Re: ECAC Pick The Standings Contest 20013-14
I'm going to do something a little different this year, because I always feel like I'm fitting teams in, causing my pick to go awful. I'll give my reasoning for each team, along with a range of where I think they'll finish. I will then order them, make adjustments for teams that are tied on range, and finally give my pick.
Brown: Two strong performances in the Ivy Shootout, but the jury's still out. 5-8
Cornell: They're Cornell. Last year was a fluke. I don't know the last time they missed the top 4 twice in a row under the 12-team ECAC format. 2-5
Dartmouth: I had high hopes for these guys as I have had in most years. I'm going to have to let Gaudet prove his top tiering. 7-10
Harvard: A decent recruiting class, but who knows what they can do as a team. Hopes aren't high. 8-11
Princeton: Just as Dartmouth, prove you belong at the top this year. 9-12
Yale: This was up in the air until the shootout, and as we saw, they're not really picking up where they left off. They'll compete for the bye, but I don't see the same national run. 4-7
Clarkson: Casey Jones' job is on the line after two subpar seasons. They've really stepped up this year, and I look for them to make something happen. 5-8
Colgate: After a rebuilding year, they don't quite look set and ready. I believe this is going to take another year before they're really competing. 7-10
Quinnipiac: Against the competition, numbers are a little deceiving. They'll be competitive, and they'll challenge well for the bye, but I don't see them winning the league regular season again. 3-6
RPI: This is one of those teams where I believe they'd be competing for the top if they were in another league. They don't match up all that well against the ECAC, save for a couple teams. However, if it's another cluster of a season, they could pull it out. 2-5
SLU: After the non-conference play, given who they played, I believe this is the team to beat. The Marsh question was answered last year, and they seem tough. 1-4
Union: I thought next year would be the year of reckoning for this team, but that was before who they lost. This is going to be a rebuilding year. 6-9
Now, to sort them, and list my pick. This is my official prediction:
1. SLU
2. Cornell
3. RPI
4. Quinnipiac
5. Yale
6. CCT
7. Brown
8. Union
9. Colgate
10. Dartmouth
11. Harvard
12. Princeton