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Women’s D-I wrap: Dec. 12

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Some separation evident as most arrive at the break
Four series over the weekend matched teams from the top 10 as compiled by KRACH. Two of those produced splits, with the home team winning the opener, but unable to complete the sweep the next day. Meanwhile, the nation’s top two teams posted a pair of victories apiece to open a gap in their conference race.

Pattenden ties career wins mark as Mercyhurst goes 1-1 at Boston College
In a series that had the potential to give one team an inside track to host an NCAA quarterfinal come March, the Eagles led throughout Friday, cementing a 4-2 win with an empty-net goal. The hosts struck first on Saturday as well, but it would prove to be their last lead, as the Lakers converted twice on second-period power plays to edge ahead. Although BC would tie the game at 2-2 to force overtime, Jill Szandzik connected in OT for a 3-2 Lakers victory. Mercyhurst goaltender Hillary Pattenden posted the 91st victory of her career, matching the total compiled by Jessie Vetter while at Wisconsin.

Fighting Sioux and Bulldogs split in Grand Forks
Minnesota-Duluth carried a three-game winning streak, its longest of the first half, into its series at North Dakota. Despite a strong effort in the Bulldogs’ net by Jennifer Harss, UMD could get nothing accomplished at the other end in Saturday’s first game. The Fighting Sioux emerged with a 2-0 decision, as Jorid Dagfinrud ran her personal shutout streak to over eight periods. However, that string came to an abrupt end the next day, as Pernilla Winberg solved her a mere 65 seconds into the rematch and the Bulldogs cruised, 5-1.

Wisconsin and Minnesota record sweeps
The visiting Badgers spotted Bemidji State the first goal of their weekend series, then claimed nine of the next 10 tallies as No. 1 Wisconsin won for the 14th straight time. The Beavers were swept for only the second time in their new home, both at the hands of the Badgers. No. 2 Minnesota stayed within sight of the WCHA leaders, vanquishing Ohio State by 3-1 and 4-1 margins. The Gophers remain two full games down on Wisconsin, but their lead over UND grew to five points with two games in hand.

Top ECAC teams prosper
With ECAC power Cornell idle, three other league contenders won a pair of games. Only Quinnipiac’s wins came in conference, with the Bobcats stifling Princeton 1-0 and 3-0 in a home-and-home series. Harvard took out Hockey East opponents Providence and New Hampshire by comfortable margins of 5-1 and 5-2 respectively. Clarkson generated just enough offense to subdue Niagara by 3-1 and 1-0 verdicts.

Hockey East race taking shape
For the second straight Wednesday, Northeastern produced a win over Boston University to cast the Huskies as the likely threat to Boston College for HEA dominance. NU freshman Kendall Coyne has amassed 16 points in league action, best in the circuit, while senior Florence Schelling’s goaltending stats are the best of those playing regular minutes.

SUNYAC wrap: Dec. 12

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Brockport Stuns Elmira
Brockport upset the number six team in the nation, Elmira, in thrilling fashion, 4-3, in overtime.
“We did a really good job taking away their rushes up the ice,” Brockport coach Brian Dickinson said. “Watching film of their game against Fredonia, we noticed they really like to get up the ice and then spin off and feed the trailers.”
It certainly helped to eliminate Elmira’s scoring chances, as they barely outshot Brockport, 33-30. Elmira did, however, score first very early at 1:13.
Brockport maintained its composure for the next 28 minutes, enabling them to tie it up at 9:06 of the second on a Mike Hayward power-play goal.
The score remained 1-1 heading into what turned out to be an exciting third period. The pivotal moment came at the end of the second period when Brett Jendra took a five-minute major and game misconduct for contact to the head, enabling Elmira to start the third with a major power play.
Elmira took advantage of it at 1:10 for the 2-1 lead. However, Ian Finnerty tied the game 42 seconds later with a short-hander.
“That was the key moment in the game,” Dickinson said. “Instead of them feeling good scoring early on a major penalty, we turned around and negated that goal.”
Besides that major penalty, the story in the game was the number of penalties Elmira took — 11.
“We wanted to concentrate on getting physical with them, because they have a tendency to take penalties,” Dickinson said. “The amount of power play time we got wore down their best players.”
Elmira did regain the lead during a power play of its own at 13:38.
Brockport pulled its goalie, and with seven seconds left in regulation, found the back of the net.
After Hayward fired twice at the net, Adam Shoff picked up the loose puck and fed James Cody back at the blue line. With all the action toward the net just previous to this pass, Cody found himself unchallenged. He quickly fired a hard shot that found its way through bodies and past the goaltender.
The winning goal was scored, appropriately, by Brockport breaking up an Elmira rush. Cody left the puck for Hayward, who hit Finnerty in stride. Finnerty skated the puck into the zone and then let go of a slap shot from the top of the circle, blowing it by the goalie 58 seconds into the extra period.
“Just a perfect shot,” Dickinson said. “Finnerty’s been playing really well.”
Aaron Green made 30 saves for the win. Cody hit the 100 point career mark.
In the battle of the Eagles, the Golden variety were superior to the Soaring type.
Other Highlights
– Geneseo completed the SUNYAC sweep over the best team in the ECAC West, beating Elmira, 4-2. After Elmira once again scored very quickly (this time 16 seconds in), Geneseo got the next four, with Rich Manley getting the first two, followed by two power-play goals by Zachary Vit and Clint Olson. Adrian Rubeniuk made 33 saves.
– Oswego won a defensive style 2-1 victory over Hobart. Chris Brown scored first at 6:34 of the second period. Hobart tied it up in the third before Jesse McConnery won it at 13:50 with a shot from the right point which went five-hole. Andrew Hare made 19 saves, 11 of them in the third period.
– Fredonia swept Johnson and Wales, 3-1 and 5-2. Alex Perkins scored all three goals in the first game on a natural hat trick, with one in the first and two in the third. Mark Friesen made 32 saves. In the second game, Will McLaughlin scored the first two goals to get the Blue Devils going. Friesen made 31 saves.
– Plattsburgh was unable to hang onto a two-goal lead entering the third period and had to settle for a 4-4 tie. Ryan Craig tied it at one, and Ryan Farnan tied it at two in the first period. Jared Docking scored twice in the second for the 4-2 lead.
– Geneseo was cruising over Salve Regina, taking a 4-0 lead with two in the first and two in the first 2:12 of the second period. Then, the Ice Knights got into penalty trouble, and Salve Regina scored four straight to end the second tied. Geneseo recovered, scoring three times in the third for the 7-4 win. Seven different players scored the Geneseo goals.
– Cortland won its first game against New England College, 4-3, before losing the second by the identical score. The game-winner was a short-handed score by Adam Bevilacqua. Earlier, Josh LaRose also got a short-handed goal which gave the Red Dragons a 2-1 lead. Cortland was outshot, 40-20, as Jeff Molner made 37 saves.
– Earlier in the week, Buffalo State beat Hobart, 3-1, thanks to three third period goals, the first two coming 33 seconds apart. Ryan Malinowski made 33 saves.

