By: Andrew Weiss and Matt Corso
Matt: Quinnipiac
Andrew: Quinnipiac
1.Quinnipiac Bobcats (17-1-4, 10-1-3 ECAC)
Last three: 1/2 vs. Brown W 5-1, 1/8 at Rensselaer T 0-0, 1/9 at Union W 5-0.
Matt: Nothing can stop Sydney Rossman from the season she is having, and it doesn’t seem like anything is about to get in her way and stop her. The Bobcats have a potent attack with a stout defense that has helped Rossman all year. Head coach Cassandra Turner has to be happy with what she sees heading into the second half of the season.
Andrew: Chelsea Laden who? Sydney Rossman has put any nerves to rest with her performance this season. She is already up to seven shutouts while keeping the Bobcats in the few close games they’ve had. It also helps when you have a veteran defense, led by captain Cydney Roesler, keeping the crease clear. Head coach Cassandra Turner has to be pleased to be able to pair that experience with the talented forwards such as Nicole Kosta, Taylor Cianfarano and Melissa Samoskevich.
Cianfarano has already surpassed her point total from last season, in which she led the team as a freshmen. She, along with current freshman Samoskevich, should have many more exciting seasons in Hamden. I wonder if visions of the Frozen Four were dancing in Quinnipiac’s heads over the break after last year’s gut-wrenching loss to Harvard in the first round.
Next three: 1/15 vs. Robert Morris, 1/16 vs. Robert Morris, 1/20 vs. Boston University
Matt: Princeton
Andrew: Princeton
2. Princeton Tigers (15-4-1, 9-4-1 ECAC)
Last three: 1/2 vs. Yale W 5-1, 1/8 at Union W 5-0, 1/9 at Rensselaer W 3-2.
Matt: The Tigers are second in the ECAC having won nine games in conference play. Princeton has improved since the beginning of the year. The orange and black have been led by Karlie Lund who has scored an impressive 11 goals, which is good enough for fourth in the nation. Princeton has beaten Harvard and Dartmouth, which is a turn around from its loss to Cornell in November.
Andrew: Slow start, but hot finish. The story of the Tigers season. They stand second in the ECAC with a 9-4-1 conference record (15-4-1 overall). They are second in goals scored for the conference with 41. Oh, and they currently have won 10 straight games since their November collapse. That streak includes wins over Harvard, Dartmouth, and RPI. November was cruel to Princeton, with a three game losing streak paired with a 2-1 loss to lowly Cornell. However, since being shutout by Clarkson 3-0 on November 21st, Princeton has been red hot, averaging 4.2 goals per game over its last ten. Karlie Lund has made a case to be considered the best freshman in the ECAC with 11 goals and 16 assists in 20 games. Meanwhile, stout defender Kelsey Koelzer has 12 goals and 9 assists from her perch at the point. This team might not have started off well, but they have all the confidence in the world right now, with a good helping of momentum as well.
Next three: 1/25 at Connecticut, 1/29 at Dartmouth, 1/30 at Harvard.
Matt: Clarkson
Andrew: Clarkson
3. Clarkson Golden Knights (17-3-2, 5-3-2 ECAC)
Last three: 12/5 vs. Cornell W 4-0, 1/8 at Yale W 5-2, 1/9 at Brown W 7-0.
Matt: Although I have the Golden Knights in my three spot, they still have a lot of improvement to do. This shouldn’t be hard considering they have the talent to do so. Cayley Mercer leads the ECAC in points (35). I can definitely see Clarkson moving up in my rankings because they were my top team in the beginning of the season.
Andrew: Perhaps quietly, the Golden Knights have fallen down a peg since dominating their non-conference schedule. Clarkson currently stands at 5-3-2 in ECAC play, good enough for fourth in the conference. However, for a team with much bigger dreams, they still have the talent to move up much higher. Clarkson still leads the ECAC in goals per game with 3.59, fifth nationally. Their defense has also improved, with only 1.36 goals allowed per game, good for third in the ECAC and also fifth nationally. This stat is especially astounding in a conference that is becoming stronger defensively as the year progresses. The Golden Knights certainly have had the talent to score goals, with Cayley Mercer leading the ECAC in points (35) and assists (18) while only second to Cianfarano in goals (17). Olivia Howe has been a solid secondary scorer, a luxury that only a few teams in the ECAC have. Both Howe and Mercer have slowed down since conference play began (relative to their absurd non-conference performance). However, that is the same with Clarkson as a whole, which has yet to find that extra gear they had before ECAC play. That said, the Golden Knights have too much talent to be anywhere lower than third in the conference, and I expect them to prove it after break has ended.
Next three: 1/15 vs. Dartmouth, 1/16 vs. Harvard, 1/22 at Cornell.
