Game picks by USCHO writers
Mother Nature did her best to play spoiler in the postseason, but fear not, hockey will be played in the wake of a winter storm. MIAC tourney play kicks off this weekend while the second weekend of tournament action in the NCHA and WIAC will take place. One thing worth noting about the NCHA playoffs, … Read more
This week is all about the conference tournaments as we enter the official win-or-go-home portion of the 2022-23 season. I will be doing this week’s extensive picks in two parts starting with the quarterfinal rounds taking place Tuesday through Thursday and re-calibrating for the weekend’s quarterfinal and semifinal rounds across the conferences. Last week’s volume-based … Read more
It’s playoff time in the NCHA and WIAC this weekend. And meanwhile in the MIAC, the final weekend of the regular-season is here and a champion will be crowned. Here’s at look at the big games ahead as hockey in the west region of NCAA Division III heats up to another level. NCHA Lake Forest … Read more
It is officially playoff season as the NEHC quarterfinals take place on Saturday while elsewhere the battles for first place and home-ice seeding continue in the final week of the regular season across the CCC, NE-10, SUNYAC and NESCAC conferences. Last week’s super-sized picks rebounded nicely at 10-2-1 (.808) which now brings my season total … Read more
February is rolling along and the action on the ice is heating up. Two big matchups loom this weekend as UW-Stevens Point and UW-Superior battle in a series where the WIAC title will be on the line. Nationally ranked opponents Adrian and St. Norbert will do the same in the NCHA. Check out the picks … Read more
It is the last week of the regular season in the NEHC with a critical matchup finding Norwich traveling to Hobart for the top spot. Elsewhere there are two weeks left and still a lot of movement possible including very tight races in the SUNYAC and NESCAC. Last week’s picks rebounded nicely at 9-3-0 (.750) … Read more
February is underway and it’s hard to believe we are just about at that time of the year where conference tournaments and the NCAA tournament are just around the corner. Conference leaders are trying to maintain their success while those below them in the standings are jockeying for the best position possible before the regular … Read more
It is February and that means there are precious few weeks to earn wins and points to improve your standing, seeding and otherwise build momentum heading into the most crucial part of the season. There continues to be a lot of movement in most of the conferences but not so much at the very top … Read more
The final weekend of January is here and it’s all conference play across the schedule. Saint John’s and Augsburg play a big MIAC series, with Friday’s game being played outdoors, and nationally ranked UW-Stevens Point faces a big test against UW-Stout, the hottest team in the MIAC at the moment. In the NCHA, St. Norbert … Read more
Yes, there are still three unbeatens in conference play (Endicott, Plymouth State & Utica) in the east and all face some stiff competition this weekend which should be exciting for fans everywhere looking for the upset bug to continue its presence in all D-III hockey. Last week’s picks improved slightly at 8-3-1 (.708) which brings … Read more
Conference play is in full swing this weekend out west. St. Scholastica and St. Olaf battle in a key MIAC series while UW-Stevens Point takes aim at maintaining its lead at the top of the WIAC standings as it faces off against UW-River Falls. Adrian and St. Norbert both go into their respective matchups as … Read more
The teams you expect to step up pretty much did so last week and while it was never easy or even pretty, the resulting wins continue to build confidence as the regular season and conference play heat up for the next month. Last week my picks came back down to earth from the prior week … Read more
A lot of non-conference action is going down this weekend between the MIAC and WIAC as we reach the midway point of January, though there is a big MIAC battle on tap with Augsburg and Bethel squaring off. In the NCHA, MSOE and Trine will battle in a key conference series. Check out the picks … Read more
The USA, represented by D-III players opens tournament action today at the World University Games in Lake Placid, NY. That means many rosters will be without some key players – like we need any more spice to the schedule being played out over the next couple of weeks (assuming the USA makes the medal round). … Read more
The first full weekend of hockey in 2023 has arrived and two of the biggest matchups of the weekend feature nationally ranked opponents squaring off. St. Norbert plays Aurora in a pivotal NCHA series and Augsburg goes on the road to take on UW-Stevens Point. Check out the picks for those games and more below. … Read more
The action will certainly heat up with everyone back this week and conference play dominating the schedule to open January for many teams. Some intriguing pairings that could have tiebreaker implications down the road come seeding for conference tournaments along with a couple of fun tournaments hosted by Plattsburgh and Nichols. I closed out the … Read more
The final weekend of 2022 is here and there is hockey to be played. Two nationally ranked opponents are in action as No. 10 Aurora plays at home against Concordia (Minnesota) while No. 3 Adrian is out East playing in a tournament at Oswego State. A full slate of games returns once we get into … Read more
Happy New Year! The semester break for some teams is officially over after Christmas as teams resume New Year’s tournament play or non-conference games to finish out calendar year 2022 and roll into January 2023. If the first half was any indicator, anything can and will happen so nothing like some trophy winning opportunities to … Read more
It’s the final weekend of hockey before Christmas and there is one weekend battle in particular jumps out. That’s the one between Augsburg and St. Norbert. The two top five teams will face off in a two-game series this weekend. A rivalry game between UW-Eau Claire and UW-Stevens Point is also on tap. Both teams … Read more
It is the final weekend of the first half of the season and there are a lot of teams seeking victory to send their players into finals and home for the break feeling very good about where they are at this point of the season. I am seeking the same validation on my weekly picks … Read more