Weekend work-up, Dec. 12, 2011: There's no place like home … kind of

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Three quick things learned from the weekend.
1. There’s no place like home … unless you’re Miami or Ohio State. Everybody got points this weekend at home except the RedHawks and Buckeyes, who won in each other’s barns. Clearly, that did very little to change things in the CCHA standings, but it did make most CCHA fans happy that they got something for their attendance. Home should be where a team has the best shot at earning points, but that’s not been the case for several teams this season. Alaska, Bowling Green and Miami each has losing records at home, and Michigan is just a hair above .500 (4-3-0) in the fabled Yost Arena in CCHA home games. Three teams have lost just one game each at home this season — Ferris State (6-1-1), Michigan State (6-1-2) and Northern Michigan (6-1-3) — and each loss was in conference play. Given that anyone really can beat anyone else on any given night in this league (unless you’re Bowling Green, and that’s no slam against the hard-working Falcons), those one-loss home records haven’t translated into the top three spots in the league.
2. If you’re a Buckeye and you’re scoring a game-winning goal, chances are you’re a freshman. OSU had its 11-game unbeaten streak snapped at home Friday night with a 5-3 loss to Miami, but the Buckeyes rebounded with a 3-2 overtime win Saturday in Steve Cady Arena. Senior Danny Dries scored the tying goal at 10:32 in the third, but freshman Chad Niddery had the game winner at 2:38 in OT. Chad who, you ask? Yes, it was Niddery’s first collegiate goal. Eight of OSU’s 12 game-winning goals have been scored by four freshmen: Niddery, Darik Angeli, Ryan Dzingel and Nick Oddo. Of course, OSU has had a dozen rookies skating this season, but of the Buckeyes’ top 10 scorers, only three are freshmen.
3. Ending the weekend with an extra point from a shootout feels like ending the weekend with a win. This may seem like a no-brainer, but it still amazes me. I saw this firsthand in East Lansing, when the Spartans earned two points from the Wolverines Saturday night. Michigan won 4-3 Friday and earned four of six points in the series, but the Wolverines left the ice deflated — and coach Red Berenson expressed bitter disappointment in earning four points, afterward. The Spartans celebrated as though they’d clinched a playoff berth. Let me make it clear that I’m not faulting anyone involved here, human nature and this rivalry being what they are. The shootout was emotional and followed a really good, hard-fought game and the Spartans were justifiably happy for Drew Palmisano who had 35 saves and blanked the Wolverines in the shootout, but that single goal that Shawn Hunwick allowed in the shootout doesn’t negate his 32-save performance, nor does it change anything in terms of the NCAA play. It did break the deadlock between the teams in the standings, though, with MSU emerging one point ahead of UM — but that was absolutely not what either team was thinking after OT was done. Even the scoreboard in the corner of Munn Ice Arena declared that MSU had won. Will the shootout go away when the CCHA does? Please?

My picks

I usually update my own picks on Fridays, but as there is just one game to call then I’m not sure that word will get around that I had a weekend that was solidly above .500.
Last week: 6-2-2 (.700)
Season to date: 70-46-16 (.591)
Had OSU and Miami been cooperative and each won at home, it would have been a very good weekend for picks, indeed.

Through the break

There is no weekly column this week, so many good things from this past weekend won’t get touched, casualties of writing schedules. If you email me personally or post intelligently below, I’ll be very happy to engage in discussion of what’s on your mind.
We finish the first half with Michigan Tech at Northern Michigan Friday night, so I’ll have a pick for that Friday morning. I’ll also be looking back at the first half of the season in blog form in the next two weeks, so stay tuned for that. Of course, there’s a cookie recipe coming up, some email to discuss and we’ll be catching up with old friends of the CCHA.
As always, I’m on Twitter (paulacweston) and you can reach me by email ([email protected]). Comment below, but keep it nice. I would love to hear what you want your team to get from Santa this year. Me, I’d settle for knowing that the CCHA is as for real as it seems. I guess we’ll see in March.

WCHA’s weekend not for the faint of heart

By Brian Halverson and Tyler Buckentine
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Minnesota State scored more goals in one game than it had in nearly eight years as the Mavericks routed Alabama-Huntsville 9-1 on Saturday night. But that eight-goal blowout was an aberration in an otherwise thrilling weekend of WCHA action.

Seven of the 12 games on the schedule were decided by one goal or less and only 29 seconds stood in the way of that figure from becoming an even two-thirds. Minnesota State’s Zach Lehrke’s empty-net goal at 19:31 of the third period on Friday night gave the Mavericks a two-goal cushion and a 4-2 win over Alabama-Huntsville.

Here’s a rundown beginning with Friday night’s play:

The Denver Pioneers trailed Bemidji State by a goal on the road after two periods but scored twice in the third, including Drew Shore’s game winner with 4:12 to go, for a 3-2 win.

Nebraska-Omaha’s Ryan Walters’ goal at 1:21 of overtime gave the Mavericks a 2-1 win over North Dakota in Grand Forks while Michigan Tech’s Brett Olson accomplished the same feat in 48 fewer seconds to beat Minnesota 3-2 at Mariucci Arena.

Finally, in Madison, Justin Schultz scored 28 seconds into the final period to give Wisconsin a 3-2 lead over the defending national champs. But freshman Caleb Herbert answered just 2:54 later and the Badgers had to settle for a tie against the red-hot Bulldogs who, after beating UW 4-2 the following night, have a nation-best 14-game unbeaten streak (11-0-3) and are tied with Minnesota for the conference lead.

Turning to Saturday, BSU ended a 0 for 9 skid all-time against Denver in a 2-1 win at the Sanford Center behind Andrew Walsh’s 36 saves and Ben Kinne’s game winner 4:03 into the final period. UND turned the tables on UNO as Danny Kristo’s goal just 44 seconds into the third period gave North Dakota a 1-0 lead which held up thanks to Aaron Dell’s 26-save shutout, his first of the season.

Lastly, the Colorado College Tigers rebounded from Friday’s 6-3 loss at home to Alaska-Anchorage in dramatic fashion. With Jaden Schwartz gone for a month to play for Team Canada at the world junior championships, CC’s Mike Boivin picked up the slack scoring twice, including the game winner with 2.8 seconds left in regulation, to give the Tigers a 4-3 victory.

It was the sort of weekend which will be tough to top until playoff time rolls around.

Final minutes tense for Minnesota, MTU  

When Minnesota’s Jake Hansen scored a 5-on-3 goal with less than two minutes left to provide the final margin in the Gophers’ 6-2 win over Michigan Tech on Saturday, the Huskies took exception to the perceived running up of the score.

Keep in mind this was a hotly-contested game in which Minnesota’s Blake Thompson was ejected in the second period for a major contact to the head penalty while Tech’s Dennis Rix took five for high sticking late in the third and was joined in the box by Jordan Baker who served a concurrent 10-minute misconduct.

Michigan Tech’s Steven Seigo took a run at Hansen which drew Hansen’s teammate Nick Bjugstad into the fray earning all three roughing minors. Just 15 seconds later, Minnesota’s Seth Helgeson and MTU’s Carl Nielsen literally lost their lids in a helmet-ejecting scuffle in front of the Minnesota bench.

During the ensuing delay in order to sort out the incident, emotions boiled over on both benches. Tempers even flared between members of the opposing coaching staffs.

Michigan Tech assistant Bill Muckalt traded barbs with both Minnesota coach Don Lucia and his assistant Grant Potulny. Some colorful dialogue and bold challenges can be deciphered from reading the lips of the suit-clad, verbal combatants.

See it here for yourself:

The officials, whom you could see leapt up on the boards between the player boxes to ensure no physical altercations erupted, were reluctant to allow the teams to participate in the customary post-game handshake. But Michigan Tech coach Mel Pearson, who had not participated in the shouting match, conferred with Lucia and the teams took part in the sportsmanship display without incident.

