Around the W: Colgate at BU is the series to watch

The best weekend of the young women's college season starts tonight, and the series I'd drive to isn't the No. 1 vs. No. 3 one. It's Colgate at BU.

That series answers the question the poll can't: whether a team that crashed the top 10 last weekend can do it again on the road, against a Hockey East team that keeps finding ways to win.

Ohio State at Minnesota will decide more in March. Colgate at BU will tell us more by Sunday.

No. 9 Colgate at BU: the hottest team meets the scrappiest one

Colgate is 4-0 and jumped five spots to ninth after sweeping St. Cloud State with two different goalies. Brooke Davis won Friday, Farah Walker won Saturday, and the Raiders got three first-career goals along the way.

BU is 2-0 in Hockey East after a weekend of rescues: a shootout win at New Hampshire after a 4-4 tie, then Neely Nicholson's late power-play winner at Holy Cross. Friday is at home at 6 p.m. Saturday moves to Agganis Arena at 6 p.m., BU's only home game all season outside Walter Brown.

The W read: BU has won tight games without playing a full 60. Colgate is the first team on the schedule that punishes that. I'll take a split, with Colgate taking Friday.

No. 1 Ohio State at No. 3 Minnesota: the WCHA title fight, in October

The Buckeyes took all 20 first-place votes in this week's USCHO poll after sweeping Wisconsin by owning the third periods. They're 6-0 and 4-0 in the WCHA. Minnesota is 4-0 and 2-0 in the league.

Freshman goalie Rowan Houweling is 4-0 for Ohio State. Mira Jungåker had three assists last Saturday and a hand in both winners. Friday is 7 p.m. ET and Saturday is 3 p.m. ET in Minneapolis.

The W read: Ohio State's depth won the Wisconsin series. Minnesota's barn is where depth goes to get tested. Split, and nobody should panic about either loss.

No. 6 Northeastern at No. 4 Quinnipiac: Hockey East's leader leaves home

Northeastern leads Hockey East with six points and scored twice shorthanded in its opener at Providence. Quinnipiac is 5-0 and sitting at fourth, its best ranking of the season. Friday at 6 p.m. and Saturday at 3 p.m. in Hamden.

The W read: five straight wins earn the ranking; this weekend earns the respect. If Northeastern takes three points, the Huskies are a top-five team by Monday.

The Ivies finally show up, and Hockey East gets the first look

No. 7 Princeton and No. 14 Cornell are ranked without playing a game yet. They open against Hockey East: No. 8 UConn visits Princeton, and No. 15 Vermont, 3-1, goes to Cornell. Both series start Friday at 6 p.m. and finish Saturday at 3 p.m.

The W read: a preseason ranking is a reputation, not a record. Vermont has four games of real hockey on Cornell, and I think the Catamounts steal one.

Wisconsin needs points, not a statement

The two-time defending champions are 0-2 in the WCHA, down to second in the poll, and home against Minnesota State on Friday at 8 p.m. ET and Saturday at 3 p.m. ET. They've been missing players to Canada's national-team camp, and so has Ohio State.

The W read: this is a get-right weekend, and anything less than six points turns October in Madison into a real conversation.