ECAC East picks: Dec. 28

Ah, perfection and the pursuit of it. I went from a perfect 6-0-0 one week to a “perfect” pick record at 3-3-0 (.500) which was only perfect because I was 3-0-0 on Friday and 0-3-0 on Saturday. The final round of picks from the first semester brings the season total to a very good 24-7-4 (.743). There is primarily tournament action exiting the holidays, so a couple of nonconference match-ups and very little history to go on — at least in one case.
Here are this week’s very limited picks.
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Castleton at Lawrence
Having finished strong in the first half by winning four of its last five, Castleton is looking to build on that momentum in the holiday tournament hosted by Oswego. First round opponent Lawrence brings a 4-7-0 record to town, but has played some very competitive hockey against quality teams in the MCHA, so the Spartans best not take them lightly. Having won its own Rutland Invitational over Thanksgiving, Castleton would love to add another piece of hardware to the trophy case and a tight one with Lawrence gets them an opportunity to do just that. Castleton 3-2
Babson at Middlebury
This match-up should be a lot of fun to watch, as both teams like to play uptempo and have proven they can score goals. Babson has been on a roll since starting the season 0-2-2. The Beavers have won five in a row, and look to build on that against a Panthers team that is 2-2-1 in their last five. The Panthers have played overtime three times already this season, and this one has all the ingredients to be number four. It is a tournament, but there won’t be any ties on the teams’ records coming out of the five extra minutes. Middlebury 5-4
It is always exciting hockey when you are playing for something. Holiday tournaments bring some great action to welcome back hockey from the semester break, so get out and enjoy the match-ups and the drama — drop the puck.