Well, folks, we were here two years ago. A NESCAC champion from central Connecticut was poised to head to Babson for a first round NCAA Tournament game. Wesleyan never got to make that trip in 2020 for reasons that need no introductions, but travel partner Trinity will take their vaxed roster and head up I-84 today to eastern Massachusetts to take on the Babson Beavers.
The Bantams are no stranger to the NCAA tournament under head coach Matt Greason. Trinity made the finals in 2017, won the whole dang thing in 2015 and made appearances in 2016 and 2019. The 2019 appearance - the last time the NCAA actually had an NCAA DIII Men's Hockey Tournament - ended in a first round loss in Hartford to University of New England. The Bantams also made the tournament in 2003, 2005 and 2008 in the pre Greason days. While Trinity may know their way around the NCAA Tournament, it has been quite a while since they faced the Beavers. Babson holds a commanding 12-5 mark in the all-time series, but the two last faced off in 2010-11, a season before Greason took over the program. The two squads were supposed to close out 2021 with a non-conference game but that contest was cancelled for COVID related protocol reasons.
The entirety of the NESCAC had such game cancellations and re-scheduling in this very non-regular, 2021-22 regular season. So much so that the league had all ten teams in the playoffs due to the uncertainty that everyone would play a full conference schedule (they all did, in the end). Trinity, widely believed to be the favorite to win the league even if there wasn't ink or digital words to memorialize this belief pre-season, finished second in the conference after a shaky start. All ten NESCAC rosters faced some experience issues with the lost 2020-21 season, and Trinity particularly had a lack of seasoning on the blue line with only 37 games played coming into the 2021-22 campaign. On the injury front, Niagara transfer Patrick Pugliese's nagging injuries saw an increased role for sophomore JP Mella.
Mella stepped up in net and only allowed one goal in three NESCAC tournament games. Overall, the Bantams won eight games down the stretch, but still needed the NESCAC title victory over 1 seed Colby to make the NCAA Tournament. The NESCAC hasn't had an at-large bid since 2017 when NESCAC runner-up Hamilton made their first ever tournament appearance. Trinity heads into the national tournament with two newly minted All-NESCAC players in Player of the Year Lucas Michaud (also made conference teams in 2019 and 2020) and new comer blue liner John Campomenosi, who made the second team.
The Bantams will have their work cutout for them against the New England Hockey Conference champion Beavers, who skate a deep four lines of forwards and three d-pairs. They feature NEHC Player of the Year forward Ryan Black, but also get contributions from the likes of Andrew Holland, whose only goal of the season came in an OT winner over Norwich in the conference playoffs. Fifth year goalie Brad Arvanitis hasn't played as well as he did during his All-American campaign in 2019-20 after transferring from D-1 UMass, but he is still a formidable foe in net.
Plus, as always, all bets are pretty much off in playoff hockey. Anything can happen when two teams with this much talent play, and that's part of the fun of it. So, sit back, relax, enjoy and be thankful that we actually get to watch this after the last two years of events on the third rock from the sun.
With only 12 spots and a single elimination format, we honor the NCAA Tournament with Five Iron Frenzy's "While Supplies Last"
When we last left you, fellow NESCAC traveler, fifth seed Wesleyan had won its first NESCAC men's hockey championship and was poised to make its first trip to the NCAA tournament against Babson. The Cards hoped to make a Colby like 2018 run to the Phrozen Phour, but by midweek the NCAA tournament had been cancelled due to COVID-19 and...well you've been around this globe for the past 20 months, right?
And so, I sit here here 623 days since that Wesleyan title victory over Trinity toggling back between a convalescent plasma paper draft and this window. Last night, the NESCAC played its first league games in 20 months after the 2020-21 was cancelled due to the league's concerns over the global pandemic. We did not leave opening night unscathed by COVID however, as COVID protocol issues forced the cancellation of the Bowdoin-Middlebury game.