Matt: Harvard
Andrew: Harvard
4. Harvard Crimson (10-4-1, 7-3-1 ECAC)
Last three: 12/5 at Quinnipiac L 2-1 (OT), 1/8 vs. Cornell W 2-0, 1/9 vs. Colgate W 6-2.
Matt: This was the toughest pick to me because Harvard hasn’t lived up to their potential. Without goalie Emerance Maschmeyer, the Crimson wouldn’t be in my fourth spot, but with an impressive goals against average of 1.39, the Crimson deserve this spot in my eyes.
Andrew: I almost went with Colgate here, and I would have up until the Crimson’s dominating 6-2 victory over the Raiders. Emerance Maschmeyer has been a wall in net all year long, posting a goals against average of 1.39, third in the ECAC, while also holding the highest save percentage at .956 as she holds down the fort for a sometimes underwhelming Harvard squad. They lost three of four heading into the break, including two close 2-1 loses to Quinnipiac and Princeton. However, as January began, the Crimson found their stride, winning both of their 2016 games by a combined 8-2 score. The Crimson have plenty of time to prove themselves, as they have one of the toughest remaining schedules in the ECAC. Harvard has two games against undefeated no. 1 Boston College, a visit to Clarkson, and a home rematch with Quinnipiac. The Crimson will have to rely on their strong play from Maschmeyer while players like leading scorer Miye D’Oench (10 goals, 11 assists) and Syndey Daniels (7 goals, 6 assists) will have to continue to light the lamp.
Next three: 1/15 at St. Lawrence, 1/16 at Clarkson, 1/19 vs. Boston College.
Matt: Colgate
Andrew: Colgate
5. Colgate Raiders (11-4-6, 3-2-4 ECAC)
Last three: 1/4 at Syracuse T 2-2, 1/8 at Dartmouth W 4-2, 1/9 at Harvard L 6-2.
Matt: Colgate has impressed me all year. They currently are tied for fifth in the ECAC with St. Lawrence and Dartmouth. I see a great team in Colgate because they have six ties this season, four of those coming in conference games, which mean if it scored one more goal in any of those games its record would represent the talent that the Raiders have.
Andrew: Before its 6-2 loss to Harvard, Colgate seemed to be finding their groove, winning three straight ECAC games with a few non-conference ties mixed in. However, the loss to the Crimson can’t be ignored, and shows that the Raiders are still finding their consistency. Some games they show up, with a 3-2 win over Clarkson and a scoreless tie to Quinnipiac standing out. However, they also are missing in other games, such as a 2-2 tie with Union and a close 3-2 loss to Princeton. This is likely due to their young scoring talent still learning the ropes of ECAC play, as three of their top six point leaders are freshmen while the other three are sophomores. Still, Colgate has proven they can step up in games, and can be deadly. It helps when leading scorer Bailey Larson (eight goals, 13 assists) is on her game, while Lauren Wildfang (four goals, 12 assists, best name in the ECAC) pitches in from the blue line. When push comes to shove, Colgate is comfortable shoving right back.
Next three: 1/12 vs. Cornell, 1/15 vs. Brown, 1/16 vs. Yale.
Matt: St Lawrence
Andrew: St Lawrence
6. St Lawrence Saints (11-10-1, 5-5-0 ECAC)
Last three: 1/6 vs. Merrimack W 6-2, 1/8 at Brown W 2-1, 1/9 at Yale L 5-2.
Matt: Early in the season St. Lawrence was trying to find their chemistry as a team and up to this point I think they have. To me, their offense has been solid enough to post a 5-5-0 record during conference play, but I can only see them going up from here due to the fact that so many of their losses have been decided by one goal.
Andrew: Take away a five-game stretch of bad losses to three top ten teams early in the season, and this team has been solid. Since that lost loss, a 7-3 defeat to top-ranked Boston College, St. Lawrence has been 11-5-0, including a win over Princeton. Those five losses include three one-goal games, one at the hands of Harvard. However, they still lost to Yale on Jan. 9, 5-2, and barely beat Brown 2-1 the day before. There are still some growing pains for St. Lawrence, but it helps when you have Amanda Boulier (six goals, 13 assists) patrolling the blue line. Kennedy Marchment (seven goals, 12 assists) has been solid as well, posting the best plus/minus ratio on the team at plus-6.
Next three: 1/15 vs. Harvard, 1/16 vs. Dartmouth, 1/22 at Colgate.
Matt: Cornell
Andrew: Cornell
7. Cornell Big Red (7-7-2, 3-4-2 ECAC)
Last three: 12/5 at Clarkson L 4-0, 1/8 at Harvard L 2-0, 1/9 at Dartmouth W 5-3.
