{"id":1540,"date":"2013-11-08T10:54:03","date_gmt":"2013-11-08T16:54:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.uscho.com\/ecac-blog\/?p=1540"},"modified":"2013-11-08T10:54:03","modified_gmt":"2013-11-08T16:54:03","slug":"ecac-hockey-picks-nov-8-12","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uscho.com\/2013\/11\/08\/ecac-hockey-picks-nov-8-12\/","title":{"rendered":"ECAC Hockey picks: Nov. 8-12"},"content":{"rendered":"
Clarkson at Dartmouth<\/b> 7:00
\nThe Big Green have surrendered 22 goals in four games. Clarkson has given up 21 goals in 10<\/i> games. This is gut-check time for Dartmouth, picked to finish in the middle of the pack in the preseason polls, but rapidly plummeting into the basement. Tough to pick against Clarkson here: 5-2 Knights.<\/p>\n
St. Lawrence at Harvard<\/b> 7:00
\nThe Crimson are still a work-in-progress, but three points against preseason favorite Rensselaer are a good start. SLU has jumped out to a 4-2-2 start and is looking to build on a pair of road ties last weekend at Yale and Brown. If Harvard can keep the Carey brothers from doing too much damage, the hosts are in good shape… but with nine combined goals and 23 points in eight games, that’s easier said than done. 3-2 Saints.<\/p>\n
Yale at Princeton<\/b> 7:00
\nTo put it simply, Yale appears to be a class above Princeton at this point. The Bulldogs have already beaten the Tigers once in ‘Jersey, and Princeton’s offense is hard-pressed to score more than two goals in a night so far. All signs point to Blue, 4-1.<\/p>\n
Brown at Quinnipiac<\/b> 7:00
\nJust as I was about to type “5-3 QU” and leave it at that, I remembered that Brown is a Bobcat brutalizer: Quinnipiac never rolls Bruno, and this tilt should be another tooth-and-nail doozy. That said, tough to ignore QU’s prodigious roll right now, and Consecutive Win No. 9 looks more likely than not. Let’s cut that prediction to 3-2, Bobcats.<\/p>\n
Cornell at Rensselaer<\/b> 7:00
\nBig test for RPI this weekend, hosting the Big Red and Raiders without starting goalie Jason Kasdorf. The Engineers haven’t exploded onto the national scene as some prognosticators had hoped\/expected, but 5-2-1 with twice as many goals scored as surrendered is nothing to scoff at. Cornell will be looking for a bounce-back performance on offense after being blanked at home by QU last weekend, but the Engineers are a pretty stingy team in their own end. Should be tight and low-scoring… feels like a 2-1 or 3-2 game to me. Let’s say 2-1, RPI.<\/p>\n
Colgate at Union<\/b> 7:00
\nAfter a rough start, Union hit the reset button before entering ECAC action. The Dutchmen promptly snuffed Dartmouth and Harvard on the road, and now prepare for a middling Raiders club that has only defeated equally unimpressive RIT and Princeton in the last month (2-4-1). Messa has been a tough place to play in recent years, and Union is showing signs of getting its season back on track. Colgate has offered no indication of upset capability yet, so why should I pick ’em? 4-2 Dutch.<\/p>\nSaturday, November 9<\/h4>\n
Brown at Princeton<\/b> 4:00
\nBrown’s bite, claw and scratch approach versus Princeton’s potential early-season desperation… this has the feel of a tight, low-scoring, heavy-hitting affair. This is the second game in five days for both teams, and it’s one of those uncomfortable afternoon tilts following a night game and – for Brown – a two- (or more) hour bus ride. You know what? I’m feeling frisky; here’s to ECAC unpredictability: 3-2 Tigers.<\/p>\n