But, we did have four games, including Colby opening their new barn (notwithstanding the non-conference exhibitions from earlier this year).The matchup featured the last place team from the 2019-20 standings in the Mules vs the regular season crown holder Ephs. It's been a while, though, and these rosters are a bit a different. The Mules only dressed two freshman in Groton product Drew Burke and head coach Blaise Macdonald's son Jake MacDonald, but with the lost season, even many of the upperclassmen did not have extensive collegiate resumes. The top line, however, anchored by fifth year senior Justin Grillo - who had a point in every game of the NESCAC/NCAA playoff run in 2018- featured all double digit scorers from the 2019-20 campaign in Grillo, Michael Morrisey and Carter Breitenfeldt.
The Mules were able to fire off 43 shots but 2020 NESCAC Rooke of the Year Evan Ruschil stopped all of them for the 1-0 win. Bill Kangas' crew has fifteen newcomers between the freshman and sophomores whose freshman campaign was nullified. Two such sophomores are Rivers School product Henry Muller, who fed Jacob Monroe on an odd man rush for the only goal of the game. Williams ended up with 24 shots on the evening and Colby sophomore Andy Beran stopped 23 of them.
Moving southward to Massachusetts, Tufts scored late to earn a 3-3 tie with the defending NESCAC champ Cardinals. Wesleyan put 37 shots on returning Jumbo starting netminder Josh Sarlo. Other returning Jumbos from the ninth place 2019-20 season include leading scorer Josh Brandt and Brendan Skarda, who scored Tufts first goal. Pat Norton's neophytes Tyler Sedlak and Harrison Bazianosv scored the two other tallies to earn the tie after trailing 3-1. On the other end of the ice, Wesleyan had to replace former 2019 NESCAC player of the year Tim Sestak in net and first team forward Walker Harris up front. Sophomore Marc Smith made 20 of 23 saves in his college debut, while up front the upperclassmen trio of Stevie O'Connor, Emmett Poweell and Steve Giummo scored the tallies.
Moving even further south down to the nutmeg state, NESCAC favorites Trinity took care of business 5-1 at Connecticut College. The Bantams lost a lot of talent from the 2019-20 campaign, but returned All-NESCAC forward Lucas Michaud and piped in fresh talent, including Jax Murray, who had double digit points for Arizona State last season. Murray scored twice and Michaud once en route to a comfortable win. In net, Trinity sophomore JP Mella made 24 saves for the win as he looks to earn the starting job among a group of inexperienced netminders in Hartford. For the Camels, senior Anthony Qualtieri cored the only goal on the evening. Senior Mike Mchale made 29 saves in his first collegiate start.
Jumping on I-90 and heading out of New England, we round out opening night in Clinton, NY for the travel partner face off between Hamilton and Amherst. The Mammoths drew first blood, but then the Continentals scored five unanswered goals from five different Conts, including Belarus native Grisha Gottovets scoring what proved to be the game winning goal on a feed from Jordi Jefferson. The teams combined for stoppage heavy affair with 17 total penalties called during the game. Hamilton returns goalie Sean Storr, who made 24 saves in victory, matching Dan Dachille's 24 saves in defeat. Matteo Mangiardi scored the only goal for the Mammoth, who now head to the ultra loaded Utica Thanksgiving tournament that features three USCHO ranked teams.
Well folks, it's good to be back. Mario Lemeiux cameback to the NHL after battling Hodgkin's Lymphoma and inspired this Winnipeg based band's name. Do yourself a favor and support the boys (and girls!) of the NESCAC as they come back from a lost season.
Welcome back my friends, to the show that...ends today. After both nutmeg teams notched 3-2 victories in the semis, the Cardinals and Bantams will face each other in the NESCAC finals today at Lansing Chapman Rink in Williamstown, MA. It marks the first time since 2014 that the championship weekend host will not play in the title game. That season, fifth seed Bowdoin knocked off top-seeded host Trinity to take on second seed Amherst and the Polar Bears went on to defeat the then Lord Jeffs in double OT by a score of...you guessed it, 3-2.
