ECAC Hockey Report, 1996 January 22

Of the five ECAC hockey teams poised to make a move in the standings, only the St. Lawrence Saints managed to do so. They handed Vermont their first defeat of the season, 3-2, and trounced Dartmouth 7-3 en route to a home sweep and a first-place tie with the Catamounts. St. Lawrence's travel partner, Clarkson, could only manage a split, downing Dartmouth 7-2 before falling 6-3 to Vermont, who also split on the weekend. Continuing the trend were Cornell and Colgate, who split their home-and-home series, the Red Raiders holding off a Cornell comeback try to prevail 4-3 in Hamilton, and the Big Red taking their revenge, 6-3, three nights later at Lynah Rink. In the one other league contest, RPI defeated Capital District foes Union by a 4-2 score. Meanwhile, in non-league play, Brown were lucky to escape Colorado Springs with three points, as they tied Air Force at 4 Friday and edged them 5-4 Saturday, while Yale were 5-2 losers at Merrimack 2-0 casualties at home against Army.

In the ECAC standings this week, Saint Lawrence's defeat of Vermont leaves the two squads in a dead heat at 19 points with eleven games played. A comparatively enormous 3-point drop brings us to Colgate, in third with 16 points and an extra game played; three teams tail the Red Raiders with 15 points: Clarkson have done it in eleven games, while Cornell have taken an extra game to get there and Harvard have taken two. Just out of striking distance in seventh place are the Bears of Brown University, with 10 points, followed by RPI with 9 and the 6-point trio of Union, Dartmouth and Yale. Finally, Princeton, idle for exams, remain in last with a mere 4 points.

Next weekend will see most squads even up their number of elapsed league contests at twelve, as the only conference play is single games between travel partners Clarkson and St. Lawrence, Vermont and Dartmouth, and Rensselaer and Union. In non-conference play, Cornell entertain Mass-Amherst tomorrow night, and over the weekend Colgate host a pair with CCHA standout Western Michigan, Brown visit Northeastern and Union host the Fighting Falcons of the Air Force Academy. Princeton and Harvard are again taking the week off.

With the ECAC hockey report, this is Joe P------k, Mr. Squishy sports.

Last Modified: 1996 January 21
Joe Schlobotnik / squishy@physics.ucsb.edu