Only a few weeks remain in the regular season and things start to matter even more now as teams battle for playoff positioning and take aim at clinching a conference title.
Without further delay, here are some predictions for the weekend.
MIAC
St. Scholastica (11-9-1, 6-6) )vs. St. Olaf (9-7-3, 4-5-1
The Saints look to keep pace near the top of the conference standings. St.Scholastica enters the weekend in second place.
The Oles need every win they can get at this point as they are tied for sixth at the moment.
St. Scholastica has won two in a row, scoring five goals in each game. Hunter Hansen is a big part of the offense, scoring 11 goals on the year. The Oles have also won their last two and have gotten solid play from Jonathan Panisa.
St. Scholastica, 4-2; St. Olaf, 3-1
Gustavus (12-7, 8-2) vs. Saint John’s (8-11, 5-5)
The Gusties are still holding down first place in the MIAC standings and are looking to bounce back after a tough 5-4 lot to Bethel in a series finale. Jack Suchy and Hunter Newhouse have been instrumental in the Gusties’ offensive success while netminder Colin Androlewicz has also played well.
The Johnnies are in a good spot in the standings, sitting in fourth, and have had a lot of success against the Gusties in recent years. Last season, they swept Gustavus for the fifth consecutive season. Will the streak continue?
Saint John’s, 4-3; Gustavus, 5-4
Saint Mary’s (8-10-1, 4-5-1) vs. Bethel (10-7-2, 6-3-1)
Colin Tushie and Joona Juntunen are among the top playmakers in the conference, combining for 30 assists, and they hope to help the Cardinals get back on track. Saint Mary’s has lost its last three games. The Royals sit in third in the league standings and are coming off a big win over Gustavus last week. Now the goal is to keep the momentum on their side.
Bethel, 4-2 and 3-2
NCHA
Adrian (14-7, 8-6) )vs. Concordia (11-10, 6-8)
The Bulldogs come in ranked 12th in the USCHO.com poll and are led by Ian Amsbaugh and Bradley Somers, who have scored 12 and 11 goals, respectively. They’ll be looked upon to help Adrian end a three-game losing streak.
The Falcons have put together a turnaround year, sitting a win shy of matching their win total from the last two years combined. Derek Humphreys has played a big role in the success, scoring 14 goals on the season.
Adrian, 4-2 and 3-2
Aurora (18-3, 12-2) vs. MSOE (10-8-3, 5-7-2)
The No. 3 Spartans look to keep hold of first place in the conference standings. They have won eight in a row and have the top scoring threat in the conference in Landry Schmuck, who has scored 24 goals on the year. Eddie Shepler is one to watch for the Raiders as he has 10 goals on the season. The Raiders will be ready for the challenge and have a win over nationally ranked St. Norbert this season.
Aurora, 5-3 and 4-1
St. Norbert (16-5, 11-3) )vs. Lake Forest (9-11-1, 5-8-1)
Sixth-ranked St. Norbert has won two in a row and features two of the best scoring threats in the country in Liam Fraser and Logan Dombrowsky. The two have combined for 27 goals. Hunter Garvey has been solid in goal with a 2.10 goals against average.
Trevor Faucher has led the way for Lake Forest, scoring 10 goals. The Foresters have won their last two and do have a win over nationally ranked Adrian this season.
St. Norbert, 5-2 and 4-2
WIAC
UW-Superior (16-3-2, 9-1-1) vs. UW-Stout (11-8-2, 4-6-1)
The first-place Yellowjackets are riding high into this one, sporting a 13-game unbeaten streak. And this is a team that has been tough in tight games, going 6-3 in games decided by two goals or less. They’ve also been tough defensively, recording four shutouts.
The Blue Devils won’t be a pushover, however, considering they lost 4-3 in overtime to the Yellowjackets back on Dec. 7. Stout comes in on a two-game winning streak and aims for an upset of the 11th-ranked team in the nation.
UW-Superior, 5-2 and 4-3
UW-Eau Claire (8-12-1, 6-5) vs. UW-River Falls (11-9-1, 5-5-1)
The Blugolds are trying to get back on track after getting swept by Superior last week. The good news is they already have one win over River Falls this season, winning 3-0 on Dec. 7. The key to to success is a great defensive effort, something the Blugolds should get with Max Gutjahr in goal. He sports a 1.95 goals against average.
Speaking of goaltending, Brennan Boynton has been pretty good for the Falcons, owning a 2.54 goals against average.
UW-River Falls, 3-2; UW-Eau Claire, 4-3
