Isn't this time of year fantastic?  Sweatshirt weather, an extra hour of sleep, coming down off that Halloween candy buzz... and the college hockey rankings come out!

As if the games themselves weren't enough to get excited about, now we get to over-analyze every minutae of statistical information to validate who we think is the better team... I'm totally stoked!!!

Grab some snacks, call a few friends over, and crack open these tasty treats...

Where to begin?  Where to begin?

There are several worthy contests for the top billing , but we'd be remiss if we didn't give the nod to the team with probably the most incredible start to a program (ever?)

Trine (ACHA D2) v Michigan State

I know we seem to keep coming back to this, but we're just blown away by the start these boys have gotten off to.  Undefeated in their first 14 games, and now a #3 Central / #8 National ranking!  Goal differential seems to be the driving factor, as Trine is absolutely wearing out the goal lamps.   Heading into this weekend's home & home with Michigan State (#13 Central), the Thunder is a +127!!!  No, that's not a typo... 1... 2... 7!  What makes this even more impressive is that Trine's leading scorer (Brandon Bornkamp) is only 33rd in D2 with 29 points (12g, 17a).  Everyone is pitching in -- Bornkamp is one of 13 Thunder (Thunders? Thundermen?) averaging a point per game or higher.  Combine that with the three-headed net monster (Adam Conkling, Tyler Hough, and Joe Longo) who are all allowing in less than two goals per game, and you have all the makings of one powerful storm.

Nov. 10 @ Michigan State;  Nov. 11 v. Michigan State (3:30pm @ Thunder Ice Arena)

Indiana (ACHA D3) @ Vanderbilt

Indiana (ACHA D3) @ Ole Miss

Not as surprising is finding the D3 Hoosiers near the top of the charts (#6 North / #7 National).  A tournament team from last year, Indiana will be satisfied with nothing short of a trip to Columbus.  In spite of what might be an inconsistency in their record (8-1-1 or 6-1-1), the Hoosiers deserve their ranking.  Goaltending has been nothing short of phenominal thus far.  Ben Seinfeld has improved his stats every year, and while it would be hard to imagine maintaining his current 1.00 GAA and 0.964 Sv%, we expect his final numbers to be better than last year.  Matthew Turner trails Seinfeld by mere fractions - 1.33 GAA / 0.957 Sv% - but he too has shown significant growth year to year.  Bringing up the rear in this race is certainly not a knock against Connor Minnick.  Unlike the other two, Minnick's stats regressed somewhat last season, but he looks to be back on track.  He took the loss against #9 Michigan when the offense wasn't at it's usual level, so he deserves some slack in that one.

Nov. 10 @ Vanderbilt;  Nov. 11 @ Ole Miss (#14 South)

Indiana Tech (ACHA D3) v. Adrian

The other ranked team in Division 3, the Warriors (#10 North) have come up short against their more challenging opponents.  Being competitive with the #8 (Hope College) and #12 (Lawrence Tech) teams in the North will certainly earn you some respect, but Indiana Tech is going to have to pull a few of these out if they want to stay in the hunt.  Nick Janiszewski and Anthony Passarelli are off to a great start with 16 points each, but the Warriors are going to need some help from the bench if they are going to take down the Adrian (#3 North).

Nov. 11 v. Adrian (1:45pm @ SportOne Icehouse);  Nov. 12 @ Adrian

Notre Dame (NCAA D1) v. Penn State

Perhaps the Irish were a little too comfortable at home?  After a couple lackluster performances against Sacred Heart and Nebraska-Omaha, Coach Jeff Jackson seems to have the ship headed in the right direction again with the sweep of Ohio State last weekend.  Picking up a couple of conference wins on the road can have that effect, but we'll find out soon enough if it's gonna stick.  Penn State comes to Compton as one of the bigger early season disappointments in Division I.  After last year's magical run and all the hoopla leading up to this season, the Nittany Lions have struggled mightily.  Losses to Minnestoa and Michigan can be understood, but dropping games to Clarkson, American International, and Mercyhurst aren't acceptable for a team who was tabbed to make some noise in the Big Ten and beyond.  This series is a prime opportunity for Jake Evans and company to improve their stats.  The opposition is scoring at a rate just north of 13% against the Lions goaltending, while the Irish are hitting at about an 11% clip.  But Penn State can light the lamp just as well, averaging 3.8 goals per game.  Notre Dame offense has been sluggish at the start (only 5 first period goals thus far), but they'll need to come out of the gate fast if they want to avoid getting into a shooting match.

Nov. 10 (7:35pm @ Compton);  Nov. 11 (5:30pm @ Compton)

Trine (NCAA Women) v. Adrian

The Thunder could have picked a better opponent to open their first season against than Findlandia.  The rebuilding Lions had a rough 16-17 season and although they picked up the win in game 1, Trine came out strong having shook the jitters off the night before.  Things will be significantly tougher this weekend.  The Adrian Bulldogs are ranked #3 in the most recent USCHO.com poll, and will be a good measuring stick for the young Thunder.