“It was an emotional game at the end,” Pearson told USCHO’s Tim Brule after the game. “We should shake hands and show good sportsmanship. We got beat by the better team tonight. There is no reason you should not shake hands.”

Faulker hasn’t lost his his game, or his spot just yet 

After he sat out five straight games, goaltender John Faulkner started for Nebraska-Omaha, Friday at North Dakota and stopped 24 of the 25 shots he faced in a 2-1 Mavericks win in overtime.

It turns out, the senior is just as much in the battle for UNO’s top goalie spot as freshmen Dayn Belfour (.899 SV%, 2.30 GAA) and Ryan Massa (.900, 2.68), if Dean Blais settles on one top goalie. The Mavericks haven’t used the same goalie in three consecutive games since Faulkner started the first three games of the season.

Friday was the first time Faulkner, a third team All-WCHA selection last season, started since he gave up seven goals on 23 shots Nov. 18 at Denver. While Faulkner’s struggles were part of the reason he sat the past few weeks, Blais told USCHO two weeks ago that Faulkner needed a break, and that he finally has the supporting cast to fill in.

Blais said he would wait for one of the three to get hot and then ride that goalie down the stretch. It’ll be difficult for any of them to get into a good rhythm since the Mavericks don’t play until Dec. 30 and then have another bye the week after.

Getting hot, taking risks and recovering… well, sort of

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There may not have been many games, but there was certainly plenty to take notice of this past weekend. Here are the top three things I learned:

1. Northeastern may just be the hottest team entering break

First there was a win at Michigan. Then two road upsets of Notre Dame. Now Northeastern may have staked its claim as Hockey East’s hottest team entering the break. A 3-2 victory over Massachusetts-Lowell, which had the River Hawks won we’d be likely calling them the league’s hottest team, gives Northeastern a six-game winning streak as the first half of the season unofficially comes to a close. It still will be a long road back for the Huskies, which are in seventh place in the Hockey East standings. But this is a team that must be beaming with confidence right now.

2. Norm Bazin is a happy to take risks

Lowell head coach Norm Bazin proved on Saturday night he’s willing to take risks. Trailing Northeastern, 2-1, in the third, Bazin pulled goaltender Doug Carr with more than four minutes to play in the third, his team having about 30 seconds remaining on a power play and an in-zone faceoff. The move, which had it worked would have made Bazin look like a genius, backfired as Steve Quailer scored into the open net. To make matters worse, Lowell scored an extra-attacker goal with 1:23 left that could have been the tying goal. Bazin, though, stood by his actions saying not only that he didn’t regret the move and would do it again if in the similar situation.

3. Merrimack was able to bounce back from the Providence sweep… well, sort of

The Merrimack Warriors responded to a weekend sweep last weekend at the hands of Providence with a victory over Vermont on Wednesday night. A tie on the road on Saturday at Colgate has re-started the unbeaten streak for the Warriors but it remains difficult to say whether this team is as legit as its once No. 1 ranking indicated. The Warriors hardly manhandled Vermont, a team that has been just short of miserable throughout the first half of the season. Colgate has played well but only coming away with a tie might be a disappointment. Merrimack closes its first half on Saturday at home versus Union, but the team’s biggest test will come in January when it opens the New Year with road games at Boston University and Boston College (Jan. 7 and 8).

Bruisin’ Bobcats

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After going over a month without a conference win, Quinnipiac  will start the post-exam portion of their schedule having not lost a conference game in a month.

Including a pair of non-conference wins, the Bobcats have taken nine of a possible ten points to close out the first semester.

Yes, they’ve beaten the likes of RPI, Princeton, and one-win Sacred Heart from Atlantic Hockey, but points are points.

The  latter portion of their streak has come without their three top scorers, as twins Connor and Kellen Jones, along with Jeremy Langlois,  missed Sunday’s game against Princeton. The Jones twins have been out since QU’s 3-2 win over RPI on Dec. 3

The Bobcats open up the second half of the year with a pair of games at Nebraska-Omaha, and then run the gauntlet with a road game at Yale and a pair of home games against travel partners and league leaders Cornell and Colgate.

QU is currently in third place, but has played the second most conference games of any ECAC team behind Princeton.

Colgate, Merrimack skate to a draw

I thought there would be a lot more goals  in this one, but two of the best from the ECAC and Hockey East skated to a 1-1 draw Saturday in Hamilton, NY.  The Raiders’ Robbie Bourdon scored his sixth of the year midway through the second period to tie it, but that capped the scoring on the night. Union will get a crack at Merrimack this Saturday in North Andover.

A Festivus for the rest of us

Four ECAC teams. Two non-conference games. St. Lawrence and Clarkson, along with Union and RPI, met at Lake Placid for the Festivus Faceoff Saturday.

No Festivus miracles to be found, as both St. Lawrence and Union won by three goals each. These types of tournaments are always fun, but I just think its odd to have a third of the ECAC  play and have no conference points come out of it.

 

Eight is a magic number

Five teams currently have exactly eight points in conference play: Yale, Clarkson, St. Lawrence, Union, and Harvard. Clarkson and St. Lawrence have each played nine games, while Harvard, Union, and Yale have played eight, seven, and six, respectively.

While the unequal number of games make the standings a bit skewed, everything looks wide open outside of Cornell and Colgate heading into 2011.

Outside of these top two teams and  last-place RPI, a hot or cold weekend by any of  the teams third through eleventh could drastically alter the standings.

The elusive four points

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Three things I learned from Atlantic Hockey this weekend:

Sweeps are sweet – Rochester Institute of Technology and American International played the only two-game series this weekend, and RIT continued its dominance over the Yellow Jackets with a pair of victories.

“Our effort level was up and down tonight; we wanted to raise the bar,” RIT coach Wayne Wilson said after Saturdays’ 4-2 win. “I didn’t think we started playing well until they scored. I wasn’t really happy with our inconsistent effort, but it is hard to win two. We got the sweep we were looking for. Sometimes you just got to look at the bottom line — did you get the job done?”

Netting it out – Besides RIT, there were four other teams in contention for a four point weekend. Robert Morris, Canisius, Mercyhurst and Niagara all had a pair of games. The Colonials came close, earning a win and a tie to set a new school record for longest unbeaten streak (seven games).

“Tonight was a good win for us, and we’ve really found our identity lately. Kudos to our guys for setting a new program record,” Colonials head coach Derek Schooley said. “It feels good to win a couple games, and our guys have been putting in the work day-in and day-out to get it done.”

Niagara and Mercyhurst also picked up three points, while Canisius dropped its pair of games. Holy Cross won its only game of the weekend, defeating Army at home.

Sacred Heart dropped a pair of non-conference games, while Bentley, Connecticut and  Air Force were already off for the holidays.

Standing watch – There’s only one game left before the holiday break, but it’s a big one in terms of position in AHA the standings. Robert Morris hosts RIT next Saturday. With a win, RIT can claim first place at the turn, while RMU can extend its unbeaten streak and move into a three-way tie for second.

Getting my vote:
Here’s how I’ll vote in tomorrow’s USCHO.com Division I men’s poll:
1. Minnesota Duluth
2. Boston College
3. Ohio State
4. Minnesota
5. Notre Dame
6. Merrimack
7. Boston University
8. Union
9. Western Michigan
10. Colorado College
11. Colgate
12. Ferris State
13. Denver
14. Mass-Lowell
15. Lake Superior
16. Denver
17. Cornell
18. Michigan State
19. North Dakota
20. Air Force

Temporary measure sought to help Alabama-Huntsville schedule home games

By Joe Paisley
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College Hockey Inc. will ask the NCAA next month to add a temporary travel exemption for Alabama-Huntsville in hopes of helping the struggling independent team schedule more home games.

