Men’s Hockey: Hockey East Week Ahead

By: Marisa Ingemi

Northeastern @ Bentley (H&H): The Huskies struggled against Quinnipiac last week, with a three goal loss and a tie, but early season woes are not new to Northeastern. Bentley put up five on a bad New Hampshire team last week. Atlantic teams swept their Hockey east counterparts last week, and while Northeastern should take at least one of these games, Bentley is not a pushover.

UMass Lowell @ Colorado College (2): Lowell tied with Minnesota-Duluth twice last week; first, 4-4, and then a deadlock at one. Colorado College put up seven on UMass, but the Riverhawks are a different animal. Tyler Wall is the man between the pipes for Lowell, and it’s no easy task to replace Kevin Boyle, but so far it’s not a bad season for the Riverhawks.

Merrimack @ Clarkson: Coming off a 2-1 victory against Sacred Heart, Clarkson is coming off of a split against Vermont last weekend. This is the fourth straight season these teams will face off.

Connecticut @ Colgate: With a combined ten goals in two games against Alabama-Huntsville, and not allowing a single tally, Colgate is certainly a bit more of a test. The Raiders struggled against a strong BU team last week, but will give the Huskies a competitive game. UConn should still come out on top, however.

BU @ Denver (2): The first real test for the Terriers. BU handled Colgate easily, its rookie class shining in its first regular season contest, but Denver is at the Terriers’ level. A split would be likely, but this early weekend game combo could be a telltale sign of what kind of a team BU is. It wouldn’t be surprising to see the Terriers split their goalies over the two contests, but its going to be mostly the freshman group replied upon again.

Quinnipiac @ Maine (2): Quinnipiac looked good against the Hockey East champion Northeastern Huskies last week with a win and a tie, and Maine is one of the bottom teams in the conference. Yet, Maine came out of last week with two victories over Rensselaer. Maine is still projected to finish in last place this season, so a Quinnipiac sweep should be expected.

UNH @ St Lawrence: UNH fell to Bentley last week and looked bad doing so. St Lawrence is coming off a series split against Penn State, and this could be an opportunity for the Wildcats to get on track after a flat contest last week.

Notre Dame @ Minnesota Duluth (2): Notre Dame made quick work of Arizona State last week in two games, as they should have, including a nine goal opening contest. Duluth held tough with two ties last weekend against the Riverhawks, and while some of the Irish’s firepower could have come against a weak opponent, a sweep wouldn’t be surprising, but on the road, a split is more likely.

Boston College @ Wisconsin: Boston College stunned the college hockey landscape last Saturday with a surprising victory over Denver. The Eagles have lost the bulk of last year’s roster, save Ryan Fitzgerald and Colin White, so this could be a wake up call to the rest of the conference. Yet, this comes after a loss to Air Force the day before. Eagles should at least split against the Badgers.

UNH @ Clarkson: UNH suffered a loss to Bentley last week, and now face a Clarkson team that has thus far faced only Hockey East foes. UNH’s game was suspended for a period of time in the second frame last week due to a small fire against Bentley, which could have stalled momentum, but the Wildcats also had five power plays they could not capitalize on. Tough one to call so it looks like it might end tied.

Providence @ Holy Cross: It was a surprising struggle for Providence last week against Miami with a 4-3 win and then a loss. Holy Cross could find itself a member of Hockey East next season with Notre Dame on its way out, and now they face a team that should be one of the conference’s best. TJ Moore led the Crusaders last week with six goals and two assists against Niagara last week in two games. The Friars will have to focus on him in a tough road contest, and their success stopping Moore will dictate the result.

Connecticut @ RIT: UConn will be coming off of a game against Colgate the night before, and the road combo might be a bit much for the up and coming team. RIT dropped a contest against Robert Morris last week but still looks like a favorite to win Atlantic Hockey.

Merrimack @ St Lawrence: This will be a day following St. Lawrence’s contest against UNH. Merrimack fell to Sacred Heart last weekend and will be facing a difficult Clarkson team the night before. The Saints should take the W at home.