This season will also feature a fifth seed vs second seed in matchup between the travel partners Wesleyan vs Trinity. This will mark the first time the two have met in the finals because it is the first time the Cards have actually made the finals. Wesleyan had never even made the semis before 2017 but have now made the conference final four for four straight seasons. They finally cracked into the title game with yesterday's 3-2 OT thriller over the host Ephs. The Cardinals held a 2-0 lead late in the third before two Williams goals in the final five minutes forced OT. Less than five minutes into the extra frame, Cardinals freshman blueliner Jake Lachance threw one in on net from left circle and it trickled past Cosimo Lazzarino for Lachance's first collegiate goal. First team All-NESCAC forward Walker Harris potted a helper on the play. On the other end of the ice, 2019 NESCAC player of the year and recently named 2020 All-NESCAC Second Team goaltender Tim Sestak made 40 saves.
If Wesleyan are NESCAC championship game neophytes, Trinity are old hands with their fifth straight championship game appearance since 2015 when the Bants failed to make the conference finals but did go on to win the national title. It's the first time since 2017 that the Bantams won't be hosting the championship game when they beat host Hamilton in OT. The Bantams beat the Continentals for the second straight season in the semis yesterday thanks to All-NESCAC second team defenseman Liam Feeney's second goal of the afternoon with just 14 seconds left in regulation. Player of the Year Barclay Gammill had three assists on the afternoon. Jonah Capriotti, who was in a rotation with All-NESCAC goalie Teddy Loughborough but has taken over full time duties since mid February, made 18 saves for the victory.
The winner today will earn an automatic bid to the 12 team NCAA DIII men's hockey tournament that starts next week. Wesleyan has never been while Trinity has gone four of the last five seasons, including winning the national title in 2015 and making the title game in 2017. There is a shot that Trinity gets an at large bid even if they lose but I am sure Matt Greason and company don't want a scenario in which they are anxiously awaiting the selection of the field tomorrow morning.
It's the finals, baby, anything can happen. Tim Sestak could stand on his head and lose as they did last year in the semis against Amherst. The Bantams could also be upset by an upstart middle tier seed like they did in the 2018 title game. The story remains untold until 2 PM Today...
In honor of two nutmeg state teams playing for a title in Massachusetts, here's doo wop group the Nutmegs with a live version of their hit "Story Untold" from the Cambridge Armory in 1973
We said there were a bunch of permutations on the final day of the regular season and the final day lived up to expectations. Up top, Williams took care of business 5-2 against Amherst and Trinity took down Wesleyan 3-1 to lock up the top two spots, respectively. Hamilton got blown out by Middlebury,6-0, but the three seed would have been the result for the Continentals even if they had won.
The Middlebury win was the biggest swing of the day as the Panthers locked up the four seed and their first home playoff game since 2014. The Amherst and Wesleyan losses coupled with a Bowdoin 4-2 win over Tufts led to a three way tie for fifth at 17 points. Based on the NESCAC published tiebreakers (head to head among the three teams), Wesleyan should be the five seed (2-1-1 against Bowdoin and Amherst), Bowdoin the six seed (2-2-0) and Amherst the seven seed (1-2-1).
That leaves Conn College, who won 2-1 over Colby but would have had the same result regardless, for the eighth and final playoff spot. Tufts and Colby take the ninth and tenth spots and both miss the playoffs.
So when the NESCAC releases the official playoff schedule it should be:
#8 Conn College at #1 Williams
#7 Amherst at #2 Trinity (a rematch of last season's NESCAC final)
#6 Bowdoin at #3 Hamilton
#5 Wesleyan at #4 Middlebury
Hellloooooo NESCAC fans. Our apologies for the twitter only presence this season - life and such - but we are here now with some tidying up to do before the playoffs. The NESCAC, per the usual, remains very tight with just one game to play for each team. No seedings are final and the only assured result is that Colby will miss the playoffs for the first time since 2015.
Williams (12-5-0 in conference)
The Ephs sit in the top spot and control their own destiny for what would be their second NESCAC regular season crown and first since 2016. Kangas' crew has done it on both ends of the ice with the top scoring offense in the CAC (3.18 GAA) and the best defense at 1.94 GAA. The underclassmen backstop duo of Evan Ruschil and Cossimo Lazzarino lead the conference in save percentage at .943 and .941 respectively.
