Last weekend we had a wealth of prep hockey holiday tournaments. This week college hockey takes its turn as the NCAA returns from its holiday break with a couple of tournaments and some interesting non-conference games.
But the prep scene isn't completely quiet, as we have the Belmont Hill/Nichols tournament heating up with two-division round-robin action on Saturday and Sunday in Belmont, Mass.
Look for coverage of some of these big games next week on HockeyJournal.com. In the meantime, here's what you need to know about the highlights from this coming weekend, the last of 2019:
Saturday and Sunday
Ledyard Bank Classic, Hanover, N.H.:Â First off, we have the Ledyard Bank Classic, hosted by Dartmouth. Competing this year, in addition to the hosts, are UConn (7-6-3 overall), St. Lawrence (3-12-2 overall) and Colorado College (6-7-1 overall). On Saturday at 7 p.m., Dartmouth (4-4-2 overall) and Colorado College will face-off for the first time since 1954, the first game in Hanover after the first six straight in Colorado Springs more than 50 years ago.
Catamount Cup, Burlington, Vt.: Another total-points tournament (no championship), it features the hosts, Providence, Lake Superior and Union with games over both days. Providence is far and away having the best season, running out to a 9-5-3 start to lead Hockey East. Vermont, on the other end of the spectrum, is 1-11-2. In the middle are Lake Superior, which is at 6-15-1, while Union is 5-12. Needless to say, this could be a good warm-up tourney for the Friars.
Belmont Hill/Nichols tournament: With most teams in heavy action last weekend at the holiday tournaments, there's a dearth of games this weekend. But the Belmont Hill/Nichols tournament has something to say about that, and one of its earliest games could prove to be a dandy. On Saturday at 1 p.m., Brunswick (6-3-1) goes up against Millbrook (7-3). Andon Cerbone stars for Brunswick, while Jake Percival (Avon, Conn.) leads Millbrook. Other participants, in addition to the two hosts, are Albany Academy, Rivers, St. Francis and Academie St. Louis.
Sunday
Team USA vs. Team Russia, World Junior Championship, Ostrava, Czech Republic, 1 p.m. ET: The U.S. will have two games under its belt by this time, including that wild matchup against Canada and a tough out in Germany. And it doesn't get easier for the Americans, who face Russia with their third preliminary round challenge on Sunday. Russia is one of those teams that can win it all in a runaway or flame out early, so there's no predicting which team will show up for this game. Nonetheless, you know the Americans, led by Boston College goalie Spencer Knight (Darien, Conn.) and phenom Cole Caufield (plus a raft of New England prospects), will be hungry for a win against another longtime rival, regardless of what's on the line.
Army at University of New Hampshire, 4 p.m.: Sure, UNH has been pretty mediocre so far, going 4-5 in the conference and 8-7-1 overall, but it did manage an upset over Boston College (1-0 in OT on NESN), so it has giant killer capabilities. And, yes, a healthy Army is a giant these days, surprising many in the Atlantic with its 12-5-1 overall start. Junior Charlie Kelleher leads UNH with 5 goals and 11 assists in 16 overall games; senior Zach Evancho leads Army with 6 goals and 6 assists in 13 conference games. This could be one of those sneaky-good games.
CCHL All-Stars at UMass Lowell, 5 p.m.: Conference action doesn't kick in until the new year, so we've got a smattering of different matchups involving Hockey East teams this weekend. Foremost is this interesting tilt featuring all-stars from the Central Canadian Hockey League. The River Hawks will be taking on a collection of players from Eastern Ontario tier II junior who were born between 1999 and 2003, mainly in and around the Ottawa Valley. The CCHL All-Star team has proved to be a form of showcase for college recruiters; Eric Faith (UMass-Amherst) and Connor Murphy (Northeastern) previously played in this marquee event.
Paul Grant is an editor and a writer for HockeyJournal.com and Seamans Media. He previously oversaw hockey content at ESPN.com and Sporting News. You can connect with him at pgrant@hockeyjournal.com.
