Last week: 3-4-2
Overall: 8-13-3
Seems hard to believe it’s already week four of the season, doesn’t it? With all the Ivy teams starting play, this weekend marks the largest slate of games thus far, with only RPI and St. Lawrence out of action.
Here’s a quick trivia question in honor of the Ivy teams kicking off play: Cornell is 16-1-3 in exhibition games since 2000. Which goalie got the only win against the Big Red in that span? See below for the answer.
I’ll be at both Union games this weekend, so follow along: @NateOwen41
Friday, Oct. 26
Dartmouth vs. Yale (Ivy Shootout at Brown)
Goalie is the major theme for both the Big Green and Bulldogs, as neither enters the season with a set No. 1, and neither coach has tipped his hand as to which of his tenders, if any, is the frontrunner. Regardless, Yale has won their last ten games against Dartmouth. 4 p.m. Yale 4, Dartmouth 3
Princeton at Brown (Ivy Shootout)
Just like their counterparts in the opener, neither the Tigers or Bears enter the year with a clear-cut frontrunner in net. Princeton should finally be healthy, and I think their top-end talent at forward give thems the edge. 7 p.m. Princeton 5, Brown 3
Colorado College at Cornell
These two teams met last January in Colorado, with Cornell heading back east with a win and tie. It’s the season opener for the Big Red, while the No. 19 Tigers enter with a 3-1 record, including a sweep of Clarkson two weeks ago. Season openers can be dicey in terms of flow and execution, but a veteran Cornell team should settle in quickly. 7 p.m. Cornell 3, Colorado College 1
Niagara at Clarkson
The Golden Knights are still looking for their first win, checking in at 0-3 thus far. The Purple Eagles opened the season on the wrong end of a 10-2 shellacking by Colgate, but managed three points against Michigan State last week. 7 p.m. Clarkson 5, Niagara 3
RIT at Colgate
Colgate is 7-1 all-time against the Tigers, who picked up a nice out-of-conference win at Michigan several weeks ago. But RIT’s defense has been suspect, as they’ve allowed 4.5 goals per-game, not including last night’s 6-4 loss to Robert Morris. I like a young Raiders team that is plenty fresh after having last weekend off. 7:05 p.m. Colgate 4, RIT 2
Union at American International College
This game is a bit of a homecoming for Dutchmen head coach Rick Bennett, a Springfield native who won the Western Massachusetts high school championship in 1984 and played two seasons for the Springfield Indians/Falcons. While these teams met at Messa last year, Union hasn’t traveled to AIC since 1989, when both programs were D-III. The Yellow Jackets beat Penn State in the Nittany Lion’s first D-1 game, but haven’t won since. 7:05 p.m. Union 5, AIC 1
Saturday, Oct. 27
Yale vs. Princeton (Ivy Shootout championship)
Host Brown plays in the 7 p.m. time slot regardless, so that pushes the championship game to the afternoon, should my prediction hold true. These two met in the opening round of the playoffs last year, with the Bulldogs hanging on in a high-scoring three game series. 4 p.m. Yale 5, Princeton 4
Dartmouth at Brown (Ivy Shootout consolation)
Both these teams were hard to get a handle on last year; Brown put together early stretches of solid play, while Dartmouth struggled with injuries. I’ll take the healthy Big Green. 7 p.m. Dartmouth 4, Brown 3
Bentley at Harvard
The Crimson are the last ECAC team to open regular-season play when they host the 1-1 Falcons. Lots of offensive talent in this one, as Bentley’s Brett Gensler has six points already after posting 50 last season. Harvard lost Alex Killorn, but brings back plenty in the form of Marshall Everson, Danny Biega et al. in what many feel could be a breakout year for the Crimson. 7 p.m. Harvard 4, Bentley 2
Colorado College at Cornell
I’ve been calling for a lot of splits early and that’s come back to haunt me. I think the Big Red pull off the season-opening sweep here. 7 p.m. Cornell 3, Colorado College 0
Quinnipiac vs. Colgate (Cape Cod Classic-Hyannis, Mass.)
I’ve spent all but a few of the last twenty summers down the Cape, so forgive me if the idea of the region hosting a college hockey game seems a bit strange. These teams have met 24 times since 2005-06, which is the most for the Raiders against any opponent in that span. Colgate knocked Quinnipiac out of the semifinals last year, but this is a much different Raiders team, and I think a Bobcats squad that’s been solid defensively so far should take this non-conference meeting. 7 p.m. Quinnipiac 3, Colgate 1
Niagara at Clarkson
I see a split, with the Purple Eagles taking the second game. 7:30 p.m. Niagara 4, Clarkson 1
Union at Connecticut
The Dutchmen last faced the Huskies almost two years to the date of Saturday’s game – a 3-3 tie in Schenectady. Their last trip to Storrs was a 7-0 win over the Huskies in the consolation game of the UConn Holiday Classic. The Huskies have improved since then, but so have the Dutchmen. 8 p.m. Union 4, Connecticut 1
Trivia answer: Andy Iles made 39 saves for the U.S. Under-18 team in a 3-2 victory over the Big Red at Lynah on Oct. 24, 2009. Credit goes to Cornell SID Brandon Thomas for including that factoid in the weekly game notes.