Despite losing last night to Hamilton, Williams still secures the top seed with a win against bete noir Amherst today. The farthest the Ephs can fall is to three, and that's only with a Hamilton win against Middlebury and an Ephs loss to the Mammoths. Williams will need to stay ahead of the Bantams, who own the tiebreaker after a series sweep this season in Williamstown and Hartford. There's a chance for a three way tie at the top which we will deal with in the Trinity section. Regardless of spot, the Ephs will avoid a third straight year without a NESCAC quarterfinal home playoff game, something that hasn't happened since a 2001-2003 stretch.
Trinity (11-5-1 in NESCAC)
The Bantams head into the final day assured a top three finish for the eighth straight season, a feat that only Middlebury had previously accomplished. In order to win the Bantams' third straight regular season top finish, they'll need to take care of business on the road against Wesleyan. While the Bantams hold the tiebreaker over Williams, they split the season series with Hamilton, so other tiebreakers will come into effect should Hamilton defeat Middlebury and Trinity ties Wesleyan, or if Hamilton ties Middlebury and Trinity loses to Wesleyan. That's where things get fun (depending on your connotative understanding of the word). In the scenario in which Hamilton ties and Trinity loses, Trinity would get the tiebreaker with more conference wins. In the scenario in which they both finish 11-5-2, it depends on what Williams does. A Williams loss would result in a threeway tie at 24 points. Going to head-to-head, Trinity and Hamilton are 3-1-0 with Williams at 4-0-0 putting them in third. The top spot between Hamilton and Trinity depends on who finishes in the top four along with Williams, Hamilton and Trinity, as the next tiebreaker is record against the top four teams in the league. That fourth spot could be occupied by any one of Amherst, Wesleyan, Middlebury and Bowdoin, depending on today's results. If Williams ties or wins to take the top spot and Trinity/Hamilton both finish at 11-5-2, the same scenario for record against top four teams would hold for the tiebreaker for second place. Confused yet?
Hamilton (10-5-2 in NESCAC) The Continentals head to Vermont assured of their fifth straight home NESCAC quarterfinal home game (they had two in the previous sixteen seasons). The Conts still have a shot at their third ever top regular season finish if they can beat Williams and Trinity loses to Wesleyan. It could also happen with a win and a Trinity tie, but that would depend on who finishes in the top four as mentioned above. And one wrinkle we haven't mentioned yet, the way the rules are written states "all teams at the four spot" so that, we think, would mean including records of all the teams at the four spot, which could be anywhere from one to four teams as you will see below.
Amherst (7-7-3 in NESCAC)
Now things get really fun at the fourth spot log jam. The Mammoths had come into this weekend the hottest team in the NESCAC having not lost since a January 11th game at Bowdoin, while Middlebury entered of the coldest teams in the NESCAC with a 1-6-3 mark in conference in the same stretch. Of course that meant the Panthers winning an OT thriller because the NESCAC gonna NESCAC.
Unfortunately for the Mammoths, they lose the tiebreaker to both Middlebury and Wesleyan individually. If there is a three-way tie between them, Middlebury would be the top of the three with a 3-1-0 record among the group, then Wesleyan at 2-1-1 and Amherst at 0-3-1. We will deal with the unlikely four way tie scenario later with Bowdoin.
Middlebury (7-7-3 in NESCAC)
Middlebury's OT win over Amherst put them in a position to host a playoff game for the first time since 2014. If the Panthers win or tie and Amherst/Wesleyan can't match, they take the four spot. Middlebury holds the tiebreaker over the Mammoths but split the season series with Wesleyan, so other tiebreakers would come into effect. Wesleyan holds the upper hand as the next tiebreaker is conference wins and in any tie scenario the Cardinals would have more wins. In a three-way scenario, however, the Panthers would be the top of the three because the NESCAC is fun, as you know.
Wesleyan (8-8-1 in NESCAC)
The Cardinals defeated Trinity in Hartford last night to keep their hopes alive for the program's first ever back-to-back quarterfinal home games. The Cardinals can fall no lower than seventh assuring their best regular season finish in consecutive seasons (they finished second last year) since consecutive sixth place finishes in 2012 and 2013. Wesleyan would win the head to heads against both Middlebury and Wesleyan but would be second in the pecking order in a three-way tie as noted above.
