Dartmouth Defeats RPI in First Round Series; Advances to ECAC Quarterfinals Against Union

Courtesy of Big League Pics

The men’s hockey team advanced to the ECAC quarterfinals in dramatic fashion Sunday night, stunning Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute 5-4 with three unanswered goals in the third period. Brad Schierhorn ’16 shot the game-winner with 3:14 remaining.

The 5-4 win was Dartmouth’s first win despite trailing after the first two periods in two years.

The overarching theme of the intense three-game series, and Dartmouth’s season overall, was resiliency. Dartmouth, who started 2-11-1 due to a rash of injuries, was the series underdog and at first it showed in Game 1.

RPI dominated Dartmouth 4-1 Friday in Game 1, bombarding February’s ECAC Goaltender of the Month Charles Grant ’16 with 33 shots. Senior Ryan Haggerty, RPI’s leading scorer, netted two goals.

Dartmouth rebounded in Saturday’s Game 2, as Eric Neiley ’15, the Big Green's leading scorer, netted two goals in a 3-2 win to force Sunday’s game. Jesse Beamish ’15 scored the equalizer before Neiley won the game.

Neiley was on fire, netting two goals and having a third called off. Neiley’s two-goal effort was his third of the season. 

The stage was set for an epic winner-take-all Game 3 and both teams exceeded expectations.

RPI led at the end of the first period 2-1 and the second period 4-2. All RPI needed to do to advance was maintain its lead for 20 minutes.

But Neiley disagreed, cutting the lead to one 2:10 into the final period before Brandon McNally ’15 nailed the equalizer with 11:12 remaining. 

Schierhorn completed the comeback with a wrist shot into the top right corner, sending Dartmouth's bench into celebration. 

The key matchup heading into this weekend was between Grant and Haggerty. In the end, Haggerty may have won the head-to-head match-up, scoring four goals on Grant, but Dartmouth won the series.

If there had to be a most valuable player, though, it would probably be Neiley. Without him, Dartmouth would remain home next weekend. Even more important was the outstanding first line play of Neiley, McNally and Grant Opperman ’17, who combined helped lead Dartmouth to victory. 

Clarkson University defeated Princeton University on Sunday, making Dartmouth the lowest remaining seed in the ECAC tournament. Dartmouth will play No. 3 Union College next weekend in another best-of-three series for the chance to participate in the semifinals in Lake Placid, N.Y.

Dartmouth Travels to RPI for ECAC Playoff Showdown

The postseason fates of Dartmouth and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute depend on the performances of Charles Grant ’16 and junior Ryan Haggerty, making the showdown between both players the key match-up of the series.

“The team’s been playing really well over the last few weeks so we’re confident that we can pull out a couple wins,” Grant said.

After earning the 10th seed entering the ECAC Hockey First Round, Dartmouth (8-17-4, 7-13-2 ECAC) will be on the road squaring off against RPI (14-14-6, 8-9-5 ECAC). The winner of the best-of-three series will advance to the ECAC Hockey Quarterfinals.

Dartmouth heads to RPI who swept the season series against the Big Green, winning both matches 7-1 and 4-2. Dartmouth, however, has gone unbeaten in six of its past eight games and is a completely different team than it was when playing RPI earlier in the year.

By comparison, RPI has gone an improbable 4-4-2 over the past 10 games, oftentimes falling flat at inopportune moments. Last weekend, with the sixth seed on the line, RPI was annihilated 5-0 by Yale.

Dartmouth’s recent string of performances has given the players the confidence and the momentum to believe they can advance to the Quarterfinals with a couple good outings.

“ECAC Championship play is what we look forward to all year,” Tyler Sikura ’15 said.

This weekend will be the fifth time both teams have played each other in the playoffs. All-time, RPI is 7-5 against Dartmouth in playoff encounters, but split the series record 2-2.

“RPI is going to see a different team this weekend than they did earlier in the season,” Sikura said.

Dartmouth will try to take Haggerty, RPI’s biggest scoring threat, out of the game by keeping him away from the net, Grant said.

Haggerty leads RPI in goals, 24, and points, 14, with five game-winning shots while Grant has been one of the nation’s hottest goaltenders in recent weeks.

Earlier this week, Grant was named ECAC hockey men’s goaltender of the month for February, posting a 4-0-1 record, which included a historic shut-out of Cornell. Grant’s shut-out was the third shut-out all-time by a Dartmouth goaltender at Cornell in 54 years. The first ever shut-out occurred in 1927.

This weekend will also be the first time Grant will face RPI’s offensive lines this season as he was not in the net during both previous outings against RPI.

If Haggerty is effectively taken out of the game, senior Brock Higgs and junior Matt Neal, who have combined for 24 goals and 52 points, can fill in nicely for Haggerty, but they won’t be able to match his superior production.

Grant will need to maintain his stellar play to keep RPI from netting too many goals that could sink Dartmouth’s hopes. If Grant can keep RPI from scoring more than two goals in each game, Dartmouth can counter with its first and second lines.

For its first line, Dartmouth will likely keep Eric Neiley ’15, Brandon McNally ’15 and Grant Opperman ’17 together.

Together, the three forwards have been much more productive as a unit than when they’ve been split up. Unfortunately, although they combined for 26 goals and 55 points on the season, including 10 on the power play, their aggressiveness has limited their effectiveness at times.

