AES Rankings
- Minnesota
- Boston College
- Wisconsin
- Clarkson
- North Dakota
- Bemidji State
- Harvard
- Quinnipiac
- Boston University
- Cornell
Game Day Highlights
#2 Boston College at Cornell: The Big Red will jump right into things as they play host to the Eagles for their first series of the season. BC’s offense is scoring at any incredibly high pace once again this year, at 5.33 goals per game. The power play is faring better, clicking at a 25% conversion rate, and the Eagles will be hoping to sustain that this weekend as well. Cornell’s got a few questions that need answering, namely about who’s going to replace their losses in production and who’s going to step up in goal, and those will be the biggest tests for the team this weekend against a dominant Boston College squad. Sophomore Katie Burt is putting up outstanding numbers again for BC, with a .944 save percentage and 1.40 goals-against average. Out of last year’s returners, the Big Red will be counting on Erin O’Connor, Taylor Woods, and Jess Brown to threaten her, but all of those players are new to primary scoring roles.
Bemidji State at #3 Wisconsin: The Beavers are coming off of a last-second overtime win against North Dakota, and have done well in WCHA play so far, sweeping Minnesota Duluth the weekend before. But the Badgers, who have been dominant so far this season in all major areas, pose a bigger challenge. They’ll make it much tougher for Bemidji State to have much control, and though the Beavers aren’t a possession-heavy team anyways, they are at heir best when they are still dictating the pace of the game. Wisconsin has the tools in its lineup to prevent BSU from having any say in that area as well. The ice will likely lean heavily in the Badgers’ favor, but they’re still going to need to solve the BSU defense and win battles for pucks in front if they’re going to come away with two wins.
Minnesota Duluth at Minnesota: The Gophers have cruised to a 6-0-0 start this year, and a 4-0-0-0 start in WCHA play. In those four games, they’ve outscored Ohio State and St. Cloud State by a combined 36-4. Last season, the Bulldogs were able to pose an early challenge to Minnesota, tying them, 3-3, on Oct. 11. It’s going to be tougher for this year’s lineup to do the same, however. One particular area where they’re going to be overmatched is on the backend. UMD does not have the same caliber group as the Gophers have with Lee Stecklein, Milica McMillen, and Sydney Baldwin. If those three are able to influence the game as much as we’ve seen so far, the Bulldogs will have little to work with.
Players to Watch
Alex Carpenter, Forward, Boston College: 2015 Patty Kazmaier Award winner Alex Carpenter picked up right where she left off last year, with nine goals and 17 points in six games so far.
G Maddie Rooney, Goaltender, Minnesota Duluth: The freshman has been getting the nod lately in net for the Bulldogs, and she played well against BSU and Minnesota State. She has a .932 save percentage and 1.50 goals-against average coming into the weekend, but the Gophers’ offense is a much bigger test than what she’s seen so far.
F Christian Higham, Forward, Cornell: Higham’s just a rookie but with Cornell’s lack of scoring depth, she should get a chance in the top-six right away to show what she can do.
At Even Strength 