We had kind of a rough week last weekend, but Arlan gained ground by successfully picking Boston University to beat Harvard. I went 10-6 (.625) to move to 143-52-20 (.711) on the year, while Arlan went 11-5 (.687) to move to 141-54-20 (.702) .Can I hold him off? After discussing some of the final spots that teams are fighting for in division playoffs in our Wednesday Women column, we’ve decided to add some of those games this week. Let’s get to it.
Friday, Feb. 3
Brown at Clarkson
Candace: Normally, I’d say Clarkson is primed for a letdown after beating Cornell, but Brown doesn’t have the horses to take advantage. Clarkson 3-1
Arlan: I don’t see Brown winning where Cornell could not. Clarkson 3-1
Princeton at Dartmouth
Candace: Difficult game to pick. Princeton is excellent defensively, and Dartmouth struggles to score. Hmmm. I’ll go with home ice. Dartmouth 1-0
Arlan: If I had a option to pick total goals instead, I’d bet the under. Dartmouth 2-1
Quinnipiac at Harvard
Candace: After losing to Syracuse, I’m inclined to think we overestimated the Bobcats. Harvard 4-1
Arlan: No offense to the Bobcats, but this game will be determined by which Crimson team shows up. Harvard 3-2
Friday/Saturday, Feb. 3-4
Mercyhurst home-and-home with Niagara
Candace: Niagara played Robert Morris awfully tough, splitting in a pair of one-goal games. The Lakers however, have a lot of firepower. Mercyhurst 4-2, 3-1
Arlan: Only Maine has played more OT games than Niagara, Lakers could be looking ahead to Cornell, so who knows? Mercyhurst 4-3, 2-1
Bemidji State at North Dakota
Candace: Dare I pick a split? Yes, I think I will. North Dakota 3-1, Bemidji State 3-2
Arlan: I’ve ruled out a BSU sweep, so at that point, the odds favor just picking UND. North Dakota 4-2, 3-2
Ohio State at Minnesota-Duluth
Candace: This one gives me conniption fits. Two inconsistent teams, tied in the WCHA standings with identical records, and both with a penchant for splits. I’ll probably end up getting the days wrong. Ohio State 3-2, Minnesota-Duluth 3-2
Arlan: Same logic as the Grand Forks series with different teams. Minnesota-Duluth 4-3, 3-2
Saturday, Feb. 4
Boston University at New Hampshire
Candace: New Hampshire is getting better, but the Terriers are playing like the team that made the championship game last year. Boston University 3-1
Arlan: Wildcats figure to have a tougher task than they did a couple of weeks ago. Boston University 4-2
Connecticut at Northeastern
Candace: Connecticut will probably win a few more games this year, but not this one. Northeastern 3-1
Arlan: I like the Huskies in this one. Heh. Northeastern 3-0
Providence at Boston College
Candace: Boston College actually looked pretty good overall against Northeastern last week. Boston College 3-1
Arlan: The separation between PC and BC isn’t as great as it appears; feels like a tie. Boston College 2-1
Brown at St. Lawrence
Candace: St. Lawrence put up four against Cornell last week. They should at least do that in this one. St. Lawrence 4-0
Arlan: Brown gets SLU at the wrong time. St. Lawrence 4-1
Princeton at Harvard
Candace: Another tight defensive game. Princeton won the last game between the two. 3-0. I figure the Crimson want revenge in this one. Harvard 2-1
Arlan: Crimson no doubt remember the first meeting with the Tigers. Harvard 2-1
Quinnipiac at Dartmouth
Candace: Picking Dartmouth to win two in a row seems like throwing the dice, but I can’t bring myself to pick Quinnipiac. Dartmouth 2-1
Arlan: Dartmouth plays yet another close game as Bobcats come to town. Dartmouth 3-2
Rensselaer at Colgate
Candace: RPI won the last meeting pretty handily, and could go a long way toward clinching the final ECAC spot with a win here. RPI 3-1
Arlan: RPI and Colgate joust for points to extend their seasons. Rensselaer 3-2
Saturday/Sunday, Feb. 4-5
Vermont at Maine
Candace: Why are warning lights flashing for me thinking that Maine might sweep? I bet Vermont gets a tie in at least one, but there’s no percentage in picking ties. Maine 2-1, 3-2
Arlan: Last week may have been the first week where I didn’t err on a Maine game — byes are good. Maine 4-2, 2-1
Sunday, Feb. 5
New Hampshire at Connecticut
Candace: New Hampshire could go a long way to clinching the final Hockey East playoff spot by winning this game. New Hampshire 4-2
Arlan: This could come down to a blocked kick. Oops! Wrong Sunday game. New Hampshire 3-1
Tuesday, Feb. 7
Mercyhurst at Cornell
Candace: Mercyhurst split with Cornell at home, and arguably outplayed the Big Red for most of the series. Home ice should prove helpful. Cornell 4-3
Arlan: Big Red has more to prove than the Lakers this time; will Mazzotta play? Cornell 6-3
Harvard versus Boston College
Candace: This has the makings of a must-win for both teams. I think the Eagles have more speed and depth in the end. Boston College 3-2
Arlan: BC looked as bad in the shootout as Harvard did in regulation. Boston College 2-1
Northeastern at Boston University
Candace: Does Boston University finally lose again. Something tells me yes. Northeastern 3-2
Arlan: Which BU shows: terrorizing Terriers or a dog of another sort? Boston University 3-2