McNally leads the team in penalties with 27 in 27 games while Neiley is third with 11 penalties.

For Dartmouth to upset RPI, the first line will need to avoid penalties yet somehow maintain the aggression that allows them to be effective.

Sikura serves as the nucleus of the second line and delivers a significant change-up. Although he was out for a large chunk of the season, Sikura has rebounded and provided much-needed depth for Dartmouth’s short-handed, injury-reduced squad.

Since returning, Sikura has notched two game-winning goals, including a dramatic overtime shot in the win over Brown two weeks ago.

Puck drop will occur both Friday and Saturday at 7:00 p.m., and if a third game is necessary, Sunday’s winner-take-all showdown will also be at 7:00 p.m.

Preview: Dartmouth Women's Hockey Prepares for Friday Night Conference Tilt with Harvard

Dartmouth women's hockey gets to enjoy a relatively light week with just one match-up. However, before Dartmouth can rest, the Big Green must square off against No. 5 Harvard (17-2-3, 13-2-2 ECAC) on Friday night.

For the past four weeks, Dartmouth (7-15-1, 6-10-1 ECAC) has played two games every weekend, which means a one-game weekend is a welcome relief so that players may use the extra day to nurse any injuries.

Last weekend, Dartmouth lost both its games against Quinnipiac and Princeton. Harvard fared much better, defeating Princeton and tying Quinnipiac. However, Harvard is coming off a very short week as it played Northeastern on Tuesday night and lost 4-3. Once the final buzzer sounds on Friday, Harvard will have played four teams over the course of a week.

In the first match-up between both teams, Harvard shut-out Dartmouth 5-0.

As with the first game, Dartmouth's top line of Laura Stacey '16 (12 points), Lindsey Allen '16 (13 goals) and Catherine Berghuis '16 (nine points) will be hard pressed to score on Harvard's goaltending, which has an impressive 95.3 percent save percentage.

Harvard's offense can be just as intimidating as its goaltending, averaging 2.8 goals per game, as well as succeeding on 15 percent of its power-play opportunities. The Crimson also have three skaters with double-digit goals and seven with double-digit points.

Harvard currently maintains the #1 seed in the ECAC while Dartmouth is tied for #8 seed with RPI.

A win for Harvard would keep Harvard at least two points ahead of No. 3 Clarkson for first in the ECAC, whereas a Harvard loss and Clarkson win would cause a first-place tie. Dartmouth arguably needs the win more to keep pace with RPI, or to start distancing itself from RPI in an effort to seal the final playoff spot.

Puck drop is at 7:00 pm at Thompson Arena.

Preview: Dartmouth Men's Hockey Looks for Big Friday Night Conference Win Over Harvard

Dartmouth men's hockey travels to Harvard Friday night for a conference clash between two teams experiencing rough seasons.

A win over Harvard would cause a 10th place tie in the ECAC, though a Dartmouth win and a St. Lawrence loss would create a three-way traffic jam for ninth. Otherwise, a Harvard win and St. Lawrence win wouldn't have any major effect on the standings, while a Harvard win and St. Lawrence loss would simply break their current tie at ninth.

“We’re looking forward to them,” Eric Neiley ’15 said. “Harvard’s a fun team to play and a fun place to play. They’re a good team that’s playing well right now.”

Last weekend, Dartmouth (4-15-3, 3-11-1 ECAC) rebounded from a manhandling by Quinnipiac on Friday to explode offensively for a 5-3 win over Princeton that propelled the Big Green out of last place in the ECAC. Harvard (6-11-3, 3-9-3 ECAC) had a short week, defeating Princeton 3-2 on Friday before being shut-out 6-0 by No. 11 Northeastern in the opening game of the 62nd Annual Beanpot Tournament.

“These Ivy League games are important in and of themselves just because of what they represent, but I think these ones are really fun for the guys,” head coach Bob Gaudet said. “I know the team is really going to be energized going in Harvard.”

In the win over Princeton, Dartmouth played with a lot of energy and emotion that had been lacking for most of the season. As a result, Dartmouth jumped out to a 4-0 lead early and a plus-20 shot advantage in the second period and never looked back as it held off a Princeton rally with a fifth goal that sealed the game.

In order to win its second consecutive game, Dartmouth needs to maintain the high level of play and avoid an emotional letdown from the big win.

“When our feet are moving and when we’re moving the puck and doing the right things, we’re having a lot of fun,“ Grant Opperman ’17 said. “When you’re having a lot of fun, you’re going to have a lot of emotion.”

Offensively, Harvard is a very middle-of-the-pack team, averaging 2.38 goals and 26.9 shots per game. Harvard also has an average penalty kill (86.2 percent) and power-play success rate (13.5 percent). 21 of the team's 50 goals comes from sophomores Jimmy Vesey and Kyle Criscuolo, which means Dartmouth's key to shutting down the Harvard attack is to stop Vesey and Criscuolo cold. 

Dartmouth was once considered the third best team in the ECAC during the preseason before injuries decimated the line-up. A win over Harvard, according to Opperman, would send a statement to the rest of the ECAC that Dartmouth is still very much alive and dangerous enough to mount a deep run in the playoffs.

