Friday-Saturday, Jan. 17-18
NESCAC
Middlebury at Amherst
In a battle for the top spot in the conference, tight defensive play will be front and center in an anticipated low-scoring affair. Statistically, the Panthers (1.36 goals against per game) and Jeffs (1.33 goals against per game) are nearly identical in aggressive play in their own end. Middlebury has an offensive edge however, scoring nearly four goals per contest. Amherst remains the lone mark on No. 1 Plattsburgh’s perfect record, having tied the Cardinals 1-1 at the Cardinal/Panther Classic last November. Last week, the Panthers had a minor letdown of sorts in a 2-2 tie with (3-6-3) Wesleyan. Middlebury 3-2; 2-2 tie
MIAC
St. Catherine vs. St. Thomas (home-and-home)
The Tommies, unbeaten away from home (4-0-1), have yet to see consistency in the power play area. Offensively, the Wildcats are led by junior forward Bailey Rasmussen and sophomore Kira Kuntz, who have combined for a modest 11-2-13 through 12 games. St. Thomas 5-2, 4-1
Nonconference
St. Scholastica at Wisconsin-River Falls
Falcons’ goalie Ashley Kuechle is heading to a career season. The senior is tied for second in the nation in shutouts, the most recent coming against No.7 Gustavus Adolphus. The Saints highly acclaimed offense was whitewashed for the first time last Tuesday in a 2-0 home loss to Wisconsin-Superior. Wisconsin-River Falls 4-3, 4-4 tie
Saturday-Sunday, Jan. 18-19
ECAC West
Utica at Chatham
With a date with Plattsburgh on the immediate horizon (Jan 24-25), the classic “trap” game comes to mind. The Pioneers are outshooting conference opponents by an average of nearly 16 shots per game. Utica stays in the mix at the top of the ECAC West. Utica 6-2, 5-1
