Big-time upset Babson pulled one of the biggest upsets of the season on Saturday as it used three first-half goals and a strong goaltending effort by Zeke Testa to knock off top-ranked Norwich, 4-1, at Kreitzberg Arena. It marks the first time since 2007 that Babson has beaten Norwich. The Beavers were outshot, 26-5, in … Read more
Conference action is back this weekend! And I could not be happier for my pick percentage. Last week, I had an abysmal 1-2-0 (.333) record with nonconference picks. That brings my season record to 34-24-2 (.566). All eight teams are back in conference action this weekend. Lawrence will host Adrian in a weekend series. Concordia … Read more
The SUNYAC weekend slate features another full offering of nonconference games, a handful of which ( Plattsburgh’s tilts against Middlebury and Williams) could have some interesting implications in the national polls. The rest could produce some interesting hockey, which, after all, is why we flock to the rinks. (Last week’s picks: 1-2) Friday, Jan. 11 … Read more
The first picks for 2013 look very promising, as a 6-2-1 (.722) record opened the new calendar year to improve to a 22-10-6 (.658) overall record. The percentage is moving closer to the desired 70 percent success rate, but I am not there yet, so let’s see if I can be accurate two weeks in … Read more
After dominating nonconference opponents last week, NCHA teams return to conference action this weekend. The conference’s hottest team has been Wisconsin-Stevens Point, which has won six of its last seven games. Can the Pointers continue their momentum at St. Scholastica? Definitely. The Saints are 1-7 in the NCHA and 1-5 at home. The Pointers meanwhile, … Read more
Went 4-0 last week, and am 29-5-4 overall (.795) so far this season. Taking on six nonconference contests this weekend, as all ECAC West teams will be in action for the first time in 2013. Friday, Jan. 11 Utica at Cortland The No. 8 Pioneers (11-2-0 overall), winners of six straight, should continue on their … Read more
It’s time for the stretch run of Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play. This is the time of the year where teams begin to either build momentum for the playoffs or slip away and shift their attention toward next year. There is one nonconference game on the schedule though, as Wisconsin-Eau-Claire will battle St. Olaf on … Read more
It was a great week to open the year, as I notched a 7-1-1 (.833) record. The season still looks very strong at 31-10-5 (.728) but I will need to back up last week with another strong showing if I am to keep my winning percentage over the 70 percent threshold. There are just a … Read more
Johnson and Wales coach Erik Noack is big on team chemistry, and bonding, and formulating one happy ship, moving forward. He was a part of that during his playing days at RIT after all, and it’s what he’s building in Rhode Island with the Wildcats. One way you get to that point is through road … Read more
Oh, how the mighty have fallen! The first full weekend of games in 2013 was a mix of a little bit of everything. There were still some tournaments played in both the East and West that saw some great action and surprising upsets. There were a few conference battles that have the second half off … Read more
Welcome to 2013 everyone. It feels like forever since I’ve made predictions on games, but the wait is over and it’s time to dive back into the wonderful of world of trying to sound smart. Several games are on the schedule this week as the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference teams get back into action. I … Read more
Welcome back! I hope that everyone had a great holiday and an enjoyable New Year’s! Now that we are back into the swing of things, it will be interesting to see what programs in the MASCAC take off in the second-half, or take a few steps back. This is arguably the best time of the … Read more
Friday, Jan. 4 Salve Regina vs. Utica Salve Regina has a tough draw on Friday night. No other easy way to say it. The Seahawks are just 4-7-1, would love to have a few games back, and now have to face the No. 8 team in the country … on the road. Utica indeed will … Read more
Back on the ice doesn’t mean back at each other’s throats. SUNYAC schools will finally return to action this weekend after the long holiday break (excepting Oswego and Plattsburgh, which both hosted holiday tourneys last weekend), but for this week and next, the battling will be strictly of the nonconference variety. Even so, all nine … Read more
It was another bad week, even with the limited schedule, for my picks as I closed the year with an 0-2-0 (.000) record. The season still looks good at 24-9-4 (.703), but I will need to stop the bleeding from the end of the year to keep my winning percentage over the 70 percent threshold. … Read more
Been off for a while due to the holidays, after going 3-1-1 in my last round of picks in early December. My season selections now stand at 25-5-4 (.794), and several ECAC West teams have nonconference games on tap this weekend: Jan. 4 Oswego at Elmira The Lakers shutout the Soaring Eagles to start the … Read more
The last picks for 2012 were not all bad, as a 3-1-0 (.750) record closed out the calendar year to a 16-8-5 (.638) overall record. That is not near the 70-percent level I aspire to hit, but if anyone thinks there is such a thing as an upset anymore, I strongly advise them to take … Read more
This is the last weekend of “light” action before going full throttle into the second half of the season, which sees only three nonconference games in the last six weekends of play. Before I get ahead of myself with conference action, let’s get past this final weekend of nonconference tilts. Last weekend, I went 2-2-0 … Read more
After a long hiatus for the holidays, the NCHA is back for a full slate of games this weekend. It’ll be interesting to see if teams like Wisconsin-Eau Claire and St. Norbert, both ranked in the top 10 nationally, have any holiday rust to shake off from the long break. Can they keep their momentum … Read more
As teams come back from the Holiday break, some still get to relax a bit more before hitting the ice to resume action. For those programs that got back into play, most games right now are tournaments that showcase some unique matchups that one may not see over the course of the season. Even though … Read more