Update: There is also the possibility of a three-way tie between Bowdoin, Wesleyan and Amherst for fifth, in which case Wesleyan would get the fifth seed (2-1-1 record), Bowdoin the sixth (2-2-0) and Amherst the seventh (1-2-1).
Bowdoin (7-9-1 in NESCAC)
Things have been fun, as we have noted ad nauseum, but are you ready for bananas? Bowdoin's win over Conn College last night sets up scenarios for the Polar Bears on the final day that range from a chance at a home playoff game for the first time since 2016 (Terry Meagher's last season as coach) to the third straight season on the outside looking in on the playoffs. The home playoff game involves a victory over Tufts while Wesleyan, Middlebury and Amherst all lose (all three are playing top three teams). If that does happen, however, Bowdoin would be four (4-2-0 against the teams in that group), Middlebury five (3-3-0), Wesleyan sixth (3-2-1) and Amherst seventh (1-4-1).
For seeds five and six, should Bowdoin be tied with any of the above, they would win the tiebreaker over Middlebury head to head (beat Middlebury twice) and over Amherst (Amherst would have to lose in this scenario and Bowdoin would have more conference wins). A Bowdoin and Wesleyan tie would depend on which of the above teams finish in the top four. Looking at records against the top three guaranteed teams (Williams, Trinity and Hamilton), Bowdoin is 1-4-1 and Wesleyan would be 2-4-0 (they would have to lose to Trinity today in this scenario) so it would depend on the teams that finish fourth to see what the final tally would be.
On the other hand, Bowdoin could also miss the playoffs. If they lose to Tufts and Conn College beats last place Colby, the Polar Bears would be out as they would lose the season series tiebreaker to the Jumbos. If they lose to Tufts and Conn College ties Colby, we have another lovely three way. In this scenario, Tufts would be the seventh seed (3-1 record), Bowdoin would be the eight seed (2-2) and Conn College would be out of the playoffs (1-3).
Conn College (6-9-2)
A win over last place Colby and the Camels assure themselves a playoff spot after finishing last in the CAC in 2018-19. They can be seventh with a win and a Bowdoin loss, and eighth with a Tufts loss to Bowdoin regardless of the Camels outcome against the Mules. They would miss the playoffs in the threeway scenario above, but there is also the possibility of a Conn College loss and a Tufts tie. In this scenario, they split the season series and would have identical records, so it would go to record against the top four teams. We know who the top three are (Williams, Trinity and Hamilton), so we can start there. Conn College has been solid against the top of the league (2-2-2) while Tufts is 1-5-0. We won't list it out, but if you extend to any of the possible four seeds in this scenario (Amherst, Middlebury, Williams) Conn College would end up with the tiebreaking win.
Tufts (6-10-1)
The Jumbos know one thing for certain, if they don't win at home today against the Polar Bears, they are out of the playoffs for the first time since 2014. A tie as noted above would result in missing the playoffs even if the Camels lose, so a win is a necessity. A win and a Conn College loss would get the Jumbos the seventh seed, while a win and a Conn College win would result in their fifth eighth place finish in the last six seasons. A Jumbos win and a Conn College tie would result in the Jumbos holding the seventh seed as noted above in the Bowdoin section.
Colby (3-12-2)
The Mules won't make a miracle run to the Phrozen Phour as they did just two years ago. Colby will finish last for the first time since 2012, though they can still have an impact on other teams' positions as we have discussed. Colby hasn't faired well on the road, though, as only one of their eight conference points has come outside the friendly confines of the pine tree state, a tie at Amherst a few weeks ago.
Feeling a little crazy with all of these scenarios? In honor, here's a banger (I think that's what the yutes say?) from Halsey and Bring Me The Horizon - "Experiment on Me" off the Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey soundtrack. Not sure if it was the Joker or the NESCAC standings that broke Dr. Harleen Frances Quinzel.
