Here’s a look at this weekend’s ECAC Hockey games:
Friday, Jan. 15
Clarkson at Dartmouth
Coming off of a 3-1 win over St. Lawrence on Tuesday, the Golden Knights will head to Hanover to take on Dartmouth, a team that finally seems to be finding its stride. The Big Green cured their offensive ails in a 5-2 win over Holy Cross last Sunday, holding a 6-8-1 record heading into the middle of January. Both teams struggled in their first-half campaigns and will be looking to build on some recent success.
Clarkson 3, Dartmouth 2
No. 18 St. Lawrence at No. 7 Harvard
This should be one of the games of the weekend in ECAC play. St. Lawrence has struggled after the break, bringing a three-game losing streak into this weekend’s matchup against the No. 7 Crimson. The Saints have scored only three goals in their last three games and given up 10 along the way. Harvard, on the other hand, has played two one-goal games against top opponents Boston University and Quinnipiac. For Harvard, the Saints should be a nice change of pace.
Harvard 4, St. Lawrence 1
No. 8 Cornell at No. 20 Rensselaer
Cornell continues to climb the standings, both nationally and within the conference. After an embarrassing 8-0 loss to Ohio State in late December, Cornell has responded with two big wins over previously ranked Merrimack. RPI is 1-1-1 in January thus far, and has only slightly moved up in the top-20 rankings. It’ll look to solidify its position.
Cornell 3, Rensselaer 0
Colgate at Union
Don’t look now, but the Dutchmen might be in full turnaround mode. The team holds a 9-7-5 record heading into mid-January, and while the 5-0 loss to Quinnipiac sticks out, it’s hard to blame for the blowout loss against a team that has been doing that to anyone it has played. Colgate, however, continues to struggle. Last weekend’s 5-1 win over Maine snapped a four-game losing streak, which included a 3-1 loss to Maine the previous night and a 7-5 loss to Brown in December. These teams look like they’re moving in different directions.
Union 4, Colgate 1
Brown vs. No. 12 Yale (Friday in New Haven, Saturday in Providence)
It’s been an abysmal year for Brown, which has struggled to find consistency on both ends of the ice. But if the Bears can hang their hat on something, it’s the team’s 4-3 win over Providence in early January. It seems, at least, Brown can play with college hockey’s top opponents. It’ll need some of that magic against No. 12 Yale, which comes into Friday’s contest 4-1-1 in its last six games. The Bulldogs tied Michigan Tech 1-1 last Sunday and will look to rebound against the suffering Bears.
Yale 2, Brown 0
Saturday, Jan. 16
No. 18 St. Lawrence at Dartmouth
If the Big Green are going to have any chance of turning their season around, it’s Saturday against No. 18 St. Lawrence. The Saints look like they’re ripe for the taking, losers of their last three games. Dartmouth finally seems to be gaining some traction after an inconsistent first half. Saturday’s game, at least, will illustrate what Dartmouth is capable of.
St. Lawrence 3, Dartmouth 3 (OT)
Clarkson at No. 7 Harvard
The Golden Knights will have their warmup against Dartmouth on Friday before taking on a hungry Harvard team on Saturday. Unfortunately for Clarkson, this weekend’s matchups for the highly ranked Crimson seems primed for a sweep given Harvard’s two losses to BU and Quinnipiac.
Harvard 5, Clarkson 3
Colgate at No. 20 Rensselaer
Another game of two teams moving in very different directions. Colgate has amassed 14 losses this season, snapping its four-game losing streak to Maine last Saturday. The Raiders also have allowed 74 goals this season, the most in the ECAC. RPI, newly reacquainted with the top-20 rankings, should have no problem adding to that list.
RPI 4, Colgate 0
No. 8 Cornell at Union
It’s an intriguing matchup, though on paper it might not look like it. Cornell has slowly climbed the leader boards all season long, while Union seems in the midst of a late-season turnaround. For the Dutchmen, it’s a test to see how far they’ve come.
Union 4, Cornell 3
Tuesday, Jan. 19
No. 2 Quinnipiac at Maine
The Bobcats have the weekend off before taking on lowly Maine in a midweek showdown. The over-under for this game might be astronomical, but the Black Bears are hoping the long layoff will make the Bobcats rusty.
Quinnipiac 5, Maine 0
