By Ryan Stieg
All good things must come to an end, and one of those things is my streak of good performances to start 2025.
This past week was a rough one as the only way I avoided going winless was that my technicality came into play during the Augustana-Bowling Green series. I predicted a split, but it ended in a Vikings win and a tie. Since all ties work in my favor, I dodged my first winless weekend. Whew.
Just like last week, I only have three series to predict as I’ll be at the Minnesota State-St. Thomas matchup, and now that February begins this weekend, each of the matchups is critical for league points. So, let’s get started with a battle featuring a newly ranked CCHA program in South Dakota.
Lake Superior State at No. 19 Augustana
For the first time this season, the Vikings are nationally ranked and deservedly so. They’re currently in second place in the CCHA standings, but within striking distance of first place Mankato. If the Mavericks stumble against the Tommies, Augie could jump into the top spot. On the other side, there’s the Lakers, who were off last week. Since the Vikings have been the most consistently good team in the league this year, I’m tempted to pick a sweep here, but I think LSSU forces a split. The Lakers win Friday 3-2, but Augie wins Saturday 4-3.
Ferris State at Bemidji State
First, let’s talk about the Beavers, who split with UST last weekend. Bemidji looked good both nights, so it appears as if it has rebounded from that tough home sweep at the hands of NMU. Ferris, on the other hand, upset Mankato last week and ended up splitting with the Mavericks, so the Bulldogs are on a bit of a high right now. Right now, Ferris is trying to stay out of last place and remain in the playoff picture, while Bemidji is trying to stay in contention for home ice. Both teams need points, so I’m picking a split here. The Bulldogs win Friday 2-1, but the Beavers win Saturday 5-2.
Bowling Green at Northern Michigan
After a surprising two weeks, it looks like the Wildcats have fallen back to earth. NMU had split with Mankato and swept Bemidji, but last week, it was swept by rival Michigan Tech. Friday’s game was tight, but the ‘Cats looked bad on Saturday and as a result, the Huskies cruised past them. Meanwhile, the Falcons have continued to play well in 2025 and right now, they hold the last home ice spot. Since BG is still fairly warm and NMU is clearly cooling off, I’m predicting a sweep. The Falcons win both games, 5-3 Friday and 4-1 Saturday.