The NCAA’s travel exemption, which allows schools to travel for games in Alaska and Hawaii and not have them count toward their season limit — 34 regular-season contests in Division I hockey — would need to be passed soon. Many hockey programs are close to finalizing next season’s schedule if the administrators haven’t already.

College Hockey Inc. executive director Paul Kelly said the organization, which promotes the college game, would ask for the exemption to last two to three years during its regularly scheduled meeting with top NCAA officials.

“I’m not sure if it is even doable for next year,” Kelly said after Saturday’s Alaska-Anchorage at Colorado College game in Colorado Springs, Colo. “But the NCAA can move quickly if it wants to.”

Scheduling home games has always been tough for UAH, but the Chargers (1-17-1) lost most of their 2012-13 scheduled opponents, home and away, after school administrators announced on Oct. 24 that they would drop the Division I program to club status for next season.

Many of the Chargers’ scheduled opponents spent the next month scheduling new opponents.

The decision to pull the plug on the varsity program was reversed Tuesday, prompting Kelly to propose the temporary rule. He hopes the NCAA will see fit to approve it.

“It’s what they need,” Kelly said. “They need to fill those holes. It wouldn’t set a precedent because the move would be temporary because of an unusual situation.”

If the NCAA moves quickly, Kelly expects coaches to take advantage of their 2012-13 bye weeks to schedule the Chargers, who already pay for some of their opponents’ travel expenses.

“Most coaches love to play more games,” he said.

Of course, life would be much simpler for the Chargers if they were a member of a conference with much of its schedule filled by league games.

Kelly said Atlantic Hockey may be “the only legit candidate” for UAH, which has been an independent since the CHA folded in 2010.

It is unlikely UAH will have any neighbors to form a southern conference anytime soon.

Kelly said several schools, including a couple in the Southeast, have “kicked the tires” about adding men’s hockey. No additions are imminent, he added.

UAH is the host school for this season’s Frozen Four, April 5 and 7 at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, Fla.

Gallery: Ohio State at Minnesota (WIH)

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Denver’s Bennett to be shelved 6-8 weeks after wrist surgery

USCHO Staff Report
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Denver sophomore forward Beau Bennett is expected to miss the next 6-8 weeks with a wrist injury, the school announced Friday afternoon.

Bennett, a 2010 first-round pick of the Pittsburgh Penguins, had successful surgery on Thursday (Dec. 8) to repair a ruptured tendon in his wrist that he originally injured during practice in late October. Bennett missed four games with the injury, but returned to the DU lineup on Nov. 12 against Colorado College.

“Beau has courageously played the last three weeks with the wrist injury,” DU coach George Gwozdecky said in a statement. “However, we felt surgery was necessary for Beau’s short- and long-term career. We look forward to his return to our lineup in the second half of the season.”

Bennett has 13 points in 10 games this season and 38 points (13 goals, 25 assists) in 47 career games for DU.

ECAC West Weekly Picks, Dec. 9 – Jan. 3

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Another week goes by where I blow the picks in league games, but do well in the nonconference play.  Maybe Santa will help me sort out the teams within the ECAC West standings, because it is a big jumble right now.
Lucky for me, all teams are in the throes of nonconference play for the next month.
In a special holiday treat this week, I’m picking all of the games through New Year’s weekend.  Hopefully, all of the ECAC West teams will get everything on their Christmas list from Santa, which I’m sure includes a clean slate of victories. 
Last Week:  4-3      
Overall:  19-8 (.704)
{predicted winners bolded}
Friday, December 9
Trinity at Manhattanville – Home cooking usually works best for the Valiants.
Elmira at Brockport – Elmira takes on a physical Brockport squad on the road.
Morrisville at Neumann  – “Morrisville is always a very hardworking, blue collar team,” said Neumann coach Dominick Dawes.  “You know they are going to come in here and work their tails off.  That is something that we have prided ourselves on as well.  The team that works the hardest will be the team that comes out on top.”
Potsdam at Utica – Potsdam has won three of its last four games, but playing at the Aud is a different experience.
Saturday, December 10
Geneseo at Elmira -Elmira looks to continue on the “Soaring Eagles Roll.”
Hobart at Oswego – Hobart dropped its mid-week game at Buffalo State.  Oswego is an even more difficult place to play, and a much better team as well.
Salve Regina at Utica – The Pioneers should have no problems in this game.
Morrisville at Neumann – Each of the last two seasons, Morrisville has won the Friday game and Neumann gets revenge on Saturday.  I’m thinking history goes for the hat trick.
Manhattanville at Wesleyan – This is Manhattanville’s third game in five days.  “We shorten up our practices a little bit,” said Manhattanville coach Eric Lang.  “We are a four-line team using all of our personnel, and hope our conditioning work earlier in the season pays off during a week like this.”
 Friday, December 30
Utica vs Castleton – Utica plays in Plattsburgh’s Cardinal Classic tournament against nationally-ranked Castleton.  Tough way to come back after Christmas.
Neumann vs Hamline – Neumann gets a taste of western hockey in Oswego’s Pathfinder Bank tournament.  Neumann should match up well against Hamline.
Tuesday, January 3
Amherst at Manhattanville – The Valiants start 2012 with their longest homestand of the season, five games.  They need to build their resume for the NCAA post season with these games.

RIT women use Canadian trip to prepare for out-of-conference games

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Two weeks ago, instead of heading to their respective homes across North America, the members of the RIT women’s hockey team spent their Thanksgiving week in Ontario, traveling around the province playing four games against Canadian university squads.

The Tigers were quite successful in their week-long trip, going 4-0, including a marquee 3-2 shootout win over at the time unbeaten and No. 2 Wilfred Laurier.

“Wilfred Laurier by far was one of the best teams we’ve seen so far this year,” said RIT coach Scott McDonald. “They were right up there with Norwich. I was impressed with how fast they were. The first period was kind of a feeling out. It wasn’t the type of run-and-gun that we like to play. The second period, I thought we controlled the play, but they definitely took it to us in the third.”

RIT took advantage of the different set of rules that the Canadian schools play by, as the Tigers beat Wilfred Laurier in a shootout. Shootouts have slowly crept their way into the United States college hockey scene. However, they are mainly only used in Division I.

The NCAA doesn’t recognize shootouts in Division III hockey, but they are used seldomly in regular season tournaments to decide who advances. The shootout result doesn’t count though, and the NCAA recognizes the game as a tie.

“I had never been a part of a shootout,” McDonald said. “It was a lot of fun, and now that I’ve been through one, I kind of wish we had them here so we could get rid of the ties.”

RIT also defeated Western Ontario 4-0, Brock 3-2, and York 8-2 on the Ontario swing.

“Western Ontario and Brock were a lot bigger than us,” McDonald said. “It’s a different style with a lot of physical play with not a lot of whistles.”

McDonald said he started thinking about the possibility of taking an international trip during the Thanksgiving break last year around April and May when the schedules started to come out.

“We wanted to be fully prepared for Trinity and Amherst this weekend,” he said. “With our school on a trimester schedule, the last thing we needed was a full week off from school and then another weekend, which would have almost been like starting from scratch this past weekend against Chatham.

