Come back each week for a preview of interesting NCAA games coming up and some thoughts on what happened in the previous week's action. Check out How to Watch for links to all the weekend's games.
(11) Boston University vs. (9) Clarkson
Thursday at 7:00 PM Central
There are two teams that know how to hang on, how to come back and how to win in extra time. There's a never say die attitude in both of them and while I think that means we'll get a really interesting game, I also hope for everyone's sake that this doesn't mean this game lasts several hours.
BU moves the puck well, but can hit ruts where they cannot put the puck in the back of the net. I'm not sure they'll have the same time and space against Clarkson's defense nor do I think they'll be able to get away with a low scoring game here. The pace of this game is going to be quicker and the Terriers can't get caught trying to do too much. They have to trust their instincts and move the puck.
The Golden Knights are not only strong on defense, but their blue liners are their highest scorers. Clarkson is going to look to pick off the puck and head quickly the other direction. BU has to be ready for that transition and not let Haley Winn or Nicole Gosling get too comfortable and settled in on offense.
Clarkson has a really strong power play and is really good at drawing penalties, as well. The Terriers likely cannot win this game if it gets really physical. They need to not get trapped on the boards and not stop moving their feet. Throwing out sticks and trying to make plays from behind the player is likely to lead to penalties. They have to play smart and not get drawn in by the Golden Knights.
Maybe the biggest things Clarkson has going for themselves is experience. They played in the Frozen Four last season and generally have an older roster that's been through this all before. It's Boston University's first NCAA berth in a decade and ironically, the last time around they played in Madison. That was a loss to Wisconsin, so they have to win here to get a chance at any revenge.
(8) St. Lawrence vs. (7) Penn State
Thursday at 7:00 PM Eastern
These two teams met in this round last season with St. Lawrence taking a 1-0 win in overtime. They were incredibly well-matched and the game featured a ton of back and forth action.
This season, I think Penn State has the edge. Coach Jeff Kampersal has had a strategy for his team over a number of seasons and it feels like it has been fully realized this season. To some extent, they were a bit of an upstart still at this time last year and SLU's experience won out the game. Penn State didn't have enough support around Tessa Janecke and one player cannot do all and be all.
This year, Penn State is older, more experienced and had just one conference loss all season. In non-conference play, they scored wins over Northeastern, UConn and Minnesota. Janecke is still the centerpiece, but they have, at a minimum, two very strong lines capable of scoring big goals, but more realistically three lines they can roll and have shown they don't need to be controlled for matchups.
St. Lawrence finished third in the ECAC and scored wins over Clarkson and Colgate on the way, but just haven't been as prolific offensively. They do have a very strong goaltender in Emma-Sofie Nordström, who could very much be an x-factor for them here. They're also much better on the power play and Penn State leads the country in penalty minutes, averaging more than nine per game.
I think if Penn State scores early, that sets the tone, gives them confidence and puts them at a big advantage. Keeping this close is the key to St. Lawrence getting the win.
Sacred Heart vs. (6) Minnesota Duluth
Thursday at 7:00 PM Eastern
With the biggest apologies to Sacred Heart, I would be shocked if the Bulldogs ever give them a chance to get into this game. UMD is so good on defense - they slow down the game, get in the way, block pucks and generally make it difficult to get shots on net. And even if a team gets past all that, they then have to beat one of the finalists for Goalie of the Year in Ève Gascon.
WCHA Rookie of the Year Caitlin Kramer leads Minnesota Duluth's offense. Expect some quick chances in transition, but part of what makes Kraemer so successful is how dangerous she is on every part of the ice. She's big and strong, winning battles on the boards, holding off defenders and fighting for space in front of the net. She's got a quick and accurate shot that she can use from distance or in stride to catch the goalie off guard.
Sacred Heart was successful this year in large part because of how well they worked as a team. They weren't on top of any offensive statistical categories in NEWHA as a team or individually, but they played consistently and improved as the season went on. They also have very good goaltending and they'll rely on their strong blue line and goalie to keep them in the game and give themselves a chance. They can't play timid and they can't be intimidated. They have to play the sort of all out, confident game they did in the NEWHA title game, take some risks on offense and be ready to pounce on opportunities when they come up.
UMD has to not get frustrated if SHU can slow them down with defense and trust in what they've been able to do all season.
(Photo: Twitter/BU Women's Hockey)
