I definitely can’t complain about my ability to make predictions this past week. I fashioned a 7-1 record and now own a 25-19 record on the season.
Yet, even with the success, I won’t pretend that I have the Midas Touch when it comes to making picks for the teams in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. I benefited from the fact that all of the games were within the conference, which makes it a little easier to pick games. Most of the games this time around will be nonconference games, which makes it tougher because it’s hard to get a read on teams you don’t pay as much attention to.
Still, I’ll give it my best shot and see what happens. If I come out of this week with a winning record, I’ll be a happy camper.
Friday, Dec. 7
Augsburg at Wisconsin-Superior
Goals have been tough to come by for Augsburg, which has scored only 14 this year, and that lack of offensive production will make it tough for the Auggies in their road game against Superior. The Yellow Jackets have lost only twice this season, and have scored three or more goals eight times. Wis.-Superior will dominate offensively and skate to a win. Wis.-Superior 6-2
Lawrence at Gustavus Adolphus
The Gusties are coming off a series sweep over Augsburg, and have won their last three games overall. That momentum should be beneficial against Lawrence, especially with this game being at home. If Patrick Sullivan plays at a high level in goal, Gustavus shouldn’t have a problem nailing down another win. Gustavus Adolphus 5-2
St. John’s at Concordia (Wis.)
If there was ever an ideal time for St. John’s to play Concordia, it’s right now. Or so it seems. The Falcons have lost four consecutive games, but all four were to ranked opponents. St. John’s has been off since mid-November, and the long layoff, combined with playing on the road, will likely be too much to overcome for the Johnnies. Concordia 4-3
St. Mary’s at Lake Forest
The Cardinals have shown that they can be very explosive offensively, having scored six or more goals three times. They are averaging 4.44 goals per game, but they have also given up their fair share of goals, allowing 4.01 per outing. The Foresters have won only once in their last eight games, and in a weekend series with the Milwaukee School of Engineering, it forged a 1-1 tie and lost 2-1 Still, if the Cardinals get on track early offensively, they should be fine. St. Mary’s 5-1
Saturday, Dec. 8
St. John’s at Concordia (Wis.)
The series will wrap up and the Johnnies should recover to come away with a split if they can jump in front early and play solid defensively from start to finish. St. John’s 3-1
St. Mary’s at Lake Forest
The Cardinals will come in with an opportunity to get a sweep in the series, but don’t be surprised if Lake Forest finds a way to forge a tie in the series finale. St. Mary’s 2, Lake Forest 2
Hamline at St. Thomas
Hamline is still searching for its first win of the year. Playing at St. Thomas probably isn’t the best place to find it. The Pipers are averaging only two goals per game and will be up against a Tommies team that has given up 20 goals all season. St. Thomas will be too tough to deal with defensively as it skates to another win. St. Thomas 5-1
Augsburg at Northland
If the Auggies are going to pick up this win on the road, they will need to get on a roll offensively against a team that has struggled to keep opponents off the scoreboard. The Auggies haven’t been a big-time offensive threat this season, but I expect them to come through on this night. Augsburg 4-2
Wis.-Superior at Gustavus
Wis.-Superior has played well on the road and Gustavus has struggled a bit at home, owning a 2-3 mark on its own ice. The Gusties have played well as of late though, and should be able to take advantage of playing this game in their rink. Gustavus 4-3
Thursday, Dec. 13
St. Thomas at St. John’s
The two teams have met twice already, and both games went to the Tommies. The Johnnies were outscored, 7-2, in those meetings, and while this should be a competitive game because St. John’s is at home, St. Thomas will find a way to get the win. St. Thomas 5-3
Augsburg at Wisconsin-River Falls
Augsburg will be on the road against a team that has tied twice and lost by a goal in its last three games. The run included a 1-1 tie against Wis.-Superior, but there have also been times when Wis.-River Falls has also been beaten convincingly, losing by four or more goals three times. Augsburg needs a quick start to get the win. Augsburg 4-3
