A full slate of eight Out-of-Conference games today headlined by the Middlebury/Plattsburgh PrimeLink ShootOut final. Not much in the way of live coverage because it is Thanksgiving weekend, but Tufts, Amherst's matchup with nationally ranked Babson and the Middlebury tournament final all have webcasts.
Suffolk Rams (3-3-1) vs. Bowdoin Polar Bears (2-2-1)
1 PM Alfond Rink; Waterville, ME
On this date in 2001, Bowdoin coach Terry Meagher won his 300th game, joining Sid Watson in the 300 club and making Bowdoin the first D-III hockey program with two 300 win coaches. Earlier this week, Meagher won his 500th game in a 9-3 route of University of New England in Biddeford.
Today, the Polar Bears face off against the Boston based Sulffolk Rams at Colby in the first game of of the Bowdoin/Colby FaceOff Classic. Bowdoin beat Suffolk 5-2 last season at the same event and the Polar Bears have a 4-0-1 all-time record against the ECAC-Northeast member. USCHO's Tim Costello has Bowdoin winning 4-2.
Salve Regina Seahawks (6-1-0) at Trinity Bantams (3-1-0)
4 PM Koeppel Center; Hartford, CT
Salve Regina is off to a hot start in the ECAC-NE and this game might be tougher for the Bantams than what we thought when the schedule came out. The Bantams look to take their first OOC game of the season after suffering their first loss last time out against NESCAC foe Amherst. USCHO's Nathan Fourier (ECAC-NE columnist) has Trinity winning a high scoring 5-4 affair while Costello predicts a 4-2 Bantams win.
Wentworth Leopards (3-5-0) at Wesleyan Cardinals (3-2-0)
4 PM Spurrier Rink; Middletown, CT
Another ECAC-NE opponent for a NESCAC school. Wesleyan faces off against the defending ECAC-NE champions, though the Leopards haven't played like defending champs this season. The Cardinals own a 7-5-2 series advantage over the Leopards including a 2-1 victory over Wentworth last year. The Leopards return all but four of their players from last season's team that lost to Tufts, Wesleyan and Williams but defeated Middlebury in the finals of the Middlebury Classic. Fournier likes Wesleyan and Costello has the Cardinals winning 5-2.
Amherst Lord Jeffs (5-0-0) at Babson Beavers (7-0-0)
4 PM Babson Skating Center; Babson Park, MA
Babson Preview Live Stats Video
Amherst faces their biggest test so far this season in the seventh ranked (both polls) Beavers. Babson owns a 22-12-3 all-time mark against Amherst, but the Lord Jeffs have won the last five gams dating back to 2008. The Beavers feature Wesleyan transfer and Cardinals 2011-12 leading scorer Nik Tasiopoulos (F, '14). Costello has the Beavers winning this game, 2-1, by an eyelash.
UMass-Dartmouth Corsairs (2-5-0) vs Colby Mules (2-2-1)
4 PM Alfond Rink; Watterville, ME
The second half of the Waterville leg of the Bowdoin/Colby Faceoff Classic. The Corsairs return to Maine for the first time since being eliminated from the NCAA Tournament by Bowdoin last March. UMD lost nine seniors, including four of the top six scorers, from that team and have been off to a slow start. Fournier has UMD winning 6-3 in a pretty suspect pick.
Tufts Jumbos (0-5-0) at Castleton Spartans (3-2-1)
6 PM Spartan Arena; Rutland, VT
Castelton Preview Live Stats Audio Video
Tufts returns to the Rutland Invitational, a tournament they went 1-1 at last season. In this year's first round, the Jumbos face the host Spartans from the ECAC-East. The Casteton preview picks Jumbos freshman Ryan Kellenberger (G, '17) as a player to watch. Kellenberger has played all but five minutes in net for the Jumbos this season. He'll face off against the seasoned vet Erick Cinotti who has some awesome/beard. Cinotti could pass for a Marc Gasol doppelganger if Gasol was fifteen inches shorter.
NSN runs the Castelon webcast so we'll get to see how it compares to Bowdoin, Middlebury and Williams' NSN product. Costello has Castelon squeaking out a 4-3 victory.
Utica Pioneers (6-2-1) at Conn College Camels (0-4-0)
7 PM Dayton Arena; New London, CT
Conn College looks for its first win of the season in a tough matchup with defending Frozen Four participant Utica. The Pioneers might be out for a blood after being shocked, 3-2, at the Aud last night by previously (1-6-1) Morrrisville. Costello predicts a realtively close 5-3 Utica win, while UCHO's Ecac West blogger, Dan Hickling, isn't so kind to the Camels in his 7-2 Pioneer prediction.
Middlebury Panthers (3-0-2) vs Plattsburgh Cardinals (7-0-1)
7 PM Stafford Arena; Plattsburgh, NY
Video Audio
Middlebury tied Norwich in the 1st round of the Primelink Great Northern Shootout and advanced on shutouts while host Plattsburgh defeated the invitational team, Wisconsin-Superior, to setup one of the best games in D-III hockey this weekend in the Primelink finals. Middlebury and Plattsburgh have played for the Primelink title against each other three times, with the Panthers winning two (2003, 2005) and the Cardinals winning one (1999).
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