Although home-ice has been guaranteed for the Dutchmen, the final regular-
season games play a big role for most teams this weekend, including sixth
place Union. With league sweeps of Brown and Dartmouth, Union would take
over the fourth and final bye spot with a sweep of their own. Regardless of the
performance of Brown or Dartmouth, the Dutchmen need two wins for better
positioning in the event of a first round series, the first ever played at Achilles
Rink.
Union will face Vermont and Dartmouth this weekend, two teams that the
Dutchmen defeated on the road back in January (4-2, 2-0 respectively).
Dartmouth currently sits in a tie for fourth place with Brown while Vermont is
in a tie with St. Lawrence in ninth place, one spot out of home ice.
The Catamounts are coming off of two losses last weekend to Harvard and
Brown by scores of 2-5 and 0-3. Dartmouth split at home, beating Brown 3-2
and dropping a 1-4 decision to Harvard.
The Dutchmen will try to take advantage of home ice after being swept on
the road last weekend by Colgate and Cornell (1-5, 1-3). Union can take a lot
from the road loss at nationally-ranked Cornell (#2), playing one of their best
defensive games of the season. Union scored first vs. the Big Red, and is one of
four teams that have held Cornell to less than four goals at Lynah Rink (one goal
being an empty-netter).