All that's needed is some consistency.

“We got to put a string together and be more consistent than we have been but if you look at the standings of the Ivy League, we’re still in the race,” Opperman said. “In the ECAC, all the teams are pretty good and anyone can beat anyone in the playoffs and we hope to do that.”

Puck drop is at 7:00 pm at the Bright-Landry Hockey Center.

Dartmouth Survives Princeton Rally to Win 5-3

Photo courtesy of The Dartmouth

Dartmouth (4-15-3, 3-11-1 ECAC) rebounded from last night's embarrassing loss to Quinnipiac with a big 5-3 win over Princeton (4-17-0, 3-11-0 ECAC). Princeton also lost its Friday night game, a 3-2 affair that Harvard had led 3-0 late in the third. Dartmouth’s win lifted the Big Green out of last place in the ECAC.

Dartmouth exploded in the first period, racing out to a 3-0 lead in the first 20 minutes. In the first six minutes, Dartmouth took numerous close shots, keeping the sell-out crowd in Thompson Arena on the edge of its seat.

The Big Green looked like a completely different team compared to Friday night, and played how the preseason polls predicted.

In his first home match against Princeton, Grant Opperman ’17 netted a well-placed shot 5:57 into the game over senior Sean Bonar’s shoulder, igniting the crowd and causing a rain of tennis balls onto the ice.

“It was awesome,” Opperman said. “It was a good play on the power play. There was a great screen. I was lucky enough to be the guy on the spot and pick up the puck and get it in the back of the net. But it was awesome seeing all the tennis balls coming down.”

Opperman’s power play goal was Dartmouth’s first of the calendar year and first in its last 24 opportunities. Dartmouth would go on to add another power play goal in each successive period.

It also turned out to be Eric Neiley ’15’s first time on the ice for the tennis ball toss. Saturday night was Neiley’s first action since the 1-1 Cornell draw as he served a two-game suspension.

“It feels good,” Neiley said. “You never want to sit out. You just want to help the team in any way you can. It’s good to be back and I’m glad I could help out. Tonight was a fun game to be back for.”

There was a momentary scare when Neiley was crosschecked from behind which knocked him down into the net. The goalpost struck his neck, stinging it and sending him to the bench for the rest of the first period. He would later return after the period break and play a big part.

Dartmouth finished the first period with a major 22-5 shot advantage.

45 seconds into the second period, Brandon McNally ’16 redirected a shot from Neiley, netting Dartmouth’s second power play of the night. McNally’s goal would prove to be the game winner.

From there, the second period proved to be Princeton’s.

“Princeton took advantage of some of our turnovers in the second period,” Gaudet said. “We made a few of them in the offensive zone while trying to make a play.”

Princeton refused to give up, battling back with three goals from senior Alec Rush, junior Tyler Magueri and senior Andrew Calof before the second period ended. Several other shots threatened to enter Dartmouth’s net but didn’t.

“I’d be lying to you if I said I wasn’t nervous, because it’s funny how the game ebbs away a little bit and it’s not from a lack of effort,” Gaudet said. “But to regroup going into the third period was really important. We just kept the play in front of us. I thought Princeton played a good game but they weren’t a threat in the third period.”

Jesse Beamish ’15 proved to be the hero of the night, netting his second goal of the night on the power play during the third period. Beamish’s shot from the left circle bounced off Bonar’s leg pads and rolled slowly into the net, sealing the win.

“In a one-goal game, they’re a power play or a shot off a bad angle that hits somebody and it doesn’t have to be a pretty goal,” Gaudet said. “That was just a huge play to get a puck into the net.”

Princeton would pull Bonar from the net to add an extra skater with 2:22 left but never managed to score. Unfortunately, Dartmouth was unable to get a good shot off at the empty net but successfully prevented Princeton from getting multiple shots with the extra skater.

Dartmouth would finish the third period with a 19-3 shot advantage, finishing with a 48-20 advantage.

Dartmouth’s penalty kill also rebounded from the previous night’s Quinnipiac game, thwarting all four of Princeton’s chances.

Kruger allowed three goals in 20 shots but was able to pick up his first career win with Dartmouth’s offensive outburst. Kruger’s Princeton counterpart, Bonar, matched his career high with 43 saves as Dartmouth attacked the goal all game long.

Dartmouth’s 48 shots set a new season high. Its previous high this year came in the season opener when Dartmouth managed 40 shots against Princeton.

Both sides played aggressive all night long, and it showed in the combined 10 penalties both teams took.

Dartmouth travels to Harvard next Friday for its only game of the week. A win over Harvard and a St. Lawrence loss will create a three-team logjam for ninth place in the ECAC.

As for Princeton, the Tigers will prepare for two home games against St. Lawrence and Clarkson.

No. 3 Quinnipiac Annihilates Dartmouth to Seize Conference Lead

No. 3 Quinnipiac overwhelmed an injury-decimated and over-matched Dartmouth squad 8-1. The game was a microcosm of Dartmouth's entire season, and was the hockey equivalent of a perfect game for Quinnipiac.

The rout started from the very first face-off as senior Connor Jones scored the game's first goal in just eight seconds, setting a school record for fastest goal. The Bobcats never looked back, reeling off another five goals by the end of the second period and forcing Dartmouth to change its goalie.

