Week 6: Games To Watch Around College Hockey
The college hockey season is in full swing with week six upon us all. The top teams in college hockey have struggled at times but have mainly been a dominant force throughout the league. This week is where a lot of exciting matchups take place, and many Top 20 teams will be facing each other.
No. 11 Boston University vs. No. 1 Providence
This is where most college hockey fans’ eyes will be on this upcoming weekend. The Terriers (5-3-0) take the short trip down on Friday to Providence (6-0-1) who has proven to be the top team in the country. With dominant wins across the board, including a win at No. 10 Miami, the Friars will look to improve their 6-0-1 record on home ice. Believe it or not, defenseman Jake Walman has been leading the charge for the Friars offense. The “6-foot-1” sophomore from Toronto has shined defensively as well as offensively. Look for him to play a huge roll in the Friars’ success this weekend. Boston University’s O’Regan loves to dish the puck off for the Terriers. The senior leads the team in assists with nine and will look to continue his distribution of the puck against Providence. Boston had a nice win at home against an extremely talented Denver squad but then failed to beat UConn on the road. The team is just 1-3 on the road, and it won’t get any easier on Friday night, however Boston will play the Friars at home on Saturday afternoon where they have yet to lose a game. The puck will drop Friday 7 p.m. at Providence and 4 p.m. Saturday in Boston.
No. 8 Denver at No. 13 Minnesota-Duluth
Another top 20 matchup will take place this weekend with Denver (5-3-0) going on the road to take on Minnesota-Duluth. Minnesota-Duluth (3-4-2) has lost some close games to some tough teams which is why they are still No. 13 in the country. The Bulldogs play as a team, as there isn’t that one star or playmaker on the team. However, senior captain Andy Welinski anchors the defense for Minnesota-Duluth and is the true leader and role model for the team. Not to mention, he’s playing in his hometown, too. But, they will face a stellar Denver team who is coming off of a two game sweep of Colorado College. Yet, they will travel to Duluth with a 1-3 road record. If Denver gets into a little trouble with penalties, they shouldn’t have to worry too hard. The Pioneers are ranked 14th in the country in penalty kill due to their defense. Puck drop for both games on Friday and Saturday is 8:07 p.m.
No. 17 Miami at No. 3 North Dakota
The Miami Redhawks, who maintained a spot in the top 20, will travel to Grand Forks, North Dakota to battle it out with the University of North Dakota. After three straight losses, the Redhawks rebounded last week with a weekend sweep of Western Michigan. Miami (5-4-1) will go in holding their heads high, while North Dakota (7-1-2) will go in with disappointment from last weekend. Holding the No. 1 ranking since Oct. 16, North Dakota lost the top spot in the country with a shocking home defeat to Wisconsin. The team rebounded the next day with a win, but it was a dreadful loss to say the least. On the bright side, the Fighting Sioux have the sixth ranked defense in the country, while Miami is tied for the 50th best offense. A road game with a struggling offense will be a challenging task for the Redhawks but should be a great two games. Puck drop on Friday is set for 8:37 p.m. while Saturday will feature an 8:07 p.m. drop.
Elsewhere around college hockey, No. 7 Harvard will be taking on No. 4 Quinnipiac, No. 19 Clarkson will take on No. 15 St. Lawrence, and No 2. Boston College will be host to Michigan State for one game.
Mike Wszolek is a freshman majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email mewszolek@gmail.com.