Nov. 10 (7:00pm @ Thunder Ice Arena); Nov 11 @ Adrian

Purdue v. IPFW (ICHC)

It might not seem like there's much to get excited about at first glance, but this matchup has a whole lot of intrigue just below the surface.  You have to look past the mediocre records (IPFW is 3-3-0-1, while Purdue just a shade lower at 5-6-1) to see the real beauty here.  The Mastadons can shoot the lights out, averaging over six goals per game, but they've been shaky in their own zone and their confidence took a hit last week after getting thumped by EKU.  The Boilermakers aren't outstanding in any facet, but their consistency is what makes them dangerous.  John Vanvliet (8g/14a) is off to an outstanding start, but hasn't been getting much support except from forward Nathan Smith (10g/5a) and defenseman Will Anderson (2g/12a).  Purdue can gain some much needed ground in the ICHC if they are able to tighten up defensively and limit the 'Dons chances.  Yet the Boilermakers are giving up nearly five goals per game, and IPFW can get back in the hunt if they can turn this series into a gunfight.

Nov. 10 (8pm @ Fuel Tank);  Nov. 11 (3:40pm @ Fuel Tank) 

Trine (NCAA D3) @ St. Norbert

Trine (NCAA D3) @ Finlandia

Trine's flagship program hasn't seen the same early success as the ACHA D2 team has, but then again few teams have.  The Thunder is still in search of its first victory, but there has still been some bright spots as they managed to come within a goal of UW-Stevens Point (#6 USCHO.com).  Yet their toughest test to date lies ahead, as they must face top-ranked St. Norbert on enemy territory.  The matchup with Finlandia on Saturday looks to be their best chance for an early season win, especially if they can gain a little momentum by keeping things close with the Green Knights on Friday.

Nov. 10 @ St. Norbert;  Nov. 11 @ Finlandia

Butler (ACHA D3) v. Denison

The Bulldogs are off to a solid start at 5-2, but their only real test thus far has been a 5-0 loss to Vanderbilt in their season opener.  They did have a couple of close calls against rival Ball State and a fiesty first-year UIndy team, with their other loss coming at the hands of a well-rested Irish.  Big Red likely won't prove too much of a challenge either, having already fallen to Eastern Kentucky and IPFW.  And with this being the last game before an extended break, Butler has no excuse for not leaving everything they have on the ice.

Nov. 10 (8:00pm @ Pop Weaver)

E. Kentucky (ACHA D3) v. Augustana

The Colonels are coming off perhaps their finest performance of the season to date, out-gunning a potent IPFW offense not once but twice.  To say Augustana is struggling would be putting it kindly, as the Vikings are surrendering more than nine goals per game.  Look for Timothy Muhsman (8g, 12a), Gabriel Bahn (7g, 11a) and company  to put up some healthy numbers at home in this two-game set.  Valhalla awaits...

Nov. 10 & 11 @ Lexington Ice Arena

Notre Dame (ACHA D3) @ Xavier

Difficult to tell from the ACHA website whether this is a two-game set or just a single, so we're listing them both just to be safe.  Regardless, don't expect a lot of offense from these two teams.  The Irish have only netted 17 goals in nine games (1.89 avg), while the Musketeers have faired marginally better (24 goals in 11 games).  Defense is the order of the day, and the advantage is in Notre Dame's favor.  Charles-Alexandre Rioux has done well in net, with a 2.76 GAA and a .904 Sv%.  Getting some offensive support might make those numbers even better...

Nov. 10 (10:00pm @ Sports Plus);  Nov. 11 (4:00pm @ Kettering)

Indiana (ACHA D2) v. Adrian

The D2 Hoosiers have fallen on hard times since their win over Cincinnati in the season opener.  Perhaps finally breaking through against Davenport after dropping ten straight will help reverse their fortunes.  Indiana will need all hands on deck, though, as the Adrian Bulldogs come to Bloomington touting a #11 Central ranking and looking to break into the top 10.

Nov. 10 (9:15pm @ Frank Southern);  Nov. 11 (3:15pm @ Frank Southern)

UIndy @ Davenport (ACHA D3)

The matchup between the Greyhounds and the Panthers features two teams both desperate for a win.  Davenport’s goaltenders may need treatment for PTSD if their recent trend continues, having been obliterated over the past four games by a margin of 56-4.  By comparison, the makes UIndy’s five-game losing streak easier to stomach.  Still, Greyhound’s netminder Weston Akard has already taken 342 shots in just eight games in his own right.  Don’t expect Joe Mann and Company to light up the scoreboard the way Michigan State or Indiana Tech did, but this is a great opportunity for the ‘Hounds to taste some success.

Nov. 10 & 11 @ Davenport