Three of Quinnipiac's goals were scored in a timespan of just three minutes.

"Quinnipiac is an excellent team," Dartmouth head coach Bob Gaudet said following the game. "I thought from the opening face-off Quinnipiac was outstanding. We didn't have any answers and that's my jobs."

Dartmouth's lone goal came long after the game's outcome was no longer in doubt. The point seemed to only antagonize Quinnipiac as they would net another two easily before the night's end.

Dartmouth entered the game needing to capitalize on power play opportunities to remain competitive. Except Dartmouth couldn't score on any of its power plays as Quinnipiac's penalty kill was too good. Quinnipiac entered Friday with a penalty kill of 91 percent, while Dartmouth is now scoreless in its last 23 power plays.

"We're better than we showed but they have an outstanding team," Gaudet said. "They presented us a lot of problems in terms of their skill level and quickness."

Dartmouth hopes to rebound from tonight's defeat with a win against Princeton tomorrow night at 7:00 p.m. The game will be well attended by Dartmouth students because of the traditional "tennis ball toss" after the team's first goal.

Quinnipiac's win and losses by Union and Colgate means Quinnipiac holds sole possession of first place in the ECAC. 

Dartmouth Men's Hockey Faces Tough Conference Battles This Weekend

Dartmouth men’s hockey is entering the final month of the regular season with match-ups this weekend against two teams experiencing very different seasons. Dartmouth goes from playing No. 3 Quinnipiac, the second-ranked team in the ECAC, on Friday to playing Princeton Saturday night.

“We’re looking at Quinnipiac first,” Grant Opperman ’17 said. “They’re a pretty good team and they play an offensive game. They’ve got a lot of skill on their team but I think we match up well with them skill for skill. It should be fun. It could turn into either a big shootout or a big defensive game.”

Dartmouth (3-14-3, 2-10-1 ECAC) is going to face an extremely tough battle against Quinnipiac (18-4-5, 8-2-3 ECAC), who will approach Friday with a must-win attitude. Quinnipiac is in a three-way race for first place with Union and Colgate, tying Colgate in points and trailing Union for first in the ECAC by just one point. 

“We’re pretty excited,” Geoff Ferguson ’16 said. “Quinnipiac’s always a fun game. It’s always good to test yourself against one of the best teams in the nation. I think we’re right there with them if we play our game.”

Quinnipiac had been No. 4 last weekend but after remaining idle over the weekend, Quinnipiac rose one spot after RPI stunned Union 3-2. Now Union sits one spot behind Quinnipiac.

Yet in the end, very few people believe Dartmouth will upset the third-ranked team in the nation on Friday, but don’t tell that to Dartmouth’s players. They’ll approach every game from here on out as a must-win regardless of how strong the teams they face are.

“Every game is crucial,” Ferguson said. “We just got to get better every night especially with where we are right now. What we need to do is improve each night and we’ll be there by the end of the year.”

Statistically speaking, the odds are not in Dartmouth’s favor for Dartmouth is heading into the jaws of a team averaging 3.52 goals per game and allowing only 1.82 goals. 

Freshman Sam Anas has stormed onto the collegiate scene, and leads Quinnipiac in both goals (16) and points (32). Anas currently ranks as the top-scoring first-year player in the nation, holding a three-point lead on St. Lawrence’s Matt Carey (29).

In order to have a chance at winning, Dartmouth must capitalize on every power play opportunity against Quinnipiac who has a penalty kill percentage of 90 percent. Otherwise, the Big Green may never have another chance to score.

Dartmouth’s last power play goal came on Dec. 30 in a wild 8-8 contest with then-No. 17 Northeastern. Since then, Dartmouth has gone 0-of-20 in its last six games.

Opperman, architect of the most exciting play in last week’s game against RPI, hopes to repeat his performance with another goal in, ideally, both of this weekend’s games. Against RPI last weekend, Opperman had scored right out of the penalty box, fielding a pass from Connor Dempsey, dekeing out the RPI goalie and knocking the puck in. His performance caused him to be nominated as ECAC Rookie of the Week.

“I hope if I score it’s not out of the penalty box before it happens but you have to love breakaways whenever they happen,” Opperman said.

Princeton (4-15-0, 3-9-0 ECAC) is ranked 11th out of 12 teams in the ECAC standings. Dartmouth sits last at No. 12. Princeton won both early season match-ups in overtime, 3-2 in October and 5-4 in November, explaining why Dartmouth is one spot behind the Tigers in the standings.

Dartmouth currently leads 95-86-15 in the historic rivalry, which dates back to 1907. Princeton will visit Hanover for the second game of a two-game road trip this weekend, the first being at Harvard on Friday night.

The good news for Dartmouth is that Eric Neiley ’15 will make his return. Neiley, one of Dartmouth’s top scorers, will have finished serving a two game suspension he receiving for a late-game altercation with a Cornell player two weekends ago. 

If Dartmouth can stun Quinnipiac on Friday, the Big Green can climb out of the ECAC cellar with a win over Princeton. Unfortunately, Dartmouth will need a surprising turnaround if head coach Bob Gaudet’s squad wants to host a playoff series in Hanover. 

“The Princeton game is always one of our highlights of the year,” Ferguson said. “The tennis ball toss and all the fans in the stands. It’s always a good night.”