“Last year, we played Amherst during Thanksgiving break, but then they switched the Panther-Cardinal Classic this year to Thanksgiving rather than New Year’s. We didn’t want to lose that game, so we had to rearrange it to this upcoming weekend and find someone else to play during Thanksgiving.”

The whole plan came to fruition this summer when McDonald was working on a summer camp and got to talk to some potential opponents’ coaches.

“In the summertime, I was working at the same girls’ camp where there were a bunch of Canadian schools there,” McDonald said. “I ran the idea by a couple of the coaches, and they thought it would work. We ended up picking up four games, and the coaches couldn’t have been better working with us for not only game times, but some practices too in their rinks.”

RIT hasn’t skipped a beat this season after coming off the best season in program history last year, where they won the ECAC West title and advanced all the way to the NCAA championship game.

Although the Tigers lost three All-Americans in Katie Stack, Sarah Dagg, and Traci Galbraith, RIT has kept rolling this year, and currently leads the nation in scoring offense thanks to having 10 players with 10 or more points through 10 games.

“It’s been some nice and even scoring for us,” McDonald said. “In the past, you could kind of key on a couple players like a Sarah Dagg or Katie Stack. It’s been fun watching some of the girls step up into a new role and take charge while kind of enjoying the pressure of being a go-to player.”

Sophomore Kourtney Kunichika has picked up right where she left off last season after leading the Tigers with 43 points as a freshman. She already has eight goals and 13 assists for a nation-leading 21 points.

Kolbee McCrea leads the team with 11 goals to go along with eight assists for 19 points, while freshman Celeste Brown has nine goals and six assists for 15 points.

“We’ve had a ton of people step up from Kim Schlattman and Tenecia Hiller to Kourtney, Kolbee and Celeste,” McDonald said.

After rolling past Chatham last weekend by scores of 15-0 and 14-1, RIT finishes off the 2011 portion of its schedule with a road trip to New England to play two of the NESCAC’s best. The Tigers will face Trinity on Saturday night and then follow up with No. 5 Amherst on Sunday at Orr Rink.

“It’s good having this weekend where we can finish off the first half with two games against strong teams on the road,” McDonald said. “It’s a big advantage coming into this weekend playing our 13th and 14th games of the season, while Amherst is playing their seventh.”

This weekend’s games are just two of a multitude of interesting nonconference matchups across the country that could have important implications down the road when it comes time to select the NCAA tournament field.

“You certainly want to do well in your out-of-conference games and represent your own conference well,” McDonald said. “It’s a big pair of games with NCAA ramifications on the line. Amherst has knocked off Plattsburgh, but lost to Elmira, and if we can beat Amherst it can put us one step ahead of Plattsburgh without even playing them yet. These are the types of games you have to win to put yourself in a good situation for the end of the year, so in the case of something unfortunate happening in the conference playoffs, you can still have an at-large bid to fall back on.”

Last year, RIT swept Amherst over the Thanksgiving weekend by scores of 2-0 and 5-1 at home at the Frank Ritter Memorial Arena.

“Playing in our rink can be tough for teams that are used to playing on bigger ice surfaces, because it’s a small rink and we get great fan support, which can kind of rattle some teams at times if you’re not expecting it or used to it,” McDonald said. “Both were pretty close games with Amherst last year. This year will be different, as they have a couple more games under their belt against good teams in Plattsburgh and Elmira, and we’ll be playing them in their rink. I think they’ll certainly be ready for us, since we beat them twice last year and they’ll probably have some revenge on their minds.”

Before RIT starts thinking about Sunday’s big showdown with Amherst, the Tigers will have to deal with a pesky Trinity team on Saturday night first.

“We’re not looking past Trinity on Saturday night,” McDonald said. “They’ve had a little bit of a tough start, but that was expected with losing some of the players they have lost, along with their coach Andy McPhee last minute. We’ll prepare for them just like anybody else because they’ve still got some talented girls on that team that can beat you.”

ECAC East/NESCAC picks: Dec. 9

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Two consecutive weeks of nailing the picks has this writer excited about the final weekend of play prior to the semester break.  Last week’s 5-1-0 record builds to a season record of 13-6-1 (.650) with again a challenging group of conference and non-league games to choose from this week.
It’s awesome this week to see the round robin among the top three NESCAC schools benchmark the top of the conference, as we saw last week with Castleton and Norwich meeting for the first time this season. In the old, one-time only schedule, a bad game or weekend against an opponent you played just once could have significant impact, but this week’s battles set the teams up for knowing there is a chance for redemption if the “A” game doesn’t show up at the rink on Friday or Saturday night.
Friday, December 9, 2011

Williams at Amherst
On paper, two teams don’t get much closer than this.  Both the Ephs and the Lord Jeffs have outstanding goaltending, defense, and a very balanced attack from all of their lines. Special teams may be the difference maker in this one, as anyone who can get a power-play goal may just have found the key to victory. The home team historically has been better on the man advantage, and it is the difference in the LaRose vs. Purdy battle. Amherst 2-1.
Plattsburgh at Norwich
Norwich took the first meeting between the teams in the opening round of the Primelink Tournament by a score of 3-0. The game saw a total of 30 shots on goal from both teams combined, so this one figures to be a defensive battle. Plattsburgh did not register a goal in the Primelink, and will struggle offensively against the Cadets, who, despite playing with some injuries, remain perfect on their home ice. Norwich 2-0.
University of New England at Franklin Pierce
This one figures to be a wild one, as both teams are looking to end the first half on a high note. Counting the SUNY-Canton exhibition games, Franklin Pierce is 1-4-4 and looking to shore up the defensive zone while establishing a more consistent attack. Much the same can be said for the Nor’easters, who need find some consistent goaltending to support their team. I think this one has lots of offense and a late goal to win it. UNE 5-4.
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Cortland at New England College
A match-up between the SUNYAC and ECAC East will find both teams looking to end the first half with a big nonconference win.  This contest finds two teams that really don’t want to play short-handed, since their penalty-killing efforts have been problematic thus far in the season. So it would only make sense that the team with the better power play gets the “W” here. NEC 5-3
Manhattanville at Wesleyan
Friday night, the Valiants are at home facing Trinity, so Chris Potter’s team will be looking for a little support from the Bantams in wearing down Wesleyan’s Saturday opponent before they have to board the bus. Both teams play things close to the vest in terms of their style, and both want to finish the first half over the .500 mark. Tough to travel on the second day and play, but the Valiants squeak one out. Manhattanville 3-2
Tufts at Colby
The Jumbos rely heavily on the new school record holder for saves, Scott Barchard, and this weekend will be no exception during the visits to Bowdoin and Colby. While the offense has been a bit anemic, it doesn’t take a lot to win if you don’t give up many.  Last one is an empty-netter in another nail-biter. Tufts 3-1
We often refer to milestones for players in these weekly pieces, as noted with Scott Barchard’s setting a new record for saves at Tufts in just two and a half seasons. Let’s give a shoutout to the newest coach in the 300 Win Club. Ed Seney from St. Anselm realized that milestone with last week’s NE-10 win over SNHU by a score of 7-1. Seney’s resume includes stops at Potsdam and St. Anselm, and the Lake Placid, N.Y., native is truly one of the really good guys in the college game.
Always nice to see some different match-ups before the rigors of conference play kick-in after the New Year. Enjoy the remaining action before the semester break — drop the puck!

