Predictions: Boston College Hockey vs. UMass-Amherst

It's a quick turnaround for the Boston College men's hockey team, as they return to the ice tonight after just a two day layoff following their 4-3 win over Denver. The Eagles will take on UMass, a team off to a surprising 4-1-1 start after being pegged by just about everyone to finish dead last in Hockey East. However, the Minutemen come in stumbling a bit after getting torched 6-1 by Yale on Saturday night in Newark.

Due to the short turnaround, we don't really even have time for initial thoughts, let alone final thoughts. But we'd like to keep the prediction game rolling.

On Friday night against Denver, most folks correctly picked BC to win, though George the Cat whiffed with his Denver pick, as did New Guy. Bailin and Laura picked up a bonus point for getting the right margin of victory (1). On to the UMass game...

Name	Predictions	GPS	Points
Joe Gravellese	4-1	It always seems to be the same sort of game when BC plays UMass at Conte... usually fairly sleepy, usually not an inspiring performance by the Eagles, but more often than not, a BC win. I expect something similar Tuesday night. I'll be missing the game, which I am not happy about at all.	7
Grant Salzano	4-0	UMadd, Minutemen?	5
AJ Black	5-1	AJ probably agrees that this is a better hockey game than it would be a football game... woof	5
New Guy	4-2	New Guy's finally picking BC this week, so you know who to blame if the Eagles lose	3
Arthur Bailin	4-2	Quick games after emotional games scare me, but it's UMass.	6
Laura Berestecki	5-1	The new leader in the prediction contest will be chiding her cat for picking UMass.	8
Coach John Fidler	5-2	Reality sets in for the Minutemen	5
Caleb Childers		If you didn't submit a pick this week, you're picking the Mets	1
Coffee the Cat/ Gifford Cat Shelter		Meow (see below)	2
Kwani Lunis			0
Jeff Martyn		Eastern	0
Bridget Klish		North	0

Staff Prediction Summary:
BC (7) - UMass (1) - Tie (0)

Fan Prediction Standings after last week:

mig1168 5 points
princisb 5 points
airforce987 5 points
cam_dezak 2 points
JPDot 5 points
b0mberman 3 point
bostoncollegenyr 4 points
bcmurt09 4 points
tommykay 3 points
we are bc 4 points
pjpj23 1 point
seobe 1 point

This Week's Episode of #CatPredictions with the Gifford Cat Shelter, By Laura

CATS FEATURING MY CAT

In honor of BC's first Hockey East game this season, we have a very special guest for Cat Predictions. Coffee Berestecki, Gifford alumna.

Coffee should be a big BC fan considering that she was at Gifford for 4.5 years before I adopted her and she should be grateful to me and love my teams.

Coffee spent the first 6 months of her life on the streets of Dorchester, so her favorite BC players are Dorchester natives Jimmy and Kevin Hayes. I guess she's mad they they don't play for BC anymore because she is a traitor and she picked UMass to win. She didn't even pause to think about it.

Expect to see picks from Coffee again this season. I need to give her a chance to redeem herself.

Despite Coffee's apparent affinity for UMass (gross), the cats at Gifford Cat Shelter are generally nice and smart and you can visit/adopt them at 30 Undine Road in Brighton, right across from BC. Founded in 1884, it is the oldest no kill and cageless shelter in the U.S. More information is available at http://www.giffordcatshelter.org/.

Leave your predictions on tonight's BC vs. UMass game below. Let's go Eagles!!!!