NCAA Game(s) of the Week: Smashville Showcase

Women’s hockey is headed back to Nashville

Women’s hockey is headed back to Nashville for the Smashville Showcase! Four teams from four different college conferences will square off in a mini tournament this weekend.

You can watch the games live on Total Package Hockey’s Twitch here.

Colgate (13-4-1) vs. Boston College (8-5-0) | Friday, November 26, at 1 p.m. ET

The Raiders come into this one after going winless last weekend, so they should be itching to reverse that trend and advance against the Eagles. Similarly, BC is coming off a tough loss against rival Boston University. Each team has been in their share of tight games this season, including a few high-scoring bouts. Colgate’s depth might be a tougher matchup for the Eagles, but the high-end offensive talent is there on Boston College’s side, too.

Minnesota (11-3-0) vs. Mercyhurst (11-4-2) | Friday, November 26, at 4:30 p.m. ET

Mercyhurst has had an interesting go of it this season, skating to dominant wins over programs like Cornell and Penn State...and then getting shut out by the same team the very next day. It’ll be important for the Lakers’ offense to get things going, especially against a team like Minnesota, who’s riding a ten-game win streak since an overtime loss to UMD back in October.

Players to Watch

Colgate: Sydney Bard, D

The Raiders’ active D is likely to be a difference-maker for them, and Bard is a key piece of that. She’s the third-ranked defender nationally in points with 16 in 18 games. Bard is a player who can help Colgate control play and prevent BC from generating much offense when she’s on the ice.

Boston College: Gaby Roy, F

Roy, now in her sophomore season, enters the Smashville Showcase with four goals and four assists under her belt. After a very promising freshman season, she’ll be looking to maintain that spark that earned her Hockey East All-Rookie team honors, which means she’ll be shooting the puck a lot more and generating chances for a hungry Eagles squad.

Minnesota: Savannah Norcross, F

While she won’t be playing her old school for certain, there’s a chance Savannah Norcross will square off against the Eagles on Saturday, so she’s going to want to put her best skate forward on Friday to get Minnesota a spot in the championship game. The forward is hungry for points and determined to make an impact on both ends of the ice.

Mercyhurst: Kristy Pidgeon, F

The transfer pickup from Clarkson has slotted right in as a focal point for the Lakers’ offense. With seven goals, eight assists, and 15 points in 16 games, she’s already reached a new career high for production. She adds a new layer of depth to Mercyhurst’s offense, which will be critical for their matchup against one of the NCAA’s best teams in Minnesota.

Our Thoughts

Gabs Fundaro: I think we’ll see Minnesota and Colgate advance and play Saturday for the showcase title, although it wouldn’t shock me to see BC skate away with a win if the game is tied up in the third, especially if Abby Newhook has anything to say about it. I also think it’d be fun to see Colgate-Minnesota, after their non-conference series earlier in the season. We don’t usually get to see these kinds of rematches outside of the postseason for non-conference teams, and I’m always intrigued to see what teams have learned from each other and the kinds of adjustments they make.

Anne Tokarski: Part of me desperately wants a Minnesota and Boston College advancement to the championship just for the Savannah Norcross Revenge Tour, but a little more realistically, I agree with Gabs. Colgate has had an exceptionally strong season so far and it would be super interesting to see the Raiders square off against the Gophers one more time in a more dramatic fashion. That being said, I wouldn’t be surprised if BC pulls off the upset over the Raiders — stranger things have happened.

Around the (rest of the) NCAA:

Friday, November 26:

Saturday, November 27:

  • Nutmeg Classic Consolation game at 3 PM ET (College Sports Live)
  • Nutmeg Classic Championship game at 6:15 PM ET (College Sports Live)
  • Providence at Brown at 2 PM ET (ESPN+)
  • Clarkson at Maine at 2 PM ET (College Sports Live)
  • Bemidji State at Lindenwood at 3:10 PM ET (Stretch Internet)
  • Minnesota Duluth at St. Lawrence at 2:30 PM ET (D1 in DC) (Sport Live Streams)
  • St. Cloud State at RPI at 3 PM ET (rpitv.org)
  • Saint Anselm at Dartmouth at 3 PM ET (ESPN+)
  • New Hampshire at Union at 3 PM ET (ESPN+)
  • Northeastern at Princeton at 3 PM ET (ESPN+)
  • Ohio State vs. Penn State at 5:30 PM ET (D1 in DC) (Sport Live Streams)
  • Syracuse at Vermont at 7 PM ET (College Sports Live)
  • Post at Wesleyan at 7 PM ET (Not streamed)/

Sunday, November 28:

  • Dartmouth at Saint Anselm at 4 PM ET (Not streamed)/