Weekend Preview: Stakes Begin to Get Higher
ALBANY, NY -- The second part of the college
hockey season is when teams find it essential to find their
stride. Some teams typically target to separate themselves
from the pack, while others begin to focus on positions for seeding
with games that all of the sudden seem to matter more. One
goal that all teams share and never lose site of from this point on
is to win.
At Colgate, Lake Superior St.: The Raiders
return home for their last non-conference games of the
regular-season as they host Lake Superior State in a two-game
set. Both teams tend not to let play slip away from them
during games, as they each have participated in seven overtime
games each in the first part of the season. Colgate boasts a
record of 1-5-1 in extra session games, while the Lakers have
earned a tie in all seven of their overtime games (5-8-7,
overall). The Raiders have a five-game unbeaten streak
against CCHA opponents and hold a 5-1-1 all-time advantage in the
series with Lake Superior State. The duo of junior forward
David McIntyre and freshman forward Austin Smith have led the
Raiders' scoring attack as of late. McIntyre and Smith are
ranked tied-22nd nationally in goals per game (.50), and Smith is
ranked tied-2nd averaging 1.00 points per game among rookies.
Brown/Yale at Havard/No. 15 Dartmouth:
Returning home for the first time in more than a month, Harvard
looks to snap a seven-game losing streak by playing host to Brown
Friday and Yale Saturday. The Bears, who display a solid
power play unit, having scored on 17 of 27 opportunities, will be
looking to snaps a four-game winless streak of their own. The
Crimson have dominated the Bulldogs at home as of late posting a
28-2-3 record. Dangerous on the shortend, sophomore forward
Broc Little has netted four shorthanded goals in the last six
contests for Yale. Dartmouth has won three of four games and
is coming off a stellar 4-0 win over top ten foe Princeton last
week. Big Green sophomore forward Adam Estoclet is second in
ECAC Hockey play averaging 1.22 points-per-game and has notched two
game-winning goals in league action this season.
At No. 6/8 Cornell, Niagara: Currently
riding the fourth longest unbeaten streak (5-0-1) in the nation,
the Big Red finishes the non-league part of their schedule this
weekend hosting Niagara, who is riding a four-game winning streak
of its own, in a two-game set at Lynah Rink. Cornell keeps
climbing-up the national polls each week, as they are ranked as
high as sixth. The stingy Cornell defense, which has only
allowed more than two goals in just one game through the first 13
games, is anchored by junior netminder Ben Scrivens, who enters the
weekend ranked 2nd in the nation in both goals-against average
(1.38) and save percentage (.947). Cornell, who is unbeaten
at home this season (4-0-1) will face a strong Purple Eagles team
that makes a habit of rising to the challenge, as they are 4-1 in
their last five regular-season meetings versus ranked teams.
Rensselaer/Union at Quinnipiac/No. 5/7
Princeton: The Tigers, who own the nation's top
winning percentage (.8125) sit atop of the league standings with a
8-2-0 mark, will play host to travel partners Rensselaer Friday and
Union Saturday. The disciplined Tigers are averaging a full
penalty less than any other team in the nation (9.8 minutes).
Junior netminder Zane Kalemba has recorded a 13-2-0 personal mark
in net for the Tigers this season. The Tigers own a 6-2-0
mark at home this season and are 13-6-1 all-time versus the
Dutchmen at home, while the Engineers lead the series 22-13-4 in
games played at Princeton. The Bobcats are coming off a
stretch were they won four games in six days. They currently
have five-game winning streak and are led on offense by the
nation's leading scorer senior forward Bryan Leitch (1.72
P/GM). Rensselaer and Union are among three teams in a tie
for ninth in league-play. The weekend's action for Rensselaer
will mark the conclusion of an eight-game road trip. Travel
partner Union begins a stretch of 16 straight ECAC Hockey games
this weekend. Senior Brendan Milnamow is third in the country
with 0.39 goals per game among defensemen. The Dutchmen will
try to limit the scoring chances for two high-powered offenses this
weekend, as they are 7-3-0 when holding opponents to less than 30
shots.
Clarkson/St. Lawrence at St.
Lawrence/Clarkson: The ‘North Country' series
has been dead even over the last five years with both the Golden
Knights and Saints claiming five victories. Both teams are
coming off appearances in holiday tournaments having each earned
runner-up honors. Sunday's matinee match-up, which will be
televised on ESPNU, will be played at Cheel Arena where the
Golden Knights hold a distinct advantage over the Saints, having
won 16 of the last 20 games against their rivals. Clarkson
was 15-3-1 last season at home, but currently has only posted one
win (3-1, over Brown) thus far. Head coach George Roll will
be looking to earn his 100th career coaching victory at Clarkson at
the hands of the Saints. Saints' head coach Joe Marsh owns a
23-36-1 mark against Clarkson.
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