MCHA/MIAC/NCHA picks: Dec. 9

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So far this season, I am picking half (6-6) the games correctly, which is not bad, I guess, but there are teams that surprise me every weekend. Bethel delivered the biggest surprise by sweeping Hamline in the MIAC, and Wisconsin-River Falls proved it is the most improved team in the NCHA with a pair of victories at Wisconsni-Superior.
The NCHA is the only conference in action this weekend. Some MIAC teams will play each other in games that will not count in the conference standings, and MCHA teams play a limited nonconference schedule.
Let’s see if I can pick better than .500 this week
{Predicted winners bolded}
Friday, December 9, 2011
St. Scholastica at St. Norbert
St. Scholastica is on a hot streak. It is undefeated in its last five games, with four wins and a tie. St. Scholastica was the last team to defeat St. Norbert at home, in 2009. Since then, St. Norbert has not lost at home, a 27-game unbeaten streak that includes only one tie. St. Norbert has to play with a sense of urgency, because St. Scholastica is right behind them in the NCHA standings.
St. Thomas at Hamline
Friday’s game will not be counted as a conference game. Both teams are coming off of disappointing series last weekend. St. Thomas needed some last-minute heroics to avoid the sweep at Concordia (Minn.), and Hamline was unceremoniously dumped in both games against Bethel. St. Thomas is the better team at this point in time.
Marian at St. Mary’s
St. Mary’s won its first game of the season against another MCHA team at home in overtime against Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) in November. St. Mary’s did not win its second game of the season until last Saturday, against St. Olaf, on a last-second goal. Marian is 1-1-2 in its last four games. If St. Mary’s can keep the game close, it can improve to 2-0 against the MCHA.
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Wis.-River Falls at Wis.-Eau Claire
Wis.-River Falls passed its first road test last weekend, taking two games at Wis.-Superior. It has another tough set of road games this weekend at Wis.-Eau Claire. Wis.-Eau Claire is 3-1 in its last four games, including impressive wins at Adrian’s Thanksgiving tournament. Wis.-River Falls is undefeated this season.
Gustavus Adolphus at Lawrence
Gustavus had a successful weekend in Wisconsin already this year, winning at Wis.-Stevens Point and giving St. Norbert its only home tie in the last couple of years in November. The two teams have not met since January 7, 2006, when Gustavus defeated Lawrence at home by a score of 5-2. Lawrence has only won one game in its last four attempts.
Finlandia at Wis.-Superior
Finlandia has had a difficult season. It has not won on the road this season, and has only one victory overall. Wis.-Superior has had a rough stretch as well. It has lost its last three-out-of-four home games, scoring only one goal in each of those losses.

ECAC Northeast/MASCAC picks: Dec. 9

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The homestretch before the holiday break is upon us, and we’ve seen a team or two go on a tear, and a few teams that have staggered to this point, including Framingham State, which earned its first win since February with its win over Worcester State on December 1. Here’s the ECAC Northeast and MASCAC picks for this week; I finished 4-1-1 (.750) last week, and I’m 18-10-5 (.621) on the season, entering the final set of games before the holiday break.
ECAC Northeast
Salve Regina at Geneseo, 7 p.m. Friday
The Seahawks travel to Western New York for a nonconference game after losing their last two games by a combined score of 9-0. In those two games, Salve Regina was outshot 82-56 and took 28 penalties for 88 minutes — and gave up five power-play goals in those two games. Geneseo, which is fourth in the nine-team SUNYAC, has lost three of its last four games. Pick: Geneseo 6-3
Stonehill at Suffolk, 3:30 p.m. Saturday
Suffolk is winless in ECAC Northeast play, has lost seven straight, and was outshot by more than a two-to-one margin Saturday in a 5-1 loss to Curry. Suffolk is the league’s most penalized team, with 229 penalty minutes in nine games. Stonehill, Suffolk’s nonconference opponent, is 1-3 against ECAC Northeast teams (prior to Thursday’s game against Western New England), with its only win coming November 12, a 2-0 win over Nichols. Pick: Stonehill 2-1
Johnson and Wales at Fredonia, 7 p.m. Saturday
The Wildcats have emerged as one of the ECAC Northeast’s high-octane offenses, as they average 5.62 goals a game and boast three of the conference’s top-five scorers, including Jeremiah Ketts (eight goals, 12 assists), who is one of seven players who leads the nation in scoring. Ketts and the Wildcats will face off against another 20-point scorer — Fredonia’s Bryan Ross (six goals, 14 assists). Pick: Johnson and Wales 5-2
MASCAC
Worcester State at Salem State, 2 p.m. Saturday
Worcester State enters its final game before the holiday break by coming off an upset, as Tim D’Orazio scored the game-winning goal in Saturday’s 3-2 overtime win at home against Plymouth State. Salem State has the MASCAC’s top penalty kill (32 of 36, 88.9 percent), and Mark Macdonald scored two goals and an assist for Salem State in Saturday’s 5-1 win over Westfield State. Pick: Salem State 4-3
Massachusetts-Dartmouth at Framingham State, 4:30 p.m. Saturday
Framingham State broke through in the win column December 1 with a 5-3 win over Worcester State, in which Daniel Miressi scored a goal and three assists. Tuesday, Miressi was limited to one assist in a 5-5 tie with Stonehill. The Rams face the Corsairs in the final game of a three-game week. UMass-Dartmouth entered the week with the MASCAC’s top offense (33 goals in eight games) and the league’s top power play (10 for 37, 27 percent). Pick: UMass-Dartmouth 4-1
Fitchburg State at Plymouth State, 6 p.m. Saturday
Fitchburg State faces one of the top defenses — and one of the league’s top goaltenders — when it faces the Panthers, who have allowed an average of two goals a game so far this season. Fitchburg’s Trevor Lawler entered the week by picking up at least a point in his last three games. Pick: Plymouth State 5-2