Princeton has had little to smile about this season since squeaking by Dartmouth 3-2 to start the season. One of its few highlights was a surprising 3-2 upset over Quinnipiac. But overall, Princeton has been blown out in most of their losses, including being outscored 12-3 in two games by Michigan State.

Princeton has had a weak scoring offense all season, totaling just 35 goals. The Tigers leading scorer is senior Andrew Ammon but he has only six goals on the year. The power play offense is just as weak, scoring 11 goals on 69 opportunities.

Dartmouth should be able to harass Princeton’s goaltender all game long with Princeton’s poor defense, which has allowed 3.74 goals per game.

“I haven’t been around for a Princeton game yet but I hear it’s a lot of fun,” Opperman said. “I’m really looking forward to it.”

Puck drop for both games is 7:00 p.m. If you’re in the Hanover area, don’t forget to bring your tennis balls for Saturday’s Princeton game.

ECAC: Women's Hockey Conference Update

Dartmouth's Lindsey Allen

On Tuesday, I provided an update regarding men's hockey. Today, I'm going to update women's hockey.

The men's ECAC teams have it easier than the women's ECAC teams. All 12 men's teams can rest assured that they'll be playing at least one round of playoff hockey even if a team's given record indicates the team shouldn't have playoff hopes. For the women, only the top eight teams in the 12-team conference will advance to the playoffs, and right now, Dartmouth is on the outside looking in despite a conference tie with RPI.

By regular season's end, this conference tie will, hopefully, be resolved which would limit any controversy and misgivings. And at first glance, there appears to be a clear indication who the top four teams are as well as the three worst teams. The remaining five are caught in a traffic jam for four available playoff spots.

1. No. 5 Harvard 16-2-2, 12-2-1 ECAC (25 pts)
   
   Excluding the occasional slip-up, Harvard has dominated its competition, both in and out of conference, and has yet to lose consecutive games. The Crimson has won four straight and seven of its last eight while showing no signs of stopping.
   
   Harvard is outscoring its opponents almost 3-1. The Crimson defense is even more intimidating than the offense, allowing just two power play goals, penalty killing over 97 percent of its opponents' power play opportunities.
   
   That being said, Harvard does have a difficult schedule remaining with games against Clarkson, Quinnipiac, St. Lawrence and Princeton, which means Harvard has no room for error if it wants to maintain top seeding.


2. No. 4 Clarkson 19-4-3, 10-2-2 ECAC (22 pts)
   
   At the moment, Clarkson seems like the only team capable of stopping Harvard, but Clarkson already lost the first match-up in November 2-0. The rematch isn't until February 14th but right now, both teams seem destined to meet in the ECAC Championship game. The Valentine's rematch should indicate better whether Clarkson can halt Harvard's stampede or not.
   
   Clarkson is outscoring opponents to a greater degree than Harvard is, netting 96 goals while allowing just 30. This is due to the Golden Knights averaging an insane 36.7 shots per game compared to their opponents 19 shots.
   
   Clarkson's offense averages 3.7 goals per game, although its power play could use a little work since it current sits at a 15 percent conversion rate. The lack of a solid power play is balanced by Clarkson's penalty kill, which has allowed just eight goals in 108 opportunities.


3. No. 6 Cornell 14-3-4, 9-2-3 ECAC (21 pts)
   
   Cornell used to be No. 4 before last weekend when it slumped to a 1-1 tie at St. Lawrence and a 3-1 loss at Clarkson. In the Big Red's last six games, Cornell is 2-2-2 after winning 12 of its first 15.
   
   There appears to be no great reason behind the recent slump after such a hot start except to say that even the best teams have an off day. Still, Cornell's offense remains potent despite a weekend that featured one goal each game as it averages 3.7 goals per game on the season. The power play is even better with a .267 conversion rate.
   
   Cornell should be able to maintain, at minimum, its third seed with four games against the ECAC's three worst teams, including back-to-back against bottom-ranked Colgate. Whether the Big Red climbs in the ECAC depends on either Harvard or Clarkson stumbling down the stretch. Cornell should inspire worry the next few years as most of the roster is made of underclassmen with just seven combined juniors and seniors.


4. No. 9 Quinnipiac 16-4-6, 7-3-4 ECAC (18 pts)
   
   Harvard, Clarkson and Cornell have explosive offenses paired with shutdown defenses. The average score of 3-1 that those teams enjoy drops to 2-1 with. Excellent goaltender play, which has deflected .934 percent of shots, has preserved some wins and prevented some ties from becoming losses. However, Quinnipiac has been unable to build leads as Quinnipiac trades power play goal for power play goal.
   
   Unfortunately for Quinnipiac, it has upcoming games against Harvard, Clarkson, Cornell, St. Lawrence and a surging upstart Dartmouth squad. Chances are high that Quinnipiac will fall to at least three of those teams, which might allow St. Lawrence or Princeton to sneak into the No. 4 seed and seize the final home playoff bid.


5. St. Lawrence 7-14-3, 6-5-3 ECAC (15 pts)
   
   St. Lawrence is surprisingly in position to stun Quinnipiac and take the No. 4 seed despite a vastly inferior overall record. Instead, the Saints have capitalized on the weaker tier of ECAC opponents, pummeling teams like Princeton, Dartmouth and Colgate. St. Lawrence has also had its rare moments to shine, such as a 1-1 draw with Quinnipiac.
   
