As the middle of January hits, the number of non-conference games played in college hockey shrinks considerably. This weekend’s games should tell quite a bit about the Hockey East, ECAC, and Atlantic Hockey races.
Several of the top Hockey East teams collide this weekend as Boston University and Boston College take on New Hampshire and Providence, the latter of which is just one point behind UMass and the Eagles for the top spot in the league. In addition, UMass has a two-game home series against Vermont and Maine hosts Northeastern. Merrimack and Connecticut meet in a big Saturday night game that will have an impact on the bottom half of the standings.
In the ECAC, Dartmouth and Harvard both hit the road and will meet a Quinnipiac team that is tied for first place during their travels. American International is back at home looking to defend its new first-place position in the Atlantic Hockey race. Holy Cross hosts Niagara, while Bentley visits a familiar foe over recent years in Robert Morris.
In non-conference play, Sacred Heart visits Yale for a Saturday night clash of Connecticut programs, while UMass Lowell goes to ECAC foe Colgate.
HOCKEY EAST
Vermont (8-9-1, 1-6-1) at Massachusetts (15-3, 7-1)
Friday/Saturday, 7 p.m. at Mullins Center, Amherst, Mass.
What to watch for: UMass lost its solo hold on first place in Hockey East with last week’s loss to UMass Lowell, so the Minutemen look to return to their winning ways in the conference race during this back-to-back home weekend while repeating the result of last year’s three-game quarterfinal series. The offense averaging a league-high 3.78 goals per game could pose a challenge for a Vermont side that has relied heavily on junior goaltender Stefanos Lekkas (.935 save percentage to lead Hockey East) while surrendering more than 34 shots on average.
Fun fact: UMass senior Jacob Pritchard, a St. Lawrence transfer, leads Hockey East and is tied for second in the nation with 14 points on the power play.
Northeastern (12-4-1, 6-2-1) at Maine (7-9-2, 3-3-2)
Friday, 7:30 p.m./Saturday, 7 p.m. at Alfond Arena, Orono, Maine
What to watch for: The Black Bears have the home advantage this weekend in looking to post their first three-game winning streak of the season against a Northeastern club that saw its eight-game streak come to an end with a Saturday loss to Merrimack. That task is easier said than done as Maine averages only 2.24 goals per game and will have to contend with Husky sophomore Cayden Primeau, who is back after tending goal for the U.S. after winning a World Juniors silver medal.
Fun fact: Northeastern is 7-1 away from home this season, having allowed only 11 goals in road games.
Providence (12-4-4, 6-2-1) at Boston College (6-9-2, 6-1-2)/vs. Boston University (6-8-3, 5-5-2)
Friday, 7 p.m. at Conte Forum, Chestnut Hill, Mass.
Saturday, 7 p.m. at Schneider Arena, Providence, R.I.
What to watch for: The holiday break didn’t slow Providence down as it returns to league play unbeaten in eight straight games (5-0-3) after beating and tying Miami last weekend. The Friars have a plus-14 scoring advantage, three players with 10 points apiece, and six goals from senior Scott Conway during the unbeaten run. It’s safe to expect some tight games as Providence won back-to-back games to conclude last season’s series with BC after losing the prior five, while the Friars and BU split their three meetings, 1-1-1.
Fun fact: Marblehead, Mass., native Matt Koopman’s first collegiate goal turned out to be the game-winner last Friday against Miami. He and twin brother Kyle, who is a defenseman, joined the Friars at the semester break.
New Hampshire (6-7-6, 2-4-3) at Boston University/vs. Boston College
Friday, 7:30 p.m. at Agganis Arena, Boston
Saturday, 7 p.m. at Whittemore Center, Durham, N.H.
What to watch for: Unbeaten in five consecutive games (4-0-1) is how the Wildcats enter this split weekend against two Beanpot foes. Though six of UNH’s last nine games have been in non-conference play, it has scored 27 goals and looks to carry that success back into league play for the remainder of the season and keep junior Liam Blackburn’s point streak intact. On the flip side, BU has played only once in 2019 and BC enters the weekend having lost three straight since returning from the holiday recess.
Fun fact: In the midst of a 2-0-1 run, BU plays the only Hockey East teams with longer unbeaten streaks currently running this weekend.
Connecticut (7-12-1, 2-9-1) at Merrimack (6-15-1, 3-9)
Saturday, 7 p.m. at J. Thom Lawler Rink, North Andover, Mass.
What to watch for: The new calendar year has treated the Warriors quite well as road wins over Northeastern and Michigan followed last Friday’s overtime loss at Michigan and marked their first in back-to-back fashion this season. Seniors Craig Pantano (Bridgewater, Mass.; 42 saves at Northeastern) and Drew Vogler (33 at UNH, 36 at Michigan) have made the goaltending decision a challenge for Merrimack, which will have to contend with a young but talented Connecticut team that sits a point back in Hockey East.
Fun fact: Merrimack has a 3-1-5 advantage in what has been a tight head-to-head series over the last four seasons.
ECAC HOCKEY
Dartmouth (5-7-2, 4-2-1) at Quinnipiac (15-4-1, 6-3-1)/Princeton (5-10-2, 3-6-1)
Friday, 7 p.m. at People’s United Center, Hamden, Conn.
Saturday, 7 p.m. at Hobey Baker Rink, Princeton, N.J.
