This is my final column before the holidays, so in the spirit of the season, let’s take a look at what each team could ask Santa for this Christmas.
Air Force: Some WD-40
The Falcons will need to shake off some rust before diving into what should be a challenging tournament after Christmas. Air Force played its most recent game on Dec. 2, and is off until Dec. 28 when the Falcons square off again No. 6 Wisconsin at the Holiday Faceoff tournament at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee. Based on the results in the semifinal, Air Force will face either Northeastern or Minnesota Duluth the next day.
American International: Some nice luggage
AIC has had the benefit of lots of home cooking so far, playing 10 home games in the first semester, including seven of their last eight. They’ll end the semester with a pair at Canisius and then after Christmas will play four of their next five on the road, for a total of 10 road games in the second half of the season. AIC currently sits in third in the AHA standings.
Army West Point: Some more saves
The Black Knights have a pair of capable goalies, but have struggled with inconsistency, accumulating a team save percentage of .870, currently 62nd in Division I. Army West Point is back in action on Dec. 29 when it hosts 16th-ranked New Hampshire.
Bentley: Better accuracy
The Falcons have taken 555 shots on goal so far, the second most in the conference, but have the second-lowest success rate at 7.7%. Getting to a league average of around 10% would have meant an additional 11 goals scored or a 25% increase. Bentley is off until Dec. 29 when it hosts Union.
Canisius: Stronger starts
A stat that stands out for the Golden Griffins this season is scoring by period. Canisius is averaging only 0.64 goals in the first period, tied for 53rd nationally. But the second period has been Canisius’ best, with 1.20 goals on average. The Golden Griffins are averaging exactly one goal for the third period. They’ll host AIC this weekend to wrap up their first-semester schedule.
Holy Cross: Continued non-conference success
The Crusaders are an impressive 5-0-1 out of league, including a pair of wins over Connecticut and a win and a tie against UMass Lowell. Up next is a big challenge when Holy Cross travels to No. 3 Quinnipiac on Dec. 30.
Mercyhurst: A shorty
Currently, the Lakers are one of 13 Division I teams without a short-handed goal, and the only team in Atlantic Hockey without a SHG. Their next opportunity comes on Dec. 30 when Mercyhurst travels to Ohio State.
Niagara: Home cooking
Niagara has the opposite schedule from AIC – The Purple Eagles’ games at Dwyer Arena are mostly backloaded. So far, they’ve played just five home games and are looking forward to 10 in the second half of the season, starting off with a series against Miami on Dec. 29-30.
Rochester Institute of Technology: 58-minute games
The Tigers are currently 11-5, 9-3 in league play and 16th in the PairWise. RIT has given up goals in the final two minutes of a pair of games that forced a tie and lost both of those games in overtime. Win those and the Tigers are better than a bubble team. The Tigers are off until Dec. 29-30 when they travel to Dartmouth for the Ledyard Classic, where they will meet No. 8 Maine in the first round and either the host Big Green or Lake Superior State in the second game.
Robert Morris: Goals, goals, goals
Christmas came early for the Colonials, who recorded a sweep of Niagara last weekend, snapping a 10-game winless streak. But RMU should also ask Santa for some goals – the Colonials have had a hard time lighting the lamp so far, averaging 1.94 goals per game, last in the conference. The Colonials finish the semester by hosting No. 13 Arizona State this weekend.
Sacred Heart: More penalties by opponents
A key reason for the Pioneers’ success so far this season has been their power play, which is clicking at a rate of 24.1%, the best in the conference by a wide margin. SHU next hosts New Hampshire on Dec. 30.
And finally, for Atlantic Hockey: More conference wins
Currently, the conference sits at 21-37-3 (.369) ahead of the CCHA but below the .400 threshold that’s usually needed to get a second team into the NCAA tournament.
