Hot Take: Men’s ice hockey will beat RPI and Union this weekend
Madison Savoy | Team: Men’s ice hockey | Event: Games vs. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | Date: Feb. 20-21
Men’s ice hockey currently holds a 17-7-2 record, and this weekend they will play Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute on Feb. 20 and Union College on Feb. 21. They are likely to win both. The last time the Big Green faced the two teams, they dominated, topping Union 4-2 on Jan. 30 and RPI 3-1 on Jan. 31.
Hayden Stavroff ’28 and Hank Cleaves ’28 are two of the leading scorers in the Ivy League, at first and fifth respectively. Stavroff led the team with two goals during the last RPI faceoff, and Cleaves assisted on the first of those two successful shots. Cleaves also picked up an assist during the last Union game. I expect the two to show the same sort of intensity this weekend. Be on the lookout for two wins this weekend, led by Stavroff and Cleaves.
Hot Take: Softball will start season 2-3
Ava Politis | Team: Softball | Event: Dugout Club Classic | Date: Feb. 20-22
Softball opens their season down in Tallahassee, Fla., this weekend, where they will face Elon, Florida State and the University of Alabama. The Big Green’s 10-11 record last year earned them fifth place in the Ivy League, just short of qualifying for the Ivy League tournament. The Big Green are without the big bats of Alaana Panu ’25 and Jenna Brown ’25, who led the team in batting average and on-base plus slugging last year. Panu finished the 2025 season with a 1.036 OPS, the tenth-best in the Ivy League, and led the team in homers with six. Rachel McCarroll ’25 hung up her Big Green jersey at the end of the season as well. She ate up innings in the circle, pitching 391 innings in her collegiate career.
With the veterans gone, expect new players to shine. Faby Serena ’27, who missed her freshman season due to injury, set a 12-game hitting streak in her sophomore campaign, the longest streak in team history. Jensin Hall ’27 is back in the circle after she threw a no-hitter last season, and she will come out hungry for more. Florida State and Alabama are currently ranked No. 7 and 9 respectively in the nation. Without the strength of the graduated veterans, I believe the Big Green will fall to the Seminoles and the Crimson Tide. On the other hand, Elon University is 1-8 and on a three-game losing streak. With exceptional performances from Hall and Serena, the Big Green will take away two wins from the tournament.
Hot Take: Men’s basketball to take revenge on Kenny Noland
Kyle Greason | Team: Men’s Basketball | Event: Game vs. Columbia | Date: Feb. 21
After dropping consecutive games against Yale University and Brown University last weekend, men’s basketball is looking to right the ship as they travel to New York City this Saturday to take on the Columbia Lions. From a statistical perspective, the two losses came in different fashions. While the Big Green were able to prevent a single player on Yale from finishing with 20+ points, Brown’s Landon Lewis dominated with 30 points and 10 rebounds in the game. Getting the opposing offense to spread the ball and not letting any players get hot will be key in Saturday’s matchup.
Last time these two teams met, Columbia guard Kenny Noland recorded a triple-double and made all 11 of his free throws for the Lions. I predict that a strong defensive effort from starting guards Kareem Thomas ’28 and Connor Amundsen ’28, along with the paint presence of forwards Jackson Munro ’26 and Brandon Mitchell-Day ’26, will limit Noland to under 15 points this time around. Will that be enough to come away with a win on the road? That remains unclear, as the Lions have capable scorers throughout their lineup. Still, I believe that limiting Noland and forcing long offensive possessions for Columbia will allow the Big Green to secure the victory.
Hot Take: Women’s basketball will fall to Columbia
Frances Kantrow | Team: Women’s Basketball | Event: Game vs. Columbia | Date: Feb. 21
Women’s basketball continues Ivy League play this weekend against Columbia at Leede Arena. The Big Green hold a 1-9 conference record, while Columbia is tied with Princeton for first in the Ivy League standings with an 8-2 record. The Lions defeated the Big Green 89-32 when the teams first faced off in New York City on Jan. 24. Columbia’s Riley Weiss scored a school-record 40 points in that game, and stopping the Lions proved to be a major challenge for the Big Green defense. Dartmouth’s offense also struggled, putting up the fewest points of the season and only scoring 4 points in the second quarter. I think the Big Green will put up a better performance in front of a home crowd this weekend, and will find more success on the offensive side of the floor. I expect a more competitive game, but I think the Lions’ offensive firepower and strong defense will once again be too much for the Big Green to handle.
