Last year, Greg Carvel continually emphasized getting to 10 wins by the end of the first half, and the Saints have a chance to get to that number tonight, albeit under Mark Morris. They currently sit 9-5-4, and the only thing standing in their way just has to be Clarkson. And after the Tech women finally beat SLU on Saturday, you can bet your ass I'm looking for a little revenge tonight.
This is another fairly even matchup, much like the women were last weekend, but the Saints have the edge in almost every statistical category. Hayton has outplayed Kielly in save percentage, GAA, and wins. In conference play, the Saints allow just 1.33 goals per game while scoring 3.33. The Golden Knights score 3.5 goals per game, marginally better, but struggle defensively, allowing 3 goals per game in ECAC play.
Bayreuther leads the way offensively with 22 points in 18 games, trying to lead the team in points as a defenseman for the second straight year. Mike Marnell has 10 goals in just 14 games, and ben Finkelstein's play on Saturday leads me to believe that he might be ready to start putting up significant numbers while continuing his solid defensive play. Hayton looks as unbeatable as he's ever looked, and even the power play looked good against Dartmouth in a three-defenseman set.
Tech skates in with a 9-6-3 record, nearly identical to the Saints. They hold a two point lead on fourth place in the ECAC with 11 points and a 5-2-1 record, and they're coming off a 7-3 loss to Harvard that was a little closer than the score suggests.
Clarkson is a pretty good team overall, but have disappointed so far, given the expectations that surrounded the team. I pegged them to win the ECAC regular season, but it looks like Harvard's to lose at this point (they're just really really good). Still, the Golden Knights always seem to get up more for these SLU games, especially at Appleton, and their last loss before Harvard was against Quinnipiac, almost a month before.
Jordan Boucher paces them offensively with 17 points in 18 games, and their freshman trio of Nico Sturm (12 points) Devin Brosseau (15 points) and Sheldon Rempal (13 points) is meshing nicely as their second line behind Boucher, Troy Josephs, and Sam Vigneault.
With last change, Morris shouldn't have much trouble getting his top two defense pairings out against those lines to shut them down, and the Tech third and fourth lines are not nearly the scoring threat that their top two lines are.
Defensively, Clarkson still has James de Haas, Kelly Summers, and Terrance Amorosa, a trio that has been bolstered nicely by the addition of Greg Moro. Jake Kielly has seen the most time in net, and while not a superstar, he's been good enough for Tech as he adjusts to the college game. Kielly is 8-5-3 with a .918 save percentage and a 2.52, and the Golden Knights are definitely hoping that this is just an adjustment period, and not the consistent numbers they'll get out of a guy Casey Jones has been talking about for more than a year.
This is college hockey, and nothing is out of the realm of possibility, especially when two teams with such a history together meet, but particularly this time, with Morris set to face his former team. I'm not going to blow this out of proportion, and the focus should be entirely on winning the hockey game at hand and heading into the break with a grip on first place in the ECAC, but Morris has to want to hand a good old fashioned beat down to Clarkson, and I'll certainly sign up for that too. There's no love between Clarkson and St. Lawrence on the ice, and I doubt you'll see much on the bench either.
So tonight they meet. Clarkson and St. Lawrence at Appleton in the last game of the semester. So break out your chants, your chirps, and your Cluck Farkson gear. And bring a drum to shut that intolerable pep band up. It's almost time.
This is another fairly even matchup, much like the women were last weekend, but the Saints have the edge in almost every statistical category. Hayton has outplayed Kielly in save percentage, GAA, and wins. In conference play, the Saints allow just 1.33 goals per game while scoring 3.33. The Golden Knights score 3.5 goals per game, marginally better, but struggle defensively, allowing 3 goals per game in ECAC play.
Bayreuther leads the way offensively with 22 points in 18 games, trying to lead the team in points as a defenseman for the second straight year. Mike Marnell has 10 goals in just 14 games, and ben Finkelstein's play on Saturday leads me to believe that he might be ready to start putting up significant numbers while continuing his solid defensive play. Hayton looks as unbeatable as he's ever looked, and even the power play looked good against Dartmouth in a three-defenseman set.
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| Bayreuther's strong play continues to lead the Saints at both ends of the ice (Jack Lyons) |
Tech skates in with a 9-6-3 record, nearly identical to the Saints. They hold a two point lead on fourth place in the ECAC with 11 points and a 5-2-1 record, and they're coming off a 7-3 loss to Harvard that was a little closer than the score suggests.
Clarkson is a pretty good team overall, but have disappointed so far, given the expectations that surrounded the team. I pegged them to win the ECAC regular season, but it looks like Harvard's to lose at this point (they're just really really good). Still, the Golden Knights always seem to get up more for these SLU games, especially at Appleton, and their last loss before Harvard was against Quinnipiac, almost a month before.
Jordan Boucher paces them offensively with 17 points in 18 games, and their freshman trio of Nico Sturm (12 points) Devin Brosseau (15 points) and Sheldon Rempal (13 points) is meshing nicely as their second line behind Boucher, Troy Josephs, and Sam Vigneault.
With last change, Morris shouldn't have much trouble getting his top two defense pairings out against those lines to shut them down, and the Tech third and fourth lines are not nearly the scoring threat that their top two lines are.
Defensively, Clarkson still has James de Haas, Kelly Summers, and Terrance Amorosa, a trio that has been bolstered nicely by the addition of Greg Moro. Jake Kielly has seen the most time in net, and while not a superstar, he's been good enough for Tech as he adjusts to the college game. Kielly is 8-5-3 with a .918 save percentage and a 2.52, and the Golden Knights are definitely hoping that this is just an adjustment period, and not the consistent numbers they'll get out of a guy Casey Jones has been talking about for more than a year.
This is college hockey, and nothing is out of the realm of possibility, especially when two teams with such a history together meet, but particularly this time, with Morris set to face his former team. I'm not going to blow this out of proportion, and the focus should be entirely on winning the hockey game at hand and heading into the break with a grip on first place in the ECAC, but Morris has to want to hand a good old fashioned beat down to Clarkson, and I'll certainly sign up for that too. There's no love between Clarkson and St. Lawrence on the ice, and I doubt you'll see much on the bench either.
So tonight they meet. Clarkson and St. Lawrence at Appleton in the last game of the semester. So break out your chants, your chirps, and your Cluck Farkson gear. And bring a drum to shut that intolerable pep band up. It's almost time.
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