Colby Men's Hockey 2012-13: Regular Season Review

In the leadup to the NESCAC playoffs, we are doing season reviews for all ten NESCAC teams in order from last place Tufts to first place Bowdoin

7.  Colby Mules 

2012-2013 Record:
7-14-3 Overall
5-11-2 NESCAC (7th in NESCAC)

Stats:
Overall  (Conference Rank)                       Conference Games (conf. rank)
Offense: 2.75 G/GM (8th)                                Offense: 2.61 G/GM (7th)

Defense: 3.58 G/GM (7th)                               Defense: 3.83 G/GM (9th)

Power Play: 16/95 -16.8% (8th)                        Power Play: 11/70 -15.7% (8th) 

Penalty Kill: 64/83 - 77.1% (7th)                      Penalty Kill: 50/65 - 76.9% (7th)

by Benet Pols 

Preseason Predictions 

Colby finished the season seventh in the NESCAC, better than most projected. Tim Costello, writing for USCHO, came closest, picking Colby to finish eighth. But Colby got no love from the WordPress Blog, who picked the White Mules to finish dead last. Both writers noted the lack of coaching continuity. New Coach Blaise MacDonald replaced Stan Moore, who had led Colby for just one season as interim Coach. On the ice, both noted the lack of returning firepower from an offense that had been anemic at best; Colby finished the 2011-12 season next to last in the NESCAC in scoring.

Season Review 

 Colby’s season has been a series of streaks. Mostly losing streaks with one final, all-important, winning streak. The White Mules lost their first three before beating lowly Suffolk, only to lose four more; the streak included losses in the  199^th and 200^th  installments of their storied rivalry with Bowdoin. In fact, the only good news for Colby in the first part of the season was when  the national spotlight shined on Waterville to commemorate the 200^th match-up between the Maine teams. Full of old time photos and nostalgia, the New York Times provided a hockey audience starved for news by the NHL lock-out back in November with a tale of college sports done right .

By the end of January, Colby had notched just one win and one tie in the NESCAC and endured another seven game winless streak. But to close the season the Mules went 4-1-2, including a 4-1-1 mark in conference. The Mules won their  final three games to move from the cellar into seventh place.

Colby plays second seed Williams this Saturday, February 23rd at 1PM in the Quarterfinal round of the NESCAC men's hockey playoffs. 

Low Point 

It’s hard to pick a low point in a season like this. At Amherst, on January 5^th,Colby managed just 4 shots. For the game. Two in the first period, two more in second, and none in third. 

But at Williams on January 29^th the White Mules endured a 9-2 drubbing during which the Ephs netted all their tallies by the end of the second period. Colby pulled its starting goalie Jordan Nathan (G, So.) after four first period goals in favor of Sam Parker (G, So.), only to turn back to Nathan after Parker let in another four in the first 9:41 of the second. The loss punctuated a seven game win-less streak, the Mules longest such streak of the season.

High Point 

After being shelled in Williamstown, the Mules enjoyed a needed ten day hiatus. Perhaps they meditated, perhaps they listened to motivational speakers, perhaps they just rested and regrouped. Whatever happened, it did them a world of good. Coming off the break the White Mules hosted the rival Nor’easters from down state University of New England. With 6 seconds to go in regulation, Ben Chwick (F, Jr.) tied the game at 2 apiece and the Mules survived overtime. 

The following weekend Colby got a solid 5-1 win over Hamilton and a dramatic come from behind 3-3 draw with Amherst. Against the Lord Jeffs, the Mules scored 3 times during a 3:15 stretch in the third period, including two goals just 5 seconds apart. Colby earned just one point for the game but it must have felt like a win. It was Colby’s best performance of the season against a nationally ranked team. After a loss at Trinity, the Mules then ended the regular season on another streak, taking three in a row against Wesleyan, Connecticut College, and Tufts.

Team MVP

Nick Lanza (F, Jr.) The Concannon Award semi-finalist led the team in goals and points (12-15-27); the Mules next closest goal scorer has just seven.

Playoff notes
Who wants to play a hot Colby team in the first round of the NESCAC playoffs? Not Bowdoin, that’s who. Beating any team in the conference three times in one year is difficult. In 2010, Bowdoin won the regular season NESCAC crown and faced 8^th seeded Colby in the first round of the conference playoffs. It took 75 minutes of play before the Polar Bears squeaked out a 2-1 overtime victory on Jordan Lalor’s rocket from the right point.

After beating the Mules twice early this season you have to ask would the Polar Bears prefer to face a resurgent Colby team from just an hour up I-295, or would they prefer to meet the scuffling Hamilton Continentals, who have to travel some 397 miles?