The Crimson have doubled their conference points from the
first fourteen games in the last four. They’ve also tied their year-end mark
from 2012-2013 and are suddenly somehow one point away from home ice in the
first round. In other words, yet another frantic February run in Boston! Here’s
a look at the rest of the conference. As usual, all rankings come from the
USCHO.com poll.
1. #3 Union (14-3-1,
20-6-4, unchanged)
The Dutchmen are in great position to capture their third
Cleary cup in four years, having weathered a number of suspensions after the
Mayor’s Cup. Union is a proven ECAC powerhouse, and now the question becomes
much more serious and much heavier: can Rick Bennett’s men finally succeed on
the national stage?
2. #5 Quinnipiac (11-4-3,
21-6-3, unchanged)
Rand Pecknold is a miracle. This team regularly ices five
underclassmen at the blue line, and yet the Bobcats are tied for second
nationally with a 1.97 goals against average. Michael Garteig might snag a
Hobey Baker nomination just like his predecessor Eric Hartzell.
3. #19 Colgate (10-5-3,
14-11-5, up two spots)
The young Raiders have put some distance between themselves
and the dreaded five spot in the table. They deserve more love in the national
polls—how they rank below Cornell, who they trounced 6-1 on February 8th,
is beyond me.
4. #14 Yale (8-7-3,
13-8-4, down one spot)
Yale is the most indecipherable team in the conference.
They’ve yet to win or lose more than two games in a row season and follow
impressive performances with awful ones. In good news: Tommy Fallen has finally
started to provide the blue-line offense that everyone knew he could.
5. #13 Cornell (8-6-4,
12-7-5, down one spot)
The Big Red have a solid roster, but I got the impression
seeing them in person that they might depend too much on Mr. Iles in net.
Suddenly Cornell is slipping, with a controversial 2-1 decision over Brown as
their only win from the last two weekends.
6. Clarkson (10-8-0,
17-13-2, unchanged)
No points from a home weekend against Harvard and Dartmouth?
The Golden Knights have mostly kept their doubters at bay throughout the
season, but now they finally slip from the national polls. They might become
the dreaded “reverse sleeper” in the tournament—a good team that everyone picks
against.
7. RPI (7-7-4,
13-12-5, unchanged)
The brawl at the Mayor’s Cup has failed to awake or depress
the middling Engineers, who continue to split weekends. They find themselves in
a dangerous position: within reach of the top four but not quite clear of the
bottom four either. RPI must hold home ice against the North Country teams this
weekend.
8. St. Lawrence (5-9-4,
11-15-4, up one spot)
Since my last Power Rankings, St. Lawrence has posted wins
over Quinnipiac and Union. No other ECAC team can say that for the season
(although Brown, Colgate, and Clarkson all have a chance before season’s end).
The Saints might finally be turning the corner on defense, allowing only 13
goals in their last six outings.
9. Harvard (5-9-4,
9-12-4 up one spot)
The Crimson looked very good in defeating Princeton, Boston
University, and Dartmouth. Against Clarkson and St. Lawrence, they deserved
zero points and got three. You can thank Steve Michalek, who’s leaped Raphael
Girard in save percentage for the season and in Donato’s trust.
10. Brown (7-10-1,
10-12-3, down two spots)
Wheels coming off the wagon? Not quite, as Brown upset
Quinnipiac at home this past weekend (just like another struggling Ivy did last
year). Before that, the Bears had lost five of six. Mark Naclerio’s been one of
the best forwards in the conference over that stretch, however.
11. Dartmouth (5-12-1,
6-16-3, unchanged)
A team ravaged by injuries and inconsistency all year still
has a chance of claiming a first-round bye, especially if they can claim a win
over Brown tonight and see St. Lawrence lose out. In all likelihood, though,
Eric Neiley and the Big Green will be trying to spoil someone else’s first
round.
12. Princeton (4-14-0,
5-20-0, unchanged)
When Princeton was on the power play in their last game
against Yale, the Tigers scored two goals. The Bulldogs scored three. It’s been
that kind of season.
