Weekend Preview: Streaking Forward

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ALBANY, NY  -- Four of the top 10 nation's current longest unbeaten streaks belong to ECAC Hockey teams.  Three of those teams, including No. 14-ranked Quinnipiac, which owns the nation's longest at nine games (8-0-1), Union, and St. Lawrence, will be in action this weekend looking to extend their streaks.  A total of nine of the 12 ECAC Hockey teams will hit the ice this weekend, playing in 11 games, including six teams paired in league contests.

No. 12 Clarkson/St. Lawrence at Colgate/Cornell:  With the conference's best winning percentage (.700), No. 12-ranked Clarkson will be seeking its fourth and fifth road wins of the season when it travels to Colgate Friday (Time Warner Sports/SNY) and Cornell Sunday (ESPNU).  Clarkson has prevailed over the Raiders the past several seasons, holding an 11-2-4 advantage.  The Raiders have played just two ECAC Hockey home games at Starr Rink this season (0-1-1).  The Big Red are the lone ECAC Hockey team to hold an advantage over the Golden Knights, posting a 51-47-11 overall record against its rival.  Big Red head coach Mike Schafer owns a 23-10-3 record versus Clarkson.  St. Lawrence is riding a three-game winning streak and recently evened its record to the .500 mark (4-4-2, ECAC Hockey; 9-9-3, overall).  The Saints, who have been benefactors of an offensive onslaught of late, are led by juniors Brock McBride, who ranks in the top 10 in several conference scoring categories, and junior defenseman Zach Miskovic, who is tops among all players at his position in league play (2-8-10). 

Rensselaer vs. Union:  Cross-town rivals Rensselaer and Union will play a home-and-home series this weekend for Capital District bragging rights.  The Dutchmen, who will host the first game Friday, look to extend their four-game winning streak.  Home has been kind to Union, as it is unbeaten in league play at Messa Rink (2-0-2) and lost only once in 10 overall contests on home ice.  Watch for the Dutchmen to get scoring contributions from both ends of the ice, as their top line of junior Matt Cook, sophomore Jason Walters and senior Josh Coyle combined for nine points, while the team's defensemen netted four points in two wins last weekend.  Meanwhile, the Engineers will be looking to snap a streak of their own having dropped their last seven games.  Rensselaer will look to regain their march that placed them in the national polls for several weeks this season.  Both games will be broadcasted live on Time Warner Sports.
Yale at Alabama-Huntsville:  Yale will venture further South than any other Bulldogs team has ever gone when it travels to Alabama-Huntsville for a two-game series this weekend.  The Bulldogs penalty killing unit(s) continues to remain atop the nation's ranking, stopping an imposing 62 of 66 opportunities (93.9%).  Bulldogs' netminder sophomore Billy Blase has yielded a 1.92 GAA and boasts a .926 save percentage, which ranks 10th and 13th respectively, on the national scene.

No. 14 Quinnipiac at Holy Cross:  The Bobcats will travel to Worcester, MA to take on Atlantic Hockey foe Holy Cross in a 4 p.m. Saturday game.  The streaking Bobcats are continuing to climb up the standing in league play sitting one point behind league-leader No. 19-ranked Princeton, as well as the national polls, where they sit at the No. 14 position.  Quinnipiac, which has a top 10 nationally ranked penalty killing unit, stopping 79 of 89 (88.8%) opportunities, will get a true test versus the Crusaders, who showcase the nation's top power-play unit, scoring on 28 of 108 chances (25.9%).  Sophomore forward Jean-Marc Beaudoin has turned the ‘good defense into good offense,' scoring three shorthanded goals for the Bobcats.

Dartmouth vs. No. 5 New Hampshire:  In a neutral-site game, intra-state rivals Dartmouth and No. 5-ranked New Hampshire will do battle Saturday at the Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester, NH for the RiverStone Cup VII.  Coming off a win last weekend against Hockey East foe Boston University, Head Coach Bob Gaudet's defense will look to find the answer to shutting down the another Hockey East potent offense in the Wildcats.     
The game will be broadcast on WMUR-TV. 

At Brown, Merrimack:  The Bears will host Hockey East opponent Merrimack at 1 p.m. Sunday.  Brown will be looking to get back in the win column in its final non-league game before a stretch of 12 conference games takes them to the end of the season.