It’s that time of year, which means Arlan and I are off to the races in our picks race. I won the regular season last year by one game, going 188-64-24 (.724) against Arlan’s 187-65-24 (.721). I also did well in the playoffs. We’ll see who gets the Picks Champion title and six-pack of beer that goes along with it. Some interesting games are on tap this weekend, so let’s dive right in.
Friday, Oct. 5
Boston University at Boston College
Candace: BU ended last season on a roll before falling in a triple-OT heartbreaker to Cornell in the NCAA tournament, while BC made it to the Frozen Four for the second straight year. BC lost the season series to BU last year, but they didn’t lose as many key cogs as the Terriers in the off-season. Boston College 3-2
Arlan: First game of the season and I’m already befuddled. Boston College 4-2
Northeastern at Colgate
Candace: Despite losing Florence Schelling, I think Kendall Coyne and the Huskies should be a solid threat again. This should get them off to a good start. Northeastern 4-1
Arlan: Colgate struggled against speed in its opener; the Huskies are speedy. Northeastern 6-1
Friday-Saturday, Oct. 5-6
Ohio State at Minnesota-Duluth
Candace: The Bulldogs looked good in sweeping the professional Minnesota Whitecaps last weekend in an exhibition series. Without Natalie Spooner, the Buckeyes will struggle early season. Minnesota-Duluth 4-2, 4-1
Arlan: No Spooner, no McIntosh, no road magic. Minnesota-Duluth 3-2, 5-3
Minnesota State at North Dakota
Candace: The Mavericks surprised by getting a tie against Wisconsin last weekend in a game they should have won. However, the Sioux have the high-flying Lamoureux twins, and in this case, offense trumps defense. North Dakota 5-1, 6-1
Arlan: The Mavericks will be the first of many teams this season to find Grand Forks inhospitable. North Dakota 6-1, 7-4
Clarkson-St. Lawrence
Candace: A home-and-home between two arch-rivals to start the year. St. Lawrence came on real strong in the second half of the year last season. Tough one to call. Carly Mercer and Erica Howe are back as juniors, and should keep the Golden Knights near the top of the ECAC. The Saints however, have more offense. I’ll go against the grain and pick a Saints sweep. St. Lawrence 3-2, 3-1
Arlan: First looks at two teams on the rise; I’ll go with home ice. St. Lawrence 3-2, Clarkson 2-1
Bemidji State at Providence
Candace: Two teams who lost all-star goaltenders to graduation. I’m thinking split. Providence 4-2, Bemidji State 4-3
Arlan: The Beavers have typically not started the season as slowly as the Friars. Bemidji State 4-2, 4-3
Mercyhurst at Quinnipiac
Candace: The Lakers reload every year. Quinnipiac is a growing team, especially with offensive stalwart Kelly Babstock, but I think Mercyhurst gets the sweep in this one. Mercyhurst 4-2, 3-1
Arlan: Series like this are especially crucial for the Lakers this year. Mercyhurst 4-1, Quinnipiac 2-1
Saturday, Oct. 6
New Hampshire at Syracuse
Candace: The Orange have beaten the Wildcats the last two years, but I don’t see it happening this go-round. New Hampshire 4-2
Arlan: The Wildcats avenge a loss from the teams’ last meeting. UNH 5-2