With Trinity's tough 2-1 loss to UNE last Saturday in the NCAA Opening Round, we were left with no 'CAC team in the NCAA DIII MIH Quarterfinals for the first time since 2014. So to fill the void, let's resurrect a dumb gag from that time period... NESCAC All-Irish (last names) team. To celebrate a routine Catholic holiday turned de facto Irish Heritage Day in America, as well as it being awards season in college hockey, we again present the NESCAC men's hockey All-Irish (last names) Team for the 2018-19 season. For information on the Irish origin of these players' last names, whether their individual lineages are actually Irish or not, check out House of Names.
Our apologies to those players that are of Irish heritage but don't have Irish last names or a player's inclusion if he is not in fact of Irish origin but has a last name that could be Irish. Selection is based on a complex algorithm balancing performance in the 2018-19 season with Irish-ness of name.
Three shillelagh wielding sophomores lead the way in an underclassmen heavy class. In net, Mike Cullen, whose family surname is derived from the gaelic word for holly, almost netminded the Mammoths into the NCAA tournament with shutouts in both the NESCAC quarterfinals and semis before losing to Trinity in OT in the finals. He's joined in the back by fellow sophomore Jack McCool - whose surname origins lie in the northern parts of the isle- who matched his freshman point total (8) in assists alone this year (7-8-15). Rounding out the back line is Liam Feeney, a smooth skating blueliner from Trinity who has been a Joe Concannon semifinalist in back-to-back seasons. Besides being the name of one of the best teachers in pop-culture history, the last name Feeney has its origins in gaelic references to warriors or soldiers.
Up front, Nick O'Connor, fellow Concannon semifinalist and lone senior on this squad, led the NESCAC in power play scoring (4-5-9) and earned a spot not just on our prestigious team, but also on the conference's First Team All-NESCAC. The Colby Captain also represents our only instance of the O-apostrophe at the beginning of a last name, a gaelic signifier meaning "descendant of". Don't know who the original Connor was but at least one of his descendants can puck.
Middlebury hopes to build a foundation that will lead them back to the glory of yesteryear from the nadir of missing the playoffs in 2017 and 2018. They took a step forward this season into the playoffs thanks in part to sophomore Michael Fahie, whose surname means foundation and whose family motto means hope, the Panthers leading goal scorer (10-11-21).
Wesleyan junior Walker Harris rounds out the frontline. Harris hails from Boulder, Colorado, farther from the emerald isle than any other selection. (The other four are all from Massachusetts with the exception of Ontario native Cullen. )His last name, Harris, also is less solidly Irish than others on the team as it is originally more English than Irish. But the First Team All-NESCAC forward's output (19-12-31) makes him a solid choice for the team.
This should go without saying, but these honors are completely unofficial and the conference has absolutely nothing to do with them.
2018-19 NESCAC All-Irish (Last Name) Team
Nick O'Connor* Colby F ('19)
Walker Harris* Wesleyan F ('20) Michael Fahie Middlebury (F, '21) Jack McCool Williams (D, '21) Liam Feeney Trinity (D, '20) Mike Cullen Amherst (G, '21)
*Indicates player was selected to 2018-19 First Team All-NESCAC
With the offseason here and spring break coming for those still in school, it is time to take it easy. Here's Irish band Kila with Tog E go Bog E (Irish for Take it Easy).
A lot has changed since Trinity and University of New England last met in the 2010-11 season, a 5-4 victory for the Nor'Easters in their second year in the ECAC-East, as part of the NESCAC/ECAC-E interlock. The Nor'Easters only reached double digit wins once in their first six years of existence as an NCAA program, but then Kevin Swallow took over and they have won 14, 15, 20 and 20 games, respectively. Before coming to UNE, Swallow took over a Nichols program in 2012, just two years after completing a DI playing career at Dartmouth (pre-titans of hockey twitter days) and University of Maine, and took the Bisons to the 2015 NCAA tournament when they lost to eventual national champion Trinity, led by their own young upstart coach, Matt Greason, who took over the program the year after that loss to the Maine based squad.