What to watch for: The first of two consecutive ECAC road weekends for the Big Green starts in Hamden, Conn., where Quinnipiac skates on home ice for the second straight series after going 0-1-1 against Colgate and Cornell. Dartmouth looks to inch closer to .500 after losing a late least in last week’s tie at Bentley, though freshman Drew O’Connor and junior Will Graber have done their part with 2-2-4 lines in the last three games. Saturday’s host Tigers dropped both of their games to the New York foes last weekend, so they, too, will be looking to post positive results after a down previous weekend.
Fun fact: Dartmouth is the only Division 1 team that has not allowed a power-play goal away from home, going 17-for-17 on the penalty kill in road games.
Harvard (6-4-3, 3-3-2) at Princeton/Quinnipiac
Friday, 7 p.m. at Hobey Baker Rink, Princeton, N.J.
Saturday, 7 p.m. at People’s United Center, Hamden, Conn.
What to watch for: Coming off a Tuesday tie with Boston University, the Crimson get another crack at this pair of league foes against which it went 0-1-1 on home ice to begin November. Harvard has allowed two goals or less eight times in nine games, thanks to a .940 save percentage in that time from senior Michael Lackey. Saturday’s game features the nation’s top (Harvard, 36 percent) and fourth-best (Quinnipiac, 27.2) power plays, while Quinnipiac has the top kill (85.7) in ECAC Hockey and the dynamic goaltending duo of Andrew Shortridge and Keith Petruzzelli (Wilbraham, Mass.).
Fun fact: Harvard is unbeaten in eight consecutive games against Princeton, including four wins in the past five meetings since November of 2016.
ATLANTIC HOCKEY
RIT (8-8-2, 6-6-2) at American International (9-9-1, 9-5-1)
Friday, 2:05 p.m./Saturday, 1:05 p.m. at MassMutual Center, Springfield, Mass.
What to watch for: Behind junior Martin Mellberg’s hat trick and four-point effort, the Yellow Jackets earned a 6-5 win on Tuesday at Sacred Heart and enter this home series with RIT holding a one-point lead over Air Force for the top spot in Atlantic Hockey. Not only does AIC’s record stand tops, but so too do underlying numbers as no team has scored more (3.60 goals) or has a better goal margin (plus-13) in league games. The Tigers are unbeaten in three straight, though their even scoring margin (38 goals for and against) has equaled seventh in the league.
Fun fact: AIC will be looking for revenge against a team it has only beaten six times (6-27-2) in 35 Division 1 games. Two of those losses came in Rochester back in November.
Niagara (8-11-2, 7-6-2) at Holy Cross (3-12-2, 3-8-1)
Friday/Saturday, 7:05 p.m. at Hart Center, Worcester, Mass.
What to watch for: The Crusaders managed a win on the road last weekend at Mercyhurst and returns home looking to upset the team that sits third in the Atlantic Hockey standings. Niagara’s offense averages more than three goals per game, but both defenses have allowed that many this season as well. Holy Cross has scored three or more goals in three straight games with a 2-0 win preceding that streak; senior Michael Laffin has scored three in that span.
Fun fact: The Holy Cross power play scored four goals during last weekend’s series and now clicks at 19.7 percent (from 15.4) on the season.
Bentley (5-11-2, 4-7-1) at Robert Morris (8-11-1, 7-6-1)
Friday, 7:05 p.m./Saturday, 4:05 p.m. at Colonials Arena, Pittsburgh, Pa.
What to watch for: The Falcons are back to Atlantic Hockey action against a Robert Morris team that dropped two games to Brown and St. Cloud State in its own Three Rivers Classic last weekend. Bentley could use an offensive boost during the second half as it has gone five games without scoring more than three goals, though senior Drew Callin and junior Jonathan Desbiens have six points in that span and its attack (2.83) and defense (3.17) both fifth in the league.
Fun fact: These two teams have played 18 times since the start of the 2014-15 season, with Bentley making seven trips to Pittsburgh during that span.
NON-CONFERENCE
Sacred Heart (5-10-2) at Yale (7-5-3)
Saturday, 7 p.m. at Ingalls Rink, New Haven, Conn.
What to watch for: The Bulldogs look to break a 0-2-1 skid in non-conference play when their in-state foes visit Ingalls for a single Saturday game. Yale is tied for the ECAC lead entering the second half of the season but looks to change its recent fate outside of the league with World Junior silver medalists Phil Kemp (Greenwich, Conn.) and Jack St. Ivany returning to the defense against the Atlantic Hockey team it has outscored 26-12 in five all-time meetings. SHU, meanwhile, has played eight consecutive games decided by two or fewer goals (3-4-1).
Fun fact: This game serves as a benefit for the Connecticut Hockey Foundation honoring the memory of Avon Old Farms graduate Jason Pagni who dedicated his life to helping parents and players on all levels of the sport and passed at the age of 43 in 2014.
Colgate (6-10-2) at UMass Lowell (9-8-1)
Friday/Saturday, 7:30 p.m. at Class of 1965 Arena, Hamilton, N.Y.
What to watch for: The River Hawks opened 2019 on a high note and avoided their first three-game skid of the season with last Friday’s 2-1 win at UMass and now have a final chance to gain some momentum in non-conference play against a Colgate team that enters the weekend with a minus-31 goal differential that ranks tied for 54th nationally. Moving into the back half of the season with two strong efforts could be a springboard for Lowell and lift it comfortably above .500 on the year.
Fun fact: UML sophomore Connor Sodergren (Tewksbury, Mass.) has scored seven of his eight points this season away from home.