   Unsurprisingly, St. Lawrence has been outscored by just 12 goals but maintains roughly equal power play goals and takes an even number of shots compared to its opponents. However, the numbers are misleading as St. Lawrence has beaten bad by large margins but has lost by bigger margins to good teams. For instance, the Saints beat Brown 5-1 and Yale 4-1 only to lose against Clarkson by a combined score of 15-3 over three games.
   
   St. Lawrence's toughest games are Harvard and Quinnipiac, but the Saints can balance the likely losses with two wins against Union and two over RPI.


6. Princeton 10-8-3, 6-6-2 ECAC (14 pts)
   
   Princeton has been an average team all season whose best conference wins came in the season opener against Dartmouth, RPI and Yale. All of its games against the upper tier of ECAC teams were ugly losses except for a 1-1 tie with Quinnipiac. The season's low points occurred when Clarkson blew out the Tigers 7-0 in late November and a 2-1 loss to Union three weeks ago.
   
   Princeton then went on a 18-day break before rebounding with a 6-1 win over Penn State. Princeton could easily stumble down with games against four of the ECAC's top five teams. Games against Colgate and Brown should help prevent a collapse, but a playoff spot could come down to a February 15th showdown with Yale.


7. Yale 7-10-4, 5-5-4 ECAC (14 pts)
   
   Yale recovered from its season-opening six game winless streak to find itself in the midst of the playoff hunt. Even more impressive is that Yale hasn't lost a game since losing 5-4 to Dartmouth three weeks ago, beating Harvard and tying Clarkson and St. Lawrence during that streak. Yale also tied Quinnipiac early in the year to break a five-game losing streak.
   
   Right now, Yale is proving good enough to take the better ECAC teams down to the wire. However, Yale has upcoming games against the ECAC's top four teams which means securing a playoff bid won't be an easy task. But even if Yale loses all four games, and the Bulldogs have proven capable of winning at least one, games against Princeton and RPI could keep Yale in the playoff hunt. Yale in the playoffs should be a scary prospect for the top teams.


8. RPI 10-13-2, 6-7-1 ECAC (13 pts)
   
   RPI is the women's team in the ECAC few can figure out. RPI has wins against Harvard and Quinnipiac but can't top Dartmouth or Yale. Interestingly, RPI has just a +1 goal differential over 25 games. The close goal differential shouldn't last long though as RPI takes on Clarkson twice, St. Lawrence twice, and Cornell and Yale once each.
   
   Sophomore Lauren Wash's 11 goals have been a large part of the reason why RPI has stayed in the playoff hunt and added drama to this year's race. But if there was a vote for team most likely to fall out of the playoff race and join Union, Brown and Colgate on the couch come playoff time, RPI would win that vote.


9. Dartmouth 7-13-1, 6-8-1 ECAC (13 pts)
   
   Dartmouth has reentered the playoff conversation with five wins in its last eight contests after an extremely slow start. Much of Dartmouth's hopes rest on the stick of star sophomore Lindsey Allen who leads the team in scoring with 13 goals. Two athletes are tied for second with four goals each.
   
   If Allen can maintain her hot play while leading Dartmouth through a gauntlet of Harvard, Clarkson, Quinnipiac and St. Lawrence, the Big Green has a shot at claiming the final playoff spot. Unfortunately, aside from Brown, there are no "easy" games remaining on Dartmouth's 7-game season-ending slate.
   
   The scariest thing about Dartmouth is how young the team is. Most of the team is comprised of freshmen and sophomores, which means in the next three years, Dartmouth will be sending the most experienced team on the ice.


10. Union 8-17-1, 3-11-0 ECAC (6 pts)
    
    After Union beat Princeton on January 10th, Union looked ready to mount a run for a playoff spot. In the five conference games since, playoff hopes are all but dashed as Union has been outscored 14-4, losing all five matches.
    
    Union's greatest problem is similar to Brown's and Colgate's, which is a lack of offense and a poor defense, especially one that gives up a goal every fourth power play. Union's prospects for a turnaround don't look good with two games against Clarkson, two against St. Lawrence and one against Cornell. Wins against Brown and Colgate would salvage some dignity as Union would avoid a last place finish.


11. Brown 2-14-5, 1-10-3 ECAC (5 pts)
    
    Nothing has functioned right for Brown all season. Aside from a recent 4-2 win over St. Lawrence and a 2-1 overtime win over RIT, Brown has little to no reason to smile. Only by virtue of three ties does Brown avoid falling into a last place tie with Colgate.
    
    The power play defense has given up over three times as many goals as the power play offense has scored, and the regular offense barely average 20 shots per game. While Quinnipiac enjoys a 2-1 ratio of goals, it's the opposite for Brown. The Bears give up 2.6 goals per game while scoring just 1.6.
    
    The season doesn't get any easier as Brown has games against Harvard, Cornell and Quinnipiac. Upcoming games with Union and Colgate could decide last place.


