivals, both of which are nationally ranked, going at it in a weekend series.
Aurora (4-0) comes in No. 11 nationally and has looked sharp offensively, scoring at least five goals in every game it has played so far. Matt Weber has helped fuel the offense with four goals.
Adrian (3-1) is ranked No. 2 in the nation and this will mark the fourth time in the last five games that the Bulldogs have gone up against a team ranked in the top 15 of the USCHO.com poll. Adrian has to be feeling good about its offensive production lately, scoring four or more goals in its last three games.
I’ll be surprised if this is a sweep either way. It should definitely be entertaining.
Adrian, 5-4; Aurora, 4-3
Marian vs. St. Norbert
Marian (2-0) has given up just one goal in its first two games and now gets ready for a big-time test on the road against one of the nation’s best teams. The Sabres are going to need to strike early offensively and come through with their best defensive effort of the year.
St. Norbert (4-0) is still perfect and ranked fifth nationally. And the Green Knights are coming off an impressive 6-2 win over national power UW-Stevens Point on Tuesday. They are 5-0 for the first time since their national title season in 2017-18 and Liam Fraser led the way with a hat trick, doing that in the first 10 minutes of the game.
St. Norbert, 5-2 and 4-1
