League Action Intensifies Over Next Seven Days
Holy Cross, Quinnipiac Get Jump On Atlantic Hockey foes
Weekly Release (PDF)

Atlantic Hockey turns up the heat in the first week of the New Year, as all nine members will engage in league play against each other over the next seven days. After a light week of action that saw Holy Cross and Quinnipiac come away victorious in conference play and improve their positions in the Atlantic Hockey standings, the rest of the league will look for a strong start to the second half of the season beginning Tuesday night, the busiest night on the ice this week.

Holy Cross picked up a split in the UConn Hockey Classic last week, defeating the host Huskies 6-3 on Thursday before falling in the championship to Brown 5-2. While the Crusaders failed to take the championship, they still left Storrs with two important league points after the win on Thursday, moving Holy Cross ahead of Mercyhurst in the Atlantic Hockey standings to third. Atlantic Hockey Player of the Week Tyler McGregor and Atlantic Hockey Goaltender of the Week Tony Quesada helped their teammates to the win on Thursday, as McGregor, who finished the weekend with three goals and an assist, had two goals while Quesada made 38 saves.

Quinnipiac also gained some ground in Atlantic Hockey during its final meeting of the season with Bentley, edging out the Falcons 3-2. With Quinnipiac holding a 3-1 lead late in the contest, Bentley closed within one with less than a minute remaining on an extra-attacker marker, but the Falcons could not come any closer. Matt Froehlich scored a pair of goals in the victory for the Bobcats, including the game-winner in the third.

The holiday week was not as kind to Connecticut, as the Huskies were dealt three straight losses. Falling victim to the Crusaders on Thursday, 6-3, UConn was tripped up by Merrimack on Friday 4-1, and then on Sunday the Huskies could not generate any offense against Union, falling 4-0. Getting back on track this week may be a tough task for UConn. The Huskies travel to Army for a set this weekend, and lead the Black Knights by only one point in the Atlantic Hockey standings.

Sacred Heart and Army had the opportunity to clear out any cobwebs last week in exhibition play. The Pioneers and Black Knights both came away with similar 5-2 victories over St. Clair, as Sacred Heart played the role of host on Wednesday before Army had its chance against St. Clair on Thursday.

The week kicks off with a bang tomorrow night when the top six teams in the conference compete against each other. Quinnipiac embarks on a three-game road trip during the week beginning at lead-leading Canisius tomorrow, followed by a trip to Erie on Wednesday at Mercyhurst, the only action in Atlantic Hockey that night. The Bobcats round out the week on Sunday at nationally-ranked Maine.

Mercyhurst is the only other team in Atlantic Hockey that will play three games this week, two of which will come at home. The Lakers open up the week against Bentley Tuesday, the lone game of the week for the Falcons, followed by Quinnipiac Wednesday. Mercyhurst closes out the week on Sunday with the second meeting of the season against fellow Keystone State resident Robert Morris, a squad which the Lakers rolled past back in October, 8-2.

Holy Cross will meet Sacred Heart Tuesday night in the first contest of the season between the two squads, followed by closing out the season series at American International on Friday. The Yellow Jackets have been by far a pest all season long for Holy Cross, as the Crusaders have had to battle from behind in each of the previous two meetings with AIC back in November, but have managed to come away with a win and a tie over the Yellow Jackets. American International will travel to Princeton tomorrow night before meeting Holy Cross on Friday.

The Golden Griffins didn’t get the early Christmas presents they were looking for the weekend before the holiday, falling to nationally-ranked North Dakota twice on the road, 5-1 and 4-1. Returning to action for the first time since those games tomorrow night, Canisius will have the opportunity to improve its hold on first place with the first meeting of the season against Quinnipiac Tuesday night, followed by one of the biggest games of the season on Saturday when the Griffs battle crosstown rival Niagara for all the bragging rights in Buffalo this year.