"They're playing really well," Martins said. "I mean number three in the country isn't bad."
Martins has kept in hockey shape with daily pool workouts, but the sophomore powerpack can't wait to make his return.
"I certainly just want to get out there," Martins said.
Sitting Pretty: Heading into tomorrow's game against Ivy whipping post, Dartmouth, Harvard is sitting pretty both in the league and in the nation.
If (when) the Crimson beats Dartmouth, Harvard will hold a sevenpoint league lead over second-place Yale and a nine-point lead over Rensselaer and St. Lawrence, which are tied for third. With that type of lead, the Crimson is cruising towards another regular-season title.
And it's also cruising towards a high bid in the NCAA tournament--if we dare look that far ahead. Harvard consolidated its position as the number three team in the nation after its pounding of once-vaunted, now-jilted Vermont (the Catamounts, ranked number nine at the beginning of the season after sweeping paper tigers, St. Lawrence, and Clarkson, are nowhere in the polls now).
Michigan jumped to second and Lake Superior State (formerly number two) dropped to fourth.
Getting Your Kicks: Army dropped out of Division I two years ago, because it couldn't find a way to win (other than beating up its opponents, which worked a few times).
Colgate may have found a more appropriate solution. Stay in the league and take the lumps. Just play horrible non-league teams to make it all worthwhile.
The Red Raiders are 0-6 in league play and have been outscored 37-18. But the team has gotten its kicks by beating Canadian cream-puff York, 7-3, earlier this year, and Division III Plattsburgh, 14-3, Friday.
After winter break, Colgate will play Kent State and Air Force, in between league shellackings.
At least they're wins.
ECAC Notes: Clarkson continued its descent into hockey oblivion this past week with an ignominious 5-4 loss at Princeton and a 4-4 tie at Yale. The Knights have had as much talent as any team in the nation the past two years, and, just like last year, seem headed for nowhere. Think Coach Mark Morris will be around much longer?...The big college hockey action this winter break won't be in some backwoods, Empire State hell-hole, as it usually is. This time, it's in Inglewood, Calif., which, depending on your standards, isn't much of an improvement. The Great Western Forum will host its annual shootout featuring Lake Superior State, Maine, Western Michigan and Princeton (huh?). The Bears-Lakers likely championship match on December 20 should be very interesting...Harvard Captain Ted Drury may make the Hobey Baker Finalist list, but don't count out St. Lawrence's Greg Carvel. After collecting four assists in his team's road split, Carvel's stat line is awesome: 11 goals, 15 assists in just 12 games. That's 2.2 points per game. Wow...
Princeton freshman right wing J.P. Connor was named ECAC Player of the Week after scoring two goals in the 5-4 upset of Clarkson...RPI's 9-3 win over Union kept the Engineers ninth in the nation.