Matt: Cornell has been very inconsistent and that is why they are at seventh in my rankings. They have been blown out this year and also won some games against solid teams such as Princeton and Dartmouth. Cornell is just too inconsistent to move up in my rankings due to the fact that they can’t put a string of good wins together.
Andrew: When the Big Red aren’t getting blown out, they’re picking up solid wins over good teams. This is why this team is the most inconsistent in a very inconsistent ECAC. Cornell lost to RPI 2-1, tied Union 2-2, and has been shutout in three games already this season, all losses. However, they’ve also beaten Mercyhurst 6-1, Princeton 2-1, and most recently, Dartmouth 5-3. Hanna Bunton has been the sole bright spot on the roster, tallying eight goals and eight assists in 16 games. Paula Voorheis has been good, not great, in net when she has played, but freshman Marlene Boissonnault owns the better record, 3-1-0 to 3-5-1.
Next three: 1/12 at Colgate, 1/15 vs Yale, 1/16 vs. Brown.
Matt: Yale
Andrew: Yale
8. Yale Bulldogs (5-11-1, 4-5-1 ECAC)
Last three: 1/2 at Princeton L 5-1, 1/8 vs. Clarkson L 5-2, 1/9 vs. St Lawrence L 5-2.
Matt: At this point in the season I don’t see any hope for the Bulldogs as they have allowed so many goals in their last four games. They forced overtime to beat Union, which hints at their struggles all season to put the puck in the net. Another wasted season for the Bulldogs who have seen the efforts of Krista Yip-Chuck and Mallory Souliotis go down the drain.
Andrew: They did win decisively over St. Lawrence 5-2. Unfortunately for the Bulldogs, they also lost their previous four games by an average of 4-1. When you need overtime to beat Union 2-1, you know there are troubles in your midst. Yale is wasting another season for Krista Yip-Chuck (three goals, nine assists) and Mallory Souliotis (three goals, 13 assists).
Matt: Dartmouth
Andrew: Dartmouth
9. Dartmouth Big Green (4-11-2, 4-5-2 ECAC)
Last three: 1/2 at Northeastern L 5-2, 1/8 vs. Colgate L 4-2, 1/9 at Cornell L 5-3.
Matt: Dartmouth has continued to drop in my power rankings. They simply can’t win whether it is on the road or at home. Back to the drawing boards for Dartmouth after a season filled with disappointment.
Andrew: Losing 9 straight games doesn’t make things any better for Dartmouth as they continue to drop in our power rankings. Maybe they can be content having the best attendance in the ECAC, and the nation. They would probably like playing at home anyway, with a 1-6-1 record on the road. Yikes.
Next three: 1/15 at Clarkson, 1/16 at St. Lawrence, 1/23 at Harvard.
Matt: RPI
Andrew: RPI
10. RPI Engineers (5-11-4, 3-5-2 ECAC)
Last three: 1/3 at Mercyhurst T 2-2, 1/8 vs. Quinnipiac T 0-0, 1/9 vs. Princeton L 3-2.
Matt: The only reason RPI is in my ten spot is because Brown and Union are terrible. The best performance this year was against Quinnipiac, which ended in a scoreless tie. Back to the drawing boards for RPI.
Andrew: I thought that maybe their 2-1 win over Clarkson back in November would start a run for a team that has the ability to show up in games. However, they forgot how to do that. Their only win since then was a 2-0 win over a hapless Brown squad. They did hold Quinnipiac to a scoreless tie Jan. 8, but that speaks more to Lovisa Selander playing well in goal with 40 saves. Count this as a lost season for RPI.
Next three: 1/15 vs. Union, 1/16 at Union, 1/22 at Brown.
Matt: Brown
Andrew: Brown
11. Brown Bears (3-13-0, 1-9-0 ECAC)
Last three: 1/2 at Quinnipiac L 5-1, 1/8 vs. St. Lawrence L 2-1, 1/9 at Clarkson L 7-0.
Matt: With their only win in the ECAC coming against Union, Brown has a lot of work to do.
Andrew: They’ll always have that lone ECAC win, 2-0 over Union, to look back on when they’re getting pummeled 7-0 by Clarkson.
Next three: 1/15 at Colgate, 1/16 at Cornell, 1/19 at Merrimack.
Matt: Union
Andrew: Union
12. Union Dutchwomen (0-16-5, 0-8-2 ECAC)
Last three: 1/2 vs. Vermont L 4-2, 1/8 vs. Princeton L 5-0, 1/9 vs. Quinnipiac L 5-0.
Matt: Win a game.
Andrew: One day, they will win a hockey game. One day. They have 5 ties, and if they scored one more goal in any of those games, they win. I know, I know, I’m an optimist.
Next three: 1/12 vs. Syracuse, 1/15 at Rensselaer, 1/16 at Rensselaer.
