Weekend Preview: Holy Cross Eyes Top Spot
Crusaders Fight For First Place With Mercyhurst, Canisius This Weekend
Weekend Preview (PDF)

An exciting weekend of action is in store for Atlantic Hockey fans, as eight teams face off against each other in league play over two days. The potential for a few teams to make a move in the Atlantic Hockey standings is great, but some squads will need a little help from other league members in order to gain the most out of the weekend.

Frontrunner Canisius controls its own destiny entering the weekend. Holding a slim margin over second-place Holy Cross, the Golden Griffs host American International on Friday followed by the Crusaders on Saturday, meeting both teams for the first time this season in matinee matchups. The Griffs come off an exciting 5-2 win over non-conference rival Niagara on the road, and a four-point weekend would give Canisius a stronghold on first place.

Standing in the way of the Griffs will be one of the hottest teams in Atlantic Hockey at the moment, Holy Cross. The defending champs have been on a tear since Thanksgiving, winning six of their last eight games, losing only to Brown in the UConn Hockey Classic Championship on December 31. Before Holy Cross can begin to think about Canisius on Saturday, the Crusaders will meet with Mercyhurst Friday evening in Erie, a team that Holy Cross beat in all three meetings last season. A favorable weekend bodes well for the Crusaders, who host both Canisius and Mercyhurst for two games at home later in the season.

Currently in a two-way tie for third place, the Lakers are looking to steer a true course this weekend themselves. Mercyhurst hasn’t totally been off the charts in its play, however five of its last seven contests have gone into the extra session, four of which have ended in ties. A strong weekend on the ice may prove to be what the Lakers need to start the stretch run as the predicted favorites, along with a favorable precursor to Tuesday’s meeting at home against Canisius.

Back East, Sacred Heart, the final member of the top four, takes to the ice in a home-home series against Bentley beginning Friday night in Boston. The two teams have already met once this season, a close decision in favor of Sacred Heart, 5-3. Sharing third place with the Lakers, the Pioneers have a long shot at reclaiming first place in the league this weekend, but a shot nonetheless. If everything fell into place for Sacred Heart, the Pioneers could be back at the top tied with Canisius. Bentley, on the other hand, will look to build off a tie with Mercyhurst from last week, the only game the Falcons have played so far in 2005. Bentley has struggled as of late, coming away with a win in only one of its last nine outings.

Quinnipiac and Connecticut round out league competition with their first meeting of the season Friday night at Quinnipiac to kick off a home-home series. The Bobcats took the season series last year with an interesting 1-0-2 record, winning the first meeting before tying the next two. The Huskies come off a weekend split at Army, and find themselves only one point behind the Bobcats in the Atlantic Hockey standings.

Army renews a rivalry this weekend when the Black Knights take to the road to face Air Force this weekend for a set. The Black Knights have taken three of the last four games against the Falcons, including a sweep the last time Army made the trip out to Colorado Springs. Friday’s game will be featured on CSTV’s Friday Night Hockey package, the first time this season for an Atlantic Hockey team to make the broadcast.