Another weekend and for two teams it was moving weekend, as Union and Colgate both picked up huge sweeps. Union was CHN’s Team of the Week after sweeping Capital Region Rival, RPI, much to the surprise of many including myself. Colgate picked up the rare sweep in the North Country, of two highly ranked teams in last week’s Power Rankings, St. Lawrence and Clarkson.  Union and Colgate are likewise the biggest movers of the weekend. Some teams will play conference games this weekend while others will not, strange scheduling all around because of the holidays and some schools in the middle of exams, like Union. Without further ado here is the run down of where teams belong.

1. Quinnipiac (11-1-1, 5-0-1) – Last Week 1

Pretty sure this isn’t a question; if it is you have probably been living in a cave somewhere since last November. Read this week’s, Three Things I Think, as I elaborate on the Bobcats. Quinnipiac is on a 12 game unbeaten streak, picking up a sweep of Harvard and Dartmouth over the weekend.

2. Yale (4-1-2, 2-0-2) – Last Week 4

Last weekend, Yale had and won a lone game against Sacred Heart. Although Sacred Heart is hardly a quality opponent, Yale is still one of two teams undefeated in ECAC play and they are unbeaten in six games. Yale should get a test from Cornell and Colgate on the road this weekend.

3. Union (6-3-2, 5-1-0) – Last Week 7

The biggest mover of the week is Union, whom is up four spots after a home and home sweep of Rensselaer. The Dutchmen are doing everything they weren’t in the first five games of the season and they are getting quality goaltending from Colin Sullivan. It has won five of six games, with the only loss to Colgate. Read more about Union in my Three Things I Think, it has two points in it.

4. Clarkson (10-3-1, 4-2-0) – Last Week 3

Clarkson won in Clarkson fashion on Friday night as Allan McPherson scored with 37 seconds remaining to defeat Cornell, at home. On Saturday though, the Golden Knights entered the third period up 3-1 on the ever inconsistent Colgate, but it struggled in the period allowing its opponent three goals in the 4-3 loss. Clarkson is better than that and it has proved it on many occasions this season.

5. Colgate (6-6-1, 4-2-0) – Last Week 8

Colgate has played the third toughest schedule of any team in the nation according to Krach and over the weekend it proved that it may be a sleeper in the ECAC this season. It picked up the ever difficult North Country road sweep and beat two teams that I thought were two of the best I have seen all season. In all up though Colgate has some talent, it just needs consistency and consistent defense to be taken seriously. Keep picking up wins like last weekend though and Colgate could be that team that comes from nowhere.

6. St. Lawrence (6-4-2, 2-2-2) – Last Week 2

St. Lawrence built me up like The Foundations song and let me down over the weekend. It may have been a bad weekend for the Saints, but really giving up 10 goals just isn’t a good weekend at all. The Saints have arguably the most talented offense in the ECAC, but the defense and goaltending is letting them down. Consistent defense and goaltending will be ever key for them going forward, for now though I will keep the Saints, reluctantly, near the top.

7. Rensselaer (6-4-2, 2-3-2) – Last Week 5

Rensselaer belongs much higher in these rankings. It is much more talented than the 2-3-2 record it has in the ECAC but then again a team must win games and RPI has struggled to do so in recent weeks. Since a win against New Hampshire on October 26th, the Engineers have won just two out of seven games. Although it has only lost three, it just hasn’t won the games or scored the big goal to win those games. Rensselaer has the talent to be at the top of the ECAC and have been underachieving in recent weeks. It’s not too late to start winning for RPI and it probably should start doing so in large numbers, they are too talented to win just two in seven games.

8. Cornell (4-3-1, 2-3-1) – Last Week 6

31 shots in two games over the weekend, and 11 in a game against Clarkson just won’t win hockey games. The Big Red have averaged 18 shots a game over eight games so far and at times the numbers have been mind boggling, getting just 11 shots on Friday and 11 shots against Union last Saturday. Shooting 16 percent is pretty good though, so maybe if the shots come Cornell will pick up tons of wins but until then the inconsistent play will probably continue. Cornell fits in the same category as Rensselaer as it has the talent to be much higher in these rankings. Cornell picked up a win on Saturday, 5-2, against St. Lawrence.

9. Brown (3-3-1, 1-2-1) – Last Week 9

Brown had last weekend and needed it, as it was nursing key injuries to key guys. Nick Lappin was the most notable of the names and the Bears will be back in action this weekend on the road against Cornell and Colgate.

10. Harvard (3-4-1, 2-4-1) – Last Week 10

Harvard didn’t prove to me that it should stay here, getting trounced on Wednesday night against BC but a win against Princeton was due and needed from the boys from Cambridge. Harvard had lost four consecutive games before the Saturday win against Princeton. Harvard is off until next Tuesday, when it plays at New Hampshire.

11. Princeton (2-7-0, 1-5-0) – Last Week 11

If not for having two wins to the team below them, Princeton would be winless and be ranked last in these rankings. But because there is a clear bottom team in the league right now, the Tigers are not there. Princeton needs wins against everybody else, it currently sits in 57th place out of 59 teams in the Krach and has only scored more than three goals just once on the year, in its win against Dartmouth Saturday.

12. Dartmouth (0-8-0, 0-6-0) – Last Week 12

It is probably a good thing for Dartmouth that all 12 teams will make the ECAC tournament. Dartmouth was swept on the weekend by Princeton 5-3 on Friday and by Quinnipiac 3-1 on Saturday. Dartmouth needs a win but Saturday’s performance had to be a step in the right direction, holding Quinnipiac to just three goals seems like quite the accomplishment for them. The Big Green have this weekend off and face travel partner, Harvard, next Saturday. I should be in the house for that one, maybe I can bring them some luck, didn’t help last weekend though.

Wednesday, November 20th, 2013 - 10:18 pm | Blogs, ECAC, Notes, Thoughts, Ramblings