Playoff prognostications can be positively perilous. After all, who would have thought last summer that the Los Angeles Kings would win the Stanley Cup as a lowly No. 8 seed. Yet that turn of events did happen, with the subsequent message being that if high seeds are going to take lesser ones lightly, they do … Read more
I went 4-0-1 last week, and was 49-13-5 (.828) for the regular season. Preliminary Round Picks No. 6 Nazareth at No. 3 Neumann Neumann has been playing well since early January and will be at home, where the Knights are 9-1-2 this season. Nazareth has shown some growing pains the last few weeks, and is … Read more
Last weekend in NCAA Division III teams were either wrapping up the regular season or beginning the postseason. Here’s a look at some of the highlights: Semifinals set in NCHA After an exciting first round of the Peters Cup tournament, the semifinals of the NCHA playoffs are set for Saturday, Feb. 23. Sixth-seeded Wisconsin-River Falls … Read more
We’re heading into the final weekend of the SUNYAC regular season, which for three disappointed squads will be their last action, period. There are few givens as the rinks open their doors in four SUNYAC centers on Friday night. One is that Geneseo will finish in third place and will host an as-yet-to-be-determined sixth seed … Read more
The final weekend of the regular season is upon us, and I stand with an overall pick record of 53-40-3 (.552). Last week, I went 5-2-1 (.625) in my picks, not bad considering the disastrous picks I was making in the beginning of 2013. This weekend, every team is playing, with each team competing against … Read more
Well, it’s finally here, the start of the NCAA Division III men’s hockey playoffs. In the NCHA, the Peter’s Cup playoffs begin on Friday with several intriguing match-ups. The team to beat is Wisconsin-Eau Claire, the third-ranked team in D-III. However, after wrapping up their first NCHA title last week, the Blugolds received a first-round … Read more
It’s the final weekend of the 2012-13 regular season, and the ECAC West standings are still far from being set in stone. Last week, I went 5-1 (didn’t pick Neumann to top Hobart), and am 45-13-4 (.758) for the season. Friday-Saturday, Feb. 15-16 Utica (19-4 overall, 10-3 ECAC West) at Manhattanville (13-8-2, 6-5-2) With a … Read more
It may have been used a lot over the past week, but Nemo found New England and really altered the playing schedule. That is no excuse for my picks, which finished at 3-1-1 (.700), but trying to keep things normal and consistent is one thing coaches are determined to do at this point of the … Read more
A 4-2-0 (.667) weekend despite the chaos the blizzard left behind means I may almost be as focused as the teams that had to adapt to the changing schedule and challenging travel conditions. The overall season numbers are now 53-18-7 (.724). I really want to stay above the 70 percent threshold, so I need to … Read more
Suffolk coach Chris Glionna and his Rams can’t be happy with the kind of hockey they were playing heading into this week. Prior to Thursday’s date at Western New England, the Rams had been stuck in the throes of a six-game winless streak at the wrong time of the season. Hope springs eternal, however. The … Read more
Well, the final week of the regular season has arrived for teams in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, and a lot is still on the line, including deciding which team is going to win the regular season championship. All we know for sure at the moment is that St. Olaf is headed to the postseason. … Read more
With just a little over a week and a half to go, the MASCAC race for first place is about to get more exciting. It looks like right now, the Plymouth State Panthers and Westfield State Owls will battle it out for first and second place. With some help, either the Owls or Panthers could … Read more
Snowed out Franklin Pierce’s series at Canton on Friday and Saturday was canceled due to the snowstorm that blanketed the East Coast this weekend. On Saturday, Nichols-Curry, Elmira-Manhattanville, Fitchburg State-Assumption, Bowdoin-Trinity, Colby-Wesleyan, and Worcester State-Framingham State were all pre-empted by continuing adverse weather conditions. Deuces wild game-winners Brad McBride scored twice, including the game-winner, as … Read more
First off, congratulations to the Adrian Bulldogs! They are once again the MCHA regular season champions, as they clinched their sixth consecutive title in a win and tie against Lake Forest last weekend. There are only two more weekends of the regular season left to play, and currently my season total picks are at a … Read more
A 5-1-0 (.833) weekend makes it three strong pick weeks in a row. I might just be getting my game in high gear for the playoffs, which is exactly what all of the conference teams are trying to get going. The overall season numbers are now 49-16-7 (.729). Percentage is solid, and with just two … Read more
Nothing has come easy for Johnson and Wales this season, and that doesn’t figure to change in the stretch run, where points are precious and every period means something. Which is exactly why Saturday’s date vs. Becker is must-win territory for the Wildcats. Johnson and Wales took a four-game winless streak into the week, and … Read more
What’s a little snow in the forecast? The threat of a foot or four hasn’t put a damper on what should be white hot action in the SUNYAC this weekend. Jammed at the top, in the middle, all over. This penultimate weekend could be what determiness the post-season fates of each of the nine squads … Read more
Ouch! That is the only thing to say about a 2-3-1 (.417) record last weekend that leaves me with a 41-16-7 (.695) overall record and a big overall percentage drop heading into the final two weekends of the regular season. Just like the games being played, there are no guaranteed picks, no matter where the … Read more
Had my worst week of the season so far, going just 1-4 a week ago, bringing my overall record to 40-12-4 (.750) for the 2012-13 campaign. Let’s see how I fare with six league games on tap this weekend. Friday, February 8, 2013 Hobart (17-3-2 overall, 9-2-1 ECAC West) at Manhattanville (12-7-2, 5-4-2) The No. … Read more
The regular season winds down this weekend with a few teams still jockeying for playoff positioning in the NCHA. Here’s what we do know: Wisconsin-Eau Claire and St. Norbert are already set for the start of the conference playoffs, earning the No. 1 and 2 seeds, respectively. Last weekend, St. Scholastica pulled itself out of … Read more