A daily look at the best the local sports scene has to offer ...

It's a great day to be a sports fan in the area. And with more snow/sleet/rain predicted for Saturday, you might want to break out for a night.

-- The New Haven Athletic Center is the finest indoor track facility in the state for high school sports, playing host to dozens of championship meets. Friday, at 4 p.m., the Southern Connecticut Conference holds its championships.

There are two schools of thought to track meets:
The first is the assumption that you stand and watch people run in circles. Those people have not attended a meet.
The second is the reality that you can watch several events at once, standing on the infield watching either the long or high jump, pole vault or weight events, while watching a relay race. You also get extremely close to the action, and with indoor track, you can hear and feel it as well. During sprint events its like clapping and you can feel the track vibrate.

-- Both Yale and Quinnipiac play host to ECAC hockey games.

No. 3 Yale plays Harvard; Quinnipiac plays No. 9 RPI.

Yale is sold out, but if someone offers you a ticket, or your business has them, scoop them up. Yes, Harvard is down this year, with just four wins, but this is still Yale-Harvard and no matter the sport, the rivarly is so intense. The atmosphere in this building is always exceptional, but when Harvard comes to town, let's just say the excitement just bursts out of the spout of the Yale Whale.

You can also watch a live video stream for a fee here.

Quinnipiac's TD Bank Sports Center is not sold out for Friday's game. Check http://www.quinnipiacbobcats.com/ for ticket information.

The Bobcats have been a bit inconsistent this season, but one thing has been consistent: they score first, they win. Quinnipiac is 12-1-3 when it scores first.

Quinnipiac also has a video stream for a $9.99 fee. You can learn more here. Or you can listen to the game at http://www.wqun.com/

-- In men's basketball, Yale plays host to Cornell at 7 p.m. This starts a stretch of six of its next eight games at home for Yale.

If you have never been to a game at Yale's Payne Whitney, stop putting it off. This is really a gym with character ... 79 years worth of character. You get the chance to sit in chairs. A little tight, but chairs nonetheless. Look around if you go, from the moment you walk in the main entrance to the exquisite architecture that surrounds you. Then look in the trophy cases. Then look at the ceiling and the balcony and all around. Take it all in. It's one of the oldest gyms in the nation. Enjoy it.

Take a look at the banners over the rafters. Try to figure out why they are in that order.

As for the basketball, Cornell is not the same team that went to the NCAA tournament the past few years. They are 0-4 in the Ivy League. Yale is 2-2 and has arguably the best big man in the league in Greg Mangano, a home-grown product from Notre Dame-West Haven.

-- And if the AHL is what you enjoy, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers travel to take on the Connecticut Whale at 7 p.m.