SUNYAC picks: Dec. 9

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Game of the Week
With the SUNYAC schedule half over, it’s wall-to-wall nonconference games for the last weekend of the fall semester.
Highlighting the dozen games is a rematch of the first round of the Primelink Tournament — Plattsburgh at Norwich. In that meeting, Norwich won, 3-0.
And therein lays a serious problem for Plattsburgh — lack of scoring recently. They were shutout in both Primelink games, scored just two before Thanksgiving against Geneseo (but won), and scored just two after Thanksgiving against Oswego (and tied). They did score six in their last game, but that was against Cortland. In big games recently, they’ve struggled.
On the plus side, they have been keeping the puck out of the net, shutting out Geneseo, notching a 0-0 tie against Middlebury, letting up just two goals against the strong Oswego offense, and letting Cortland score just one.
It appears coach Bob Emery has settled on sophomore Mathieu Cadieux as his top goalie. However, Josh Leis did get the shutout versus Middlebury. Overall, Cadieux has a 1.85 goals against average and a .933 save percentage. As a team, Plattsburgh has let up 1.90 goals per game.
Despite the recent scoring slump, Norwich is the only game Plattsburgh has lost in its last six.
Norwich, on the other hand, is cruising at 8-0 and ranked number one in the USCHO.com poll. The Cadets average 4.62 goals per game while letting up just 1.75.
Norwich is the last team you want to play to get your offense going, especially when you have to travel. I’ll take the Cadets in this one.
Other picks
Once again, I did not get a conference game completely wrong, propelling me to a 7-2-2 record last week. I never mentioned the week before I went 3-2-1 for the Thanksgiving weekend games. Thus, overall I now stand at 34-11-6 (.725).
The only road team I am picking this weekend is Elmira over host Brockport.
“For us, it’s kind of a chance to be a statement game, playing a very good, ranked team,” Brockport coach Brian Dickinson said. “We played them very tough last year in their building. It was 2-2 at one point. We want to obviously be in a situation where we can grow into beating an Elmira, Oswego, Plattsburgh, be that type of team night in and night out. Gives us a chance to finish up the semester against a very good team and hopefully go into the break on a little bit more momentum.”
Two years ago when Potsdam played two games at Utica, that series turned into a ferocious hitting, playoff-style pair of games which the teams split.
After the second game, Utica coach Gary Heenan said, “It was a war out there. There were a lot of hard hits out there. We got guys hurt. I believe he’s got guys hurt. We haven’t played them in a number of years. It would be fun to get this going. I don’t think there’s a lot of love on the ice out there.”
Unfortunately, the teams did not play each other last year, and this season, Potsdam has had such a turnover of personnel, barely anyone remembers the grudges and paybacks. It will be interesting to see if the action is able to pick up where it left off two years ago.
Utica stumbled recently, but came back strong against Buffalo State. I’ll take Utica.
I expect to see Fredonia beat Johnson and Wales both times. Ditto with Neumann over Morrisville and New England College over Cortland. However, it won’t surprise me if Morrisville or Cortland or both can steal a game.
Geneseo will have no trouble against Salve Regina, but will the next night at Elmira, losing that one. Finally, Oswego will take Hobart.

Paula's picks: Dec. 9, 2011

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It’s hard to believe that the year’s almost over and that we’ve nearly reached the holiday break. I have only one wish for Christmas: A better picks percentage in 2012.

Paula’s picks

Last week: 7-5-0 (.583)
Season to date: 64-44-14 (.582)
I’d feel better about picking the Michigan-Alaska split correctly had I not also picked Notre Dame to sweep Northeastern and Miami to sweep Northern.

This week

We have a lovely holiday gift this week, a full slate of CCHA action that features some of the best rivalries in all of college hockey. Alaska sits this one out. All series are Friday-Saturday, four of them are home-and-home and all games begin at 7:05 p.m. local except for the MSU-UM series. Times for that series are noted in the pick.
Miami vs. OSU. The RedHawks were swept by Northern Michigan in Marquette last weekend, putting an end to Miami’s eight-game unbeaten streak; Friday’s loss was Miami’s first in Marquette since 2007. The big concern for the RedHawks heading into this series has to be the two one-goal games they produced. Miami had scored four or more in their previous four and hadn’t been so unproductive since the RedHawks were shut out by Ferris State Oct. 22. With a home sweep of Lake Superior State last weekend, the Buckeyes solidified their lead in first place and extended their unbeaten streak to 11 games (10-0-1). OSU’s defense is allowing 1.94 goals per game, fifth-best in the country. Miami lost twice to OSU in Columbus last January. Friday’s game is in Columbus, Saturday’s in Oxford. I don’t like to call against a streak like OSU’s, but I’ve seen many games in this series and I know how it usually goes. Picks: OSU 4-2, Miami 2-1
MSU vs. UM. When it comes to rivalries in collegiate sports, few match the intensity of this one — something I didn’t really appreciate until moving to Flint. Last weekend, the Spartans swept Bowling Green while the Wolverines finally snapped a seven-game winless and five-game losing streak with a hard-won, 1-0 overtime victory in Fairbanks. The Spartans were never in any danger of losing to the Falcons last weekend, having outscored them 5-1 and 4-1. Their Friday win was their 10th of the season, and that’s the earliest MSU has reached that benchmark since 2007-08. While the Wolverines scored just one goal in that OT win against Alaska, they netted three in their loss Friday; remarkably, Michigan still has the sixth-best scoring offense in the country, averaging 3.56 goals per game. The teams split four games last season. This season, I’m loathe to call for Michigan on a Friday night, even in Yost, but the Wolverines ought to be up for this game. Besides, it’s Christmas — and my picks percentage can’t get much worse. This series has Michigan hosting at 7:35 p.m. Friday, Michigan State hosting at 6:35 p.m. Saturday. Picks: UM 3-2, MSU 4-2
ND vs. FSU. Here’s the feel-good series of the weekend. By that, of course, I mean that both teams are bitter and disappointed after having been swept last weekend, and each team is capable of rebounding with great play. The Fighting Irish were blown out by visiting Northeastern, 9-2, on Friday; all three of ND’s goalies shared in that loss, which was the first in their new building, the Compton Family Ice Arena. The Bulldogs lost a home-and-home series to Western Michigan, the second time this season that FSU had been swept by an opponent. Even in the losses, the goaltending was solid, with Taylor Nelson stopping 34 Friday and C.J. Motte stopping 39 Saturday. The Irish swept the Bulldogs in two home games last season, and ND has won six of the last eight meetings between these teams. Friday’s game is in Big Rapids, with Saturday’s in South Bend. Picks: FSU 3-2, ND 3-2
NMU at LSSU. Last weekend, the Wildcats swept Miami at home, giving them their first CCHA sweep of the season and their third and fourth league wins. NMU scored four times on the power play against Miami — three times with a two-man advantage Saturday night, giving the Wildcats a welcome taste of how rewarding it can be to keep cooler heads. The Lakers traveled to Columbus and were swept by Ohio State, the first time this season that LSSU has failed to capture points in a given weekend. The Lakers are hosting their fourth annual Pink in the Rink when the Wildcats come to town. In the last three seasons, LSSU has raised more than $50,000 for local women’s health organizations — which deserves many kudos. Last season, LSSU went 3-1-0 against NMU. Picks: NMU 3-2, LSSU 4-3
WMU vs. BGSU. The Broncos broke a five-game winless streak (0-4-1) with a home-and-home sweep of Ferris State last weekend, shutting out the Bulldogs Saturday night and outscoring FSU 7-2 for the weekend. The shutout was freshman Frank Slubowski’s second of the season. In Friday’s win, a drought of another kind ended when Matt Tennyson’s third-period power play goal became the first WMU scored in four games. The Falcons are still looking for their second CCHA win this season after dropping two games to Michigan State last weekend. BGSU scored a goal each night in the losses, and Friday’s goal was significant for a couple of reasons. It was the first that the Falcons had scored in 139 minutes of hockey, dating back to Nov. 19, and it was freshman forward Ted Pletsch’s first collegiate goal. Pletsch is the son of CCHA commissioner Fred Pletsch, and both Fred and his wife Kelly were in the stands to see the goal. Last season in Kalamazoo, WMU was 1-0-1 against BGSU. It’s Christmas, and I’m feeling generous. Picks: BGSU 2-1, WMU 4-1.

Break time, sort of

The next CCHA column will be published Dec. 28, but between now and then I’ll be blogging. There’s a game to call next weekend, I’ll have a look back at the first half of the season at some point, I’ll answer some email and update folks on friends of the CCHA who keep in contact — and, of course, I’ll be publishing my mother’s famous cookie recipe.
Tweet me (paulacweston), email ([email protected]) and comment below.

ECAC Picks: Dec. 9-11

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I was 6-4 in my first week of ECAC picks. Not too bad, not too great. Here’s whats up for this weekend, when most teams wrap play up before the holiday break.

