#1 Vermont vs. #8 RPI No rocket science here (no irony intended); if the Engineers can figure out a way to stop the Perrin-St. Louis-Ruid line, they have a shot. Better Dan Fridgen than me. RPI likes an up-tempo game, so Gutterson's big ice may not be a factor -- the Engineers shaky defense, however, could be a problem. Mike Tamburro's playoff experience is a big plus. Look for some shorthanded goals from Vermont; the Cats had 8 during the regular season and RPI surrendered 7 (both league highs). My prediction: Vermont in 2. #2 Clarkson vs. # 7 Brown This should be a very physical series. Goaltending, as usual, is a key. The Bears started Hockey-L's Mike Parsons in goal against Princeton on Tuesday. After giving up 3 goals in 11:05, including a softie (sorry, Mike) to Dan Brown from 80 feet, Gaudet put in Brian Audette. Audette had only played 199.07 minutes to that point (most recently, 22 saves in a 6-4 loss to Clarkson on Feb. 24). The move worked, as Audette came up with 18 saves on as many shots -- so expect him to get the start. Audette will have to play as least as well and hope the Bears play much better defense than they did on Tuesday or this one could be a laugher. Marty Clapton played like an ECAC all-star on Tuesday, helping to fill the void left by Brian Jardine's departure. He has to keep it up in Potsdam. Clarkson has a big special teams edge (+16 net compared to Brown's -6); that could make a big difference if the referees crack down on the rough stuff. The Bears won't have hot-tempered fourth line center Scott Bradford after he took a DQ against Princeton. My prediction: Clarkson in 2. #3 St. Lawrence vs. #6 Harvard The Crimson have lost 9 in a row, a school record for one season. Tripp Tracy was playing the most consistent hockey of his career ... until he hit a bad spell in the last four or five games. Brad Konik, Kirk Nielsen and Tommy Holmes have two goals between them since Dec. 9. None of those trends add up to a Harvard victory, although the inspired play of Henry Higdon and Craig MacDonald helped the Crimson stay with the Saints at Bright on Feb. 24 (5-4 SLU win). The Saints wide-open, undisciplined style could hurt them in the playoffs, as could the health of Derek Ladouceur. Still, Harvard has a lot to overcome. My prediction: SLU in 2. #4 Cornell vs. # 5 Colgate The most intriguing match-up for many reasons. The schools' proximity, for one. More importantly, two very different styles - Cornell plays a more free-wheeling, wide-open style and relies heavily on its special teams (league-best net +21). Colgate has learned to play team defense, control the neutral zone and win at 5-on-5. Cornell is much more physical, though, and may wind up on the penalty kill far more often than the power play. A hot goaltender is absolutely essential in the playoffs, and Cornell doesn't have one. Before you Big Red fans go nuts over my prediction, remember that I picked Colgate for first in the league and a spot in that national top 10. I'm just trying to be consistent here :-). If Colgate loses this one, it is because the Red Raiders didn't put enough fore- checking pressure on the Cornell defense. My prediction: Colgate in 3. Geoff Howell Drop the Puck Magazine HOCKEY-L is for discussion of college ice hockey; send information to [log in to unmask], The College Hockey Information List.