12. Colgate 5-19-2, 2-12-0 ECAC (4 pts)
    
    With a win on Friday against Brown, Colgate will climb into a tie for second-to-last. Not too much to cheer for but not a complete nightmare. It will be a close game though since Colgate has a scoring offense that's even less efficient that Brown's, scoring 1.6 goals every 26 shots while the defense allows three every 29 shots. Not a formula that can build a winning team.
    
    The rest of the season will be about avoiding last place by trying to overcome Union and Brown in the rankings. Maybe next year will prove better.

Phoenix Coyotes will change name to "Arizona Coyotes" starting next season

It was no secret that the Coyotes' new ownership group wanted to changed the team name. It was just a matter of when.

The Coyotes have been playing in Arizona since moving to Phoenix in 1996 from Winnipeg. The franchise played in the Arizona capital until 2003 when it moved to Glendale, which is where Arizona's NFL and MLB franchises play as well.

It was announced back in August that the owners wanted to make the change but too many hurdles existed at the time, preventing the change for the 2013-2014 season.

"It will become the Arizona Coyotes," Alternate Governor Anthony LeBlanc told reporters during the August press conference. "That was a request from the City of Glendale, but one that we felt made a lot of sense, and obviously following in the footsteps of other franchises here in the Valley."

The Arizona Cardinals made a similar move when the NFL franchise moved from its long-time home in St. Louis to Phoenix in 1988. For five years, the franchise was known as the "Phoenix Cardinals" until it changed names again to its current "Arizona Cardinals" in 1993.

LeBlanc recently said he hopes the new Arizona Coyotes will become the flagship NHL franchise for the state of Arizona and the greater Southwest. 

ECAC: Men's Hockey Conference Update

Today, I'm going to provide an update of men's hockey in the ECAC. In the next few days,  I'll provide an update with the women's ECAC situation.

With just over one month remaining before the start of the first round of the ECAC men's hockey playoffs, all teams can rest assured that they will have at least a chance to advance in the postseason. However, right now there is a very clear division between the bottom third and the rest of the conference. Granted, the bottom third has valid reasons for experiencing rough seasons.

1. Union 16-5-2, 10-2 ECAC (20 pts)
   
   Union was the No. 3 in the nation according to the USCHO until a letdown to Rensselaer on Saturday. Now Union is No. 4 but is able to maintain first in the ECAC with a better conference record than Quinnipiac.
   
   Last year's ECAC Champion remains in control of the its destiny despite its disappointing 3-2 loss to RPI. Scheduling works to Union's advantage as six of its remaining 10 games are against the ECAC's bottom half teams. Additionally, Union gets to avoid a late season bout with Quinnipiac. Barring a late season collapse, Union should secure the first seed in the ECAC playoffs and a first round bye.


2. Quinnipiac 18-4-5, 8-2-3 ECAC (19 pts)
   
   Quinnipiac remained idle over the weekend. Combined with Union's loss to RPI, Quinnipiac is now the No. 3, taking Union's former spot but remains behind Union in the ECAC despite a superior win-loss record due to an inferior conference record.
   
   Quinnipiac's not-so-secret weapon is freshman Sam Anas who currently leads the team in goals (16) and points (32). Anas is also the nation's leader in points amongst first-year players, holding a three-point lead over St. Lawrence's Matt Carey (29).
   
   Quinnipiac has an equally easy schedule during the final weeks compared to Union, which means neither team can afford to slip up and risk the other sealing up the first seed. Union does hold the advantage as Quinnipiac must take on Colgate, Clarkson and Cornell in three of the final four games.


3. Colgate 13-9-3, 9-3-1 ECAC (19 pts)
   
   Colgate sits at No. 18 after wins against St. Lawrence and Clarkson but doesn't receive much consideration about becoming ECAC Champions compared to Union and Quinnipiac despite being just one point behind Union and tied with Quinnipiac. Colgate is also one of the hottest teams and hasn't lost a game since December 15th.
   
   The reason behind the poor ranking is Colgate's slow start to the year which featured blowout losses to Bowling Green, RPI, Quinnipiac and Princeton. Only since the new year turned has Colgate strung together a string of solid performances, the caveat being half the wins were against weaker teams. Upcoming games against Union, Quinnipiac and Cornell will put to rest any debates about Colgate's strength.


4. Clarkson 15-9-2, 8-4 ECAC (16 pts)
   
   No. 15 Clarkson tumbled two spots after losses to Colgate and Cornell, and is in similar shape compared to both of last weekend's opponents. 19 of Clarkson's games this season have been within one goal, and five of its last six games have finished with a 3-2 score. But with four games against Union and Quinnipiac, Clarkson should slip up and allow Cornell to sneak in and claim the fourth seed since the Big Red has just three challenging games on its schedule. 


5. Cornell 10-4-5, 6-3-4 ECAC (16 pts)
   
   Cornell jumped up one spot to No. 11 after tying St. Lawrence and defeating Clarkson. The weekend should be seen as a disappointment for the Big Red however due to St. Lawrence's poor conference record. Cornell should have defeated St. Lawrence but still appears to be rusty after a nearly three week stretch where it didn't play a meaningful game.
   
   Excluding a 6-0 exhibition win against the Russian Red Stars, Cornell has gone 2-3-0 since a 4-2 win over UNH on December 29th. Cornell has outscored its opponents 12-10 in those five games. Ties against Dartmouth and St. Lawrence, and a surprisingly close win over Harvard, underscore Cornell's recent slump.
   
