Weekend Preview: FleetCenter Doubleheader Highlights Weekend
Crowded House at the Top of Standings
Weekend Preview (PDF)

A week ago, Holy Cross held down first place with a five point lead over then fourth-place Mercyhurst. Today, Canisius is in first place, and is only separated from fourth-place Quinnipiac by three points. To say that the race for the regular season championship in Atlantic Hockey is tight would be the understatement of the year. There are only four weekends remaining in the regular season, and points are the most valuable commodity to members of Atlantic Hockey this weekend. Canisius will have to sit and watch this weekend, as Holy Cross did the week prior, and the Griffs may find themselves knocked out of first place in the process.

Saturday’s doubleheader at the FleetCenter has been one of the most talked about events surrounding Atlantic Hockey in the previous weeks, but before the four squads take to the ice on Saturday afternoon, they will have some business to take care of first Friday evening.

Quinnipiac, the hottest team in Atlantic Hockey at the moment, will take its six-game winning streak into a Friday night matchup at home against American International. Holy Cross will have the toughest test of the weekend of any Atlantic Hockey club, as the second-place Crusaders will clash with third-place Sacred Heart on Friday in Worcester. After Friday’s slate for the Bobcats and Crusaders, the two teams will take center ice in the first game Saturday at the FleetCenter, beginning at 5:00 p.m. The winner of the contest may find themselves in first place before the night is over.

Connecticut and Bentley will come together Friday night before meeting for the final time on Saturday in the late game (8:00 p.m.) at the FleetCenter. The two teams met all the way back on November 23, a 5-3 win for the Huskies. Bentley and Connecticut have been in a dead-heat in the Atlantic Hockey standings for the past few weeks. A pair of wins for either team this weekend could be the difference come March.

Fans unable to attend the Quinnipiac vs. Holy Cross and Bentley vs.Connecticut doubleheader in Boston on Saturday can still follow the game live via CSTV.com’s exclusive GameTracker Live feature. Fans logging on to CSTV.com during the games can follow the action live through GameTracker Live’s real-time statistics, scores and play-by-play. Fans can access either a full play-by-play account or just the most recent plays, and will also get line charts, live in-game player and team stats, scoring and penalty summaries, and more.

Sacred Heart is in the mix for a chance at first place coming out of the weekend. While the Pioneers will have their hands full with Holy Cross Friday, they will host American International on Saturday evening. As Quinnipiac and Holy Cross duke it out on the FleetCenter ice, Sacred Heart could easily slip under the radar Saturday and surpass both teams, if the Pioneers are able to come up with a point or better on Friday.

Mercyhurst begins a four-game homestand this weekend with a pair against Army beginning Friday night. Both teams are in dire need of points; the Lakers in order to climb back into the top four, while the Black Knights are looking to get out of last place. Six out of the next eight games for Mercyhurst will be played in Erie.