1.Air Force – The Falcons continue to ride Stephen Caple with a weekend sweep of UConn. The Falcons average just under three goals a game to lead Atlantic Hockey. The Falcons also give up the least amount of goals in Atlantic Hockey. Both point to continued success this season. Cole Gunner leads all Atlantic Hockey freshmen 14 points while classmate is tied for the freshmen lead with five goals.

2. Mercyhurst – The Lakers had lost once in the last eight games before being swept by Wisconsin. Wisconsin out scored the Lakers 12-4 in the two games. It’s the most goals the Lakers have given up in back-to-back games this year. Daniel Bahntage continues to impress in his freshman year. He is tied with Derek Elliott for the team lead with 10 points.

3. RIT – The Tigers hung with RPI for most of the game on Friday. Aside from two power play goals, Shane Madolora let nothing through. The Tigers power play struggled on Friday, not scoring on six opportunities. They’ll have to score this weekend when they travel to UConn. Madolora has continued to shine after returning to the ice. The loss against RPI was his first of the season. He has a .927 save percentage and a 2.15 goals against average.

4. Bentley – After a hot start, the Falcons might be coming down to earth. The last time the Falcons played, they lost and tied at Merychurst. It was the first time this season that they have not gotten two points or more in conference play. The Falcons have been getting outstanding play from Branden Komm in net. His .936 save percentage is second in Atlantic Hockey. They will need that to continue.

5.Canisius – The Golden Griffins have a two-headed monster in net. The combination of Dan Morrison and Tony Capobianco have led the Golden Griffins to their second best start in conference play. Both Capobianco and Morrison have a team goals against average of 2.62, which is third in Atlantic Hockey. And with the Golden Griffins averaging a league-low 1.62 goals per game, they will need Morrison and Capobianco to continue to play well.

6. UConn – The Huskies are on a three game losing streak, their first losing streak of the season. And things aren’t going to get any easier. The Huskies host a resurgent RIT this weekend. While the Huskies have lost three straight, they’ve been in every game. They haven’t lost by more than two during the stretch. They have to get end the streak soon or they might fall too far behind in the standings.

7. Holy Cross – The Crusaders haven’t won consecutive games since Oct 15 and 22. The Crusaders have 3-6 since that point and have fallen to tenth in the standings. The Crusaders have had a hard time replacing Adam Roy in net this year. They have a 3.75 team goals against average. Only sacred Heart is worst in Atlantic Hockey. The offensive talent is there, averaging just under three goals a game, but the Crusaders need to be able to stop the puck if they want to stop the slide.

8. Robert Morris – The Colonials seemed to have found their grove. They are unbeaten in their last three games and are 3-1-1 in the last five games. The Colonials have the nation’s second best penalty kill, having only allowed three power play goals on the year. Brooks Ostergard and Eric Levine have split starts this season, but Ostergard has started all three games of the unbeaten streak. Both have played well and carry the Colonials at times.

9. Niagara – The Purple Eagles are struggling, especially to score. No one has more than four goals on the season for the Purple Eagles. But the Purple Eagles have been getting consistent play in net from Cody Campbell. He ranks fourth in the AHA in both goals against and save percentage. The Purple Eagles need to find some of the offensive magic from past years.

10. AIC – The Yellow Jackets had their three game unbeaten streak snapped by being swept by Canisius. Ben Meisner continues to play solid in net for the Yellow Jackets. But they need to score more to get more wins. They average just under two goals a game, ahead of only Army and Canisius in Atlantic Hockey.

11. Army – The Black Knights have only one win on the year but they lead the AHA with five ties overall. While the ties may not be the most satisfying things in the world, it is at least getting the Black Knights points. They are only five points out of third place and with a couple wins, they could be right back in the hunt.

12. Sacred Heart – Well, the Pioneers finally got a point in conference play. Their 4-4 tie with Niagara on Sunday gave the Pioneers their first point of the season. It only took them nine games to get it. Things just aren’t going right for the Pioneers these days. It’s going to be a long season for them.

Thursday, December 1st, 2011 - 12:22 pm | Atlantic Hockey