An early-season review of the Crimson will be posted later
today, but for now, we have our first ECAC Power Rankings of the year. The
hockey-inclined members of WHRB dislike preseason rankings, but with a month of
hockey behind us, it’s high time to make some controversial assertions.
1. Dartmouth 4-0-0
(5-0-1)
The winners of the Ivy Showcase have shot to No. 12 in the
national rankings after a convincing triumph over Yale and a close victory over
Union. The last undefeated team nationally, Dartmouth is killing 96% of
penalties, thanks in large part to the fantastic play of Cab Morris in net.
Sophomore Tyler Sikura has emerged as one of the most dangerous forwards in the
conference with 11 points through six games.
2. Union 3-1-0
(6-2-1)
Outside of the loss to Dartmouth, no blemishes on the
schedule so far for the defending champs. The Dutchmen destroyed Harvard and
are ranked No. 7 in the country. Most importantly, an MRI this Monday revealed
no serious damage to the leg of Hobey Baker finalist Troy Grosenick, who has
plenty of time to return to his goaltending duties as the team does not play
this weekend.
3. Cornell 1-2-1
(3-2-1)
The poor conference record is a surprise for the Big Red,
who’ve lost to Quinnipiac and Princeton. A 76% penalty kill might be to blame,
especially given Cornell’s low-scoring style. Two wins over No. 14 Colorado
College and a national ranking of their own at No. 10 keep Harvard’s top rivals
high in these rankings for now.
4. Yale 2-2
(3-2-1)
The Bulldogs looked quite good against Harvard and St.
Lawrence but were trounced by the Big Green and shut out by Clarkson at home.
One thing is for sure – the talent is there to earn a conference bye. The
upperclassmen forwards, led by Antoine Laganiere and Andrew Miller, are having
stellar seasons, and Jeff Malcolm continues to hold down the starting job in
net.
5. Quinnipiac 2-0
(5-3-1)
The Bobcats garnered 22 votes in the national rankings this
week after a win over Cornell and three points from two games against Ohio
State. Scoring has not come easy, but that doesn’t matter much when Eric
Hartzell has a 1.65 GAA in eight starts. A weekend at Clarkson and St. Lawrence
provides a good opportunity to separate from the pack early in the season.
6. Harvard 2-2
(3-2-0)
A hard team to judge so far, the No. 17 Crimson have looked
great against bad teams and vice versa. The freshman forwards, led by Jimmy
Vesey, are as spectacular as advertised, but a faltering powerplay and sloppy
work in the defensive zone prevented Harvard from competing with Yale and
Union. Raphael Girard has shushed any talk of a goalie controversy left over
from last year.
7. St. Lawrence 0-1-1
(5-2-1)
Despite only one point in conference play so far, the No. 16
Saints stay in the middle of this ranking thanks to impressive
out-of-conference play, including a win over No. 9 Western Michigan. Kyle
Flanagan is averaging two points per game as St. Lawrence has converted a
fourth of their powerplays, rendering an 0-7 night in a loss to Yale all the
more confusing.
8. Clarkson 1-0-1
(1-4-4)
The Golden Knights lost their first four games. They tied
the next three, entering the ECAC season winless, before suddenly taking three
points from Yale and Brown. This strange team has defied analysis so far, but
they’re going to need to score more goals to be competitive.
9. Princeton 2-0
(2-2)
The Tigers scored three goals in the last five minutes to
steal a game from Cornell, then shut out Colgate 4-0. They did not look good in
the Ivy Showcase or their exhibitions, however, and it remains to be seen
whether this team will exceed its low expectations. Princeton was ranked 11th
in both the media and coaches preseason polls.
10. Brown 0-2-2
(1-3-2)
The Bears came out with ties against St. Lawrence and
Clarkson, and kept Harvard close till late in the third of a 3-2 loss. The team
lacks scoring depth and life for Marco de Filippo in net has been difficult, as
he is averaging over 30 shots against per game. So far, he’s performed
admirably, and the Bears are once again displaying the never-say-die attitude
that has become familiar to ECAC fans.
11. Colgate 0-3-1
(4-6-1)
The Raiders tied Cornell and took Quinnipiac to overtime two
weeks after beating the Bobcats in Cape Cod. The 4-0 loss to Princeton,
however, might be more indicative of Colgate’s ability. They’ve been below
average on special teams and neither Eric Mihalik nor freshman Spencer Finney look
like viable answers in net to the ECAC’s best offenses.
12. RPI 0-4-0
(1-5-2)
The Engineers have suffered from a difficult schedule, with
their four losses coming to Harvard, Dartmouth, and Union twice. Unfortunately,
easier opponents won’t necessarily improve RPI’s record, as the team has looked
entirely lifeless in those games and ranks 10th or worse in the
conference in every major statistic.
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