Sacred Heart at Quinnipiac

In-state opponent and Atlantic Hockey member Sacred Heart travels to Hamden as the Bobcats are the only ECAC team in action Friday.  Quinnipiac is a whopping 17-2-2 against the Pioneers in Division 1 play. And Sacred Heart only has one win on the year, albeit a shocking 7-6 decision over Yale on Nov. 22. The numbers seem risky, but with a hot Eric Hartzell (1.47 goals-against-average in November) I think QU has this one.

Quinnipiac 3, Sacred Heart 1

Harvard at Princeton

Of the thirty goals the Tigers have scored, thirteen have come on special teams (9 PP goals, 2 each down a man and with an empty net). Harvard’s power play is clicking at 29.2 percent rate on the year, tops in the ECAC. So look for some goals in this one, with the team dominating  special teams  probably coming away with the win.

Harvard 5, Princeton 4

RPI vs Union

It’s the opening game of the Festivus Faceoff, and RPI has plenty of grievances to air in the season’s early going.

While Union has suffered little hangover from its early NCAA exit, the same can’t be said for the Engineers. RPI finally started scoring some goals, but simply made too mistakes and turned the puck over too much against Quinnipiac last weekend. Look for the Dutchmen to take this one in Lake Placid

Union 4, RPI 2

St. Lawrence vs. Clarkson

These teams meet again for the second time in under a week, as the Golden Knights took a 5-3 win Tuesday at the Saints’ rink.  Festivus isn’t over until one of these teams can wrestle the other to the ground. Look for Clarkson and Paul Karpowich to come out victorious in the Feats of Strength.

Clarkson 3, St. Lawrence 2

 Merrimack at Colgate

Yes it’s early. And yes, the polls mean little, if anything at this point. Still, for Colgate, the represents their biggest test of the year, as the Warriors are currently No. 5 in the latest USCHO poll after checking in at No. 1 the previous two weeks. If the Raiders are going to pull the upset, it will have to be minus second-leading scorer Chris Wagner (7-13), who was suspended a game by the league for contact to the head that resulted in a game misconduct last Friday against Clarkson. It’s a toss-up here, but go with the home team, as Colgate extends its winning streak to six.

Colgate 5, Merrimack 4

Princeton at Quinnipiac

Travel partners take on one another in a rare Sunday tilt.   The Bobcats were ranked the last time these teams met, but have since cooled off as conference play started. But they’ve picked it up lately, getting their first conference win in over a month last weekend against RPI. I think they’ll add another here.

Quinnipiac 3, Princeton 1

Sacred Heart at Dartmouth

The Big Green are back in action after just over two weeks off, although those with a snarky sense of humor could argue they’re still on a break facing 1-14-1 Sacred Heart. I’m not going to be that guy, but I think Dartmouth should take this one.

Dartmouth 5, Sacred Heart 2

Gallery: No. 6 Mercyhurst at No. 4 Boston College (WIH)

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WCHA Picks: Dec. 9-10

By Tyler Buckentine and Brian Halverson
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No. 1 Minnesota-Duluth (11-3-2, 9-2-1 WCHA) at Wisconsin (7-8-1, 4-7-1 WCHA)

Tyler:  The Bulldogs can cash in on the power play, facing one of the nation’s worst penalty kills (73.5 percent) but the Badgers have played well in their own building this season with a 7-3 home record. Wisconsin is rested and desperate for a WCHA win; their last league win was Nov. 11 at home against Minnesota. Split

Brian: The memory of last season’s controversial dual-overtime UMD sweep is fresh in the minds of the Badgers and their fans and should provide plenty of motivation if facing the nation’s top-ranked team isn’t enough. It’s nearly impossible to pick against the country’s hottest team (10-0-2 in last dozen games) and I didn’t last week. This week, however, I will. Kenny Reiter’s due for a stumble so I’ll say Wisconsin coach Mike Eaves gets his 200th win this weekend but 201 will have to wait. Split


Nebraska-Omaha (8-7-3, 6-3-3 WCHA) at No. 19 North Dakota (8-7-1, 6-6-0 WCHA)

Tyler: North Dakota’s top line is on fire right now and the Sioux haven’t scored less than four goals per game since it was shutout by Bemidji State Nov. 20. The Sioux brings a lot of offense into the weekend against a Mavericks team that lacked the firepower to beat UAH last weekend. It’ll be interesting to see which UNO goaltender — John Faulkner, Ryan Massa or Dayn Belfour — stays home this weekend. UND sweep

Brian: UND is hot of late and has been putting pucks in the net with regularity in recent weeks. The inconsistent Mavericks (2-2-2 in their last six games), on the other hand are coming off a split with Alabama-Huntsville which included a Friday loss that coach Dean Blais called “embarrassing.” While UNO might be due for a rebound, I’m going with the hot hand at home. UND sweep.

 

Michigan Tech (8-7-1, 5-6-1 WCHA) at No. 2 Minnesota (13-4-1, 10-2-0 WCHA)

Tyler: The Huskies are entering the toughest stretch on its schedule this weekend and they would easily accept a split, but Mariucci Arena has been a house of doom for opponents, rocking as the Gophers play its best hockey since this senior class has been at Minnesota. I’ll take a Minnesota sweep at home.      

Brian: Tech was swept at home by UMD last week. Taking on the Gophers on Mariucci Arena’s big sheet won’t be any easier. Minnesota sweep.

 

No. 13 Denver (6-5-3, 4-3-3 WCHA) at Bemidji State (6-8-2, 4-6-2 WCHA)

Tyler:  I liked the way the Beavers fought back in the third period to get a tie last Friday in St. Cloud and then protected their third-period lead Saturday. BSU has had trouble scoring in third periods all year with a WCHA-low 11 goals, but that seemed to turn around at SCSU. Split

Brian: It seems like, for me, Denver has been the toughest team to pick other than their loss at Michigan Tech. Maybe it’s because I’ve gone against the grain a bit with the Pioneers. Who knows? Who cares? Bemidji State is winless (0-8-0) all time against DU but I bet against them busting a losing streak to North Dakota a couple of weeks ago. That said, the Beavers win drought vs. Denver ends in a split.

 

Alabama-Huntsville (1-15-1) at Minnesota State (3-12-1, 2-9-1 WCHA)

Tyler: It’s probably the first time all season Minnesota State has gone into the weekend as the favorite. In a rough season loaded with injuries for the Mavericks, they can look to the future in a freshman class that has some upside. That group will show signs of what’s to come this weekend. MSU sweep

Brian: Minnesota State is coming off an emotional weekend having been swept at Minnesota in a series the Mavericks believe could have easily gone the other way. UAH’s entire week has been an emotional one after beating Nebraska-Omaha last Friday and then learning their season may have been removed from lame-duck status with the news that the program appears to have been saved from the scrapheap. The Chargers may receive a boost from that but the Mavericks will find a way to win one as well. Split.

 

Alaska Anchorage (5-9-2, 2-9-1 WCHA) at No. 6 Colorado College (8-4-0, 6-4-0 WCHA)

Tyler: Rylan Schwartz’s return will give the Tigers every bit of offense it needs to sweep the Seawolves at home, despite brother Jaden gone to World Juniors. CC sweep 

Brian: Yes Jaden Schwartz will only play Friday’s game but brother Rylan returns from injury and the Tigers will still be able to put up points at home against UAA. The Seawolves will not be able to keep up as CC goes to 7-0-0 at home with a sweep.







	            

            


        


        
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