Last season, UNE lost the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Tournament but received their first ever trip to the NCAA DIII Men's Ice Hockey Tournament with a Pool C bid thanks to their 20 wins. This year, they got into the tournament by defeating last season's national runner-up, Salve Regina, in the CCC title game to earn the automatic bid and at trip to 2017 national runner-up Trinity in the opening round.
UNE comes in with the same goals per game average (a very dangerous 4.79) as they did when they hosted Colby in the opening round last season. Swallow hopes going on the road as an automatic qualifier against the NESCAC is better than an at-large bid at home as the Mules quelled the Nor'Easters 4-2 in that game. Then sophomore Tate Sproxton got the start in net over Ben Churchfield (a Brit in DIII hockey with a very British name) after then freshman Churchfield gave up five goals in the CCC title game. Churchfield rebounded this season to earn the starting job outright and to earn All-CCC Second Team honors with a 2.15 GAA and .920 save percentage.
Up front, UNE returns much of their firepower from last season, including Brady Fleurent, who earned CCC Player of the Year honors and would be in the 100 point club even if he only had assists in his career with a whopping 181 points (61-120-181) headed into his second and final NCAA Tournament. Ryan Bloom, who scored last season against Colby, leads the Nor'Easters with 21 goals this season.
But while the offensive firepower is what stands out for UNE, Churchfield and co.'s defensive stinginess is what coach Swallow credited to a resurgence in the second half of the season. UNE had a three game losing streak that culminated in the Green Mountains at the Middlebury Classic with an opening round loss to fellow NCAA Tournament team Hobart. Since then the Nor'Easters have gone 13-2-2 and have seldom given up more than two goals in a game, the last time coming in a 7-5 loss to Wentworth in January.
Trinity has been even stingier with a 1.70 goals against average, good enough for fifth in the nation and a starting goaltender in Teddy Loughborough that has a 1.54 GAA .940 save percentage stat line and who let up only three goals in a NESCAC playoff run that included two OT games. Unless you were living under a rock, you know by now about Trinity's buzzer beating (or was it?...eh, let's not relitigate that now) 3-2 OT win over Amherst in the NESCAC title game that made ESPN Sportscenter's Top 10 last Sunday. The narrative was made even richer by the one timer being hammered home by Taggart Corriveau - son of former Hartford Whaler Yvon Corriveau - who earned the home ice throughout the NESCAC playoffs in Hartford by scoring in the final ten seconds of the regular season finale against Wesleyan to give the Bantams the top seed. Considering the New England fan reaction to the Carolina Hurricanes wearing the Hartford Whalers jerseys against Boston this week, it was nice to have a positive Hartford Whaler reference point, at least in the NESCAC universe.
Speaking of Hartford, this will be UNE's first game in the state of Connecticut this season. The two teams have common opponents in Colby and Bowdoin, with Trinity sweeping both Colby and Bowdoin this season in home-and-homes and UNE beating both the Mules and Polar Bears in their respective visits to Biddeford, ME.
While I expect a lower scoring game, all bets are off in the playoffs, and these two teams have enough firepower to make this in to an ole fashion New England shootout. UNE hasn't faced many teams that have outshot them but when they have, the Nor'Easters have gone 0-4-1. Trinity has only been outshot twice this season going 0-1-1, the last time coming in a tie at Amherst in January. The Bantams have had eight straight games of at least thirty 30 shots and have reached the 40 shot plateau 14 times this season. While total shots are a crude metric and have all sorts of confounding variables, it is pretty clear that Greason's gang knows how to get the puck on net in droves and it is a large key to their success.
The winner of the game travels to Northfield, VT for a quarterfinal game with D-III powerhouse Norwich. The Bantams lost to the Cadets in the 2017 title game and the last NESCAC team to head to Kreitzberg Arena in the playoffs was Hamilton, who got blown out in the quarterfinals in that same 2017 tournament.
It's all about Hartford this week. It might be appropriate to go with the Zambonis version of the Hartford Whalers' goal song, Brass Bonanza, but instead we will go with Hartford's Bronze Radio Return and their new single, Entertain You, in hopes of an exciting game that ends with Trinity making Vermont travel plans for St. Patrick's Day weekend.