   Cornell's 3-2 win over Clarkson could indicate that the Big Red have shaken off the rust, preparing itself for a deep run in March.


6. Yale 10-5-4, 5-4-3 ECAC (13 pts)
   
   No. 13 Yale fell three spots after splitting the weekend against Brown. Until Yale's 6-0 rout on Saturday, Brown had Yale's number, taking the first two matches. Unfortunately for the Bulldogs, two games against Union and one each against Quinnipiac, Colgate and Cornell will be the difference between playing in the first round and jumping past Clarkson and Cornell for the fourth seed and final bye.
   
   In Yale's favor are wins against Clarkson and Colgate, and a draw with Quinnipiac, that prove Yale can compete with the ECAC's best teams. Unfortunately, the remaining slate of games is one of the toughest in the conference and will show whether Yale can make a Union-esque run in the playoffs.


7. Brown 8-8-3, 5-6-1 ECAC (11 pts)

Brown has been this year's ECAC version of the Dallas Cowboys. If Dallas has epitomized mediocrity over the last 20 years by going an astonishing 128-128 in 256 games, Brown would epitomize mediocrity up to this point in the season.

Brown has won big over average teams (4-1 Yale, 5-3 Dartmouth), tied equally mediocre teams (3-3 St. Lawrence, 3-3 Boston College) and lost big to average teams (6-0 Yale). The only times the Bears break the trend are games against good teams (5-1 loss to Cornell, 3-0 loss to Quinnipiac).

Brown should continue the .500 trend since it has five games against average opponents (RPI twice, Dartmouth, Princeton, Harvard) and five games against good opponents (Union twice, Colgate, Cornell, Quinnipiac).


8. RPI 10-10-4, 4-5-3 ECAC (11 pts)

RPI is in the same boat as Brown, but unlike the Bears, the Engineers have been alternating between hot and cold. RPI stunned Union 2-1 on Saturday night after losing the first two match-ups 4-3 and 4-1. RPI has also walloped Colgate 6-2 and tied Cornell 3-3 only to get routed by Minnesota, Ferris State and Quinnipiac 6-2 in each game.

As a result, RPI ties Dartmouth for the most inconsistent team in the ECAC (you'll read why when I talk about Dartmouth). The only guaranteed fact is that RPI should seal at least one of the four home seeds for the first round. Whether RPI advances or not, who knows until game time?


9. St. Lawrence 8-13-3, 2-7-3 ECAC (7 pts)
   
   St. Lawrence had a rough weekend against the upper half of the ECAC, tying Cornell and losing to Colgate. Although some will view the tie against Cornell beacon of hope, fans shouldn't hold out for a surprising turnaround since Cornell has been slumping all month.
   
   As for St. Lawrence, a winning record, and a winning conference record, are impossible considering that the Saints finished the easy part of their schedule. Of the remaining 10 games, two are against Union, two are against Quinnipiac and one is against Cornell. St. Lawrence shouldn't hope to tie Cornell in the rematchup.


10. Harvard 5-11-3, 2-9-3 ECAC (7 pts)

The Crimson has been done in by two four-game losing streaks, including one it is still in the midst of after a 4-3 loss to Union. However, Harvard's record is misleading as it hasn't been blown out too often. Harvard has remained competitive in all but two of its games (which the Crimson was outscored 10-2).

Even in Harvard doesn't advance this year, it could compete for the Ivy title next year. Right now, Harvard remains a solid team that can't quite get over the hump to win close games. Harvard's remaining schedule remains favorable with winnable games until the final weekend of the season when the Crimson must battle Colgate and Cornell away from home.


11. Princeton 4-15-0, 3-9-0 ECAC (6 pts)

Princeton quickly won 3-2 over Dartmouth to start the regular season, but any good feelings from the win quickly vanished. The Tigers have had a few hope inspiring moments, such as a 3-2 win over Quinnipiac, but for the most part, they've been blown out in most of their games, including being outscored 12-3 in two games against Michigan State.

In short, Princeton has little to no hope in advancing past the first round, and is probably lucky that the ECAC allows all 12 teams into the playoffs. Princeton will be lucky to split its remaining 10 games as it has four upcoming games against Colgate, Clarkson and Cornell.


12. Dartmouth 3-14-3, 2-10-1 ECAC (5 pts)
    
    The Big Green has had a rough time all season. Dartmouth lost its top players and captains Tyler Sikura and Eric Robinson early in the season. It wasn't until the end of a brutal November that head coach Bob Gaudet's injury-decimated squad could get its footing. Gaudet hasn't reserved credit for the work he's done, taking some of the nation's best teams to the wire despite relying on a mix of underclassmen and using defensemen as forwards.
    
    With some creativity, Gaudet has crafted a high powered, albeit inconsistent, offensive attack that can score goals quickly and match up against any team in the ECAC. Unfortunately, a poor power play offense has doomed recent games that Dartmouth had a chance of winning.
    
    Dartmouth has a chance to break its way out of the cellar this weekend as it takes on Princeton on Saturday. Just one minor issue stands in Dartmouth's way however... Quinnipiac on Friday evening. But in the playoffs, Dartmouth could be the dark horse pick to advance to the Quarterfinals.