Conference Roundup: NESCAC Semifinals 3/2/13

#5 Middlebury Panthers (13-11-2)   2

#1 Bowdoin Polar Bears (21-3-2)    4

It was over when...:  The Polar Bears held off the Panthers on a 5-3 midway through the third to keep the score at 4-2. Max Fenkell (G, So.) made 32 big saves and remains unbeaten on the season (9-0-1). Mike Peters (G, So.) made 25 saves in his fifth straight start and takes the loss to drop to (3-2-0). Bowdoin beats Middlebury in the playoffs for the first time in six tries and moves on to face off against Williams in the finals tomorrow afternoon. 

Bowdoin led off the scoring on a pair of Danny Palumbo (F, So.) goals in the first. From the corner, Tim Coffey (F, So.) found Palumbo for a one timer in front of the net for the first goal (picured).  Palumbo then gave the Polar Bears a big psychological edge on a goal with just 39.4 seconds remaining in the period to go up two. Bowdoin also led 2-0 in the 1st period the first time these two met in the Sid back in November. In addition, Terry Meagher's squad led 4-2 as they did in this game, but in the early season affair Middlebury scored twice in the third to end the game in a tie.

Palumbo beats Peters for first goal (Photo: Benet Pols)

In the second, Dan Weiniger (F, Sr.) intercepted a pass in the neutral zone and beat Peters to put Bowdoin up 3-0. Middlebury cut it to 3-1 later in the period when a Mike Longo slapshot was blocked but Robbie Donahoe (D, Jr.)  pounced on the rebound. Donahoe played well throughout the afternoon, showing why he was selected to second team All-NESCAC and garnering considerable  props from the opposing Bowdoin announcers.

Ollie Koo (D/F, Jr.) scored on a slapshot from the point 3:42 into the third for the only power play goal in the game to put the Polar Bears up 3-1. Just 31 seconds later,  the other Middlebury Robbie,  Robbie Dobrowski (F, So.), poked in the puck from a scramble in front of the net to pull the Panthers within 2. Middlebury tried to pull Peters with 1:50 remaining, but a faceoff in the neutral zone sent the sophomore netminder right back to his crease. They finally did pull him with 1:20 remaining, but it was to no avail. Bowdoin missed on several empty-net opportunities before the final buzzer sounded.

The loss ends the Panthers season, but the future is bright for Bill Beaney's team. They return all eight of their top scorers, and three of their four top scorers are either freshman or sophomores.

From Bowdoin's avoiding their achilles heel of blowing leads late or getting into sin bin trouble(besides that little 5-3 snafu), to the X Factor of Max Fenkell's play, our round table's analysis proved to be incisive. Thanks again to Owen Teach, Luke Lamar and Benet Pols.

Player of the game: Dan Weiniger (F, Sr.) The senior from Jersey created his team leading 17th goal and set up two others en route to a three point day (1-2-3). It was his highest NESCAC playoff output since his four points (2-2-4) against Hamilton in the semis his freshman year. Honorable mention goes to Fenkell for his solid goaltending and Palumbo for his two goals in the first to give Bowdoin a big 2-0 lead heading into the first intermission.

Box Score: Middlebury 2/Bowdoin 4            
Middlebury Recap    Bowdoin Recap    Maine Hockey Journal     Bowdoin Orient


#3 Trinity Bantams (15-7-3)   2 
#2 Williams Ephs (17-6-3)     4

It was over when..: Paul Steinig (D, Jr.) put in an empty netter to seal a 4-2 victory for Williams and send the Ephs to their first NESCAC finals since 2011. Ben Coulthard (G, Jr.) made 28 saves in defeat, and the first team All-NESCAC goalie ends the season at (12-6-3).  Second team All-NESCAC goalie Sean Dougherty (G, So.) made 35 saves and moves to (15-6-2). Trinity was 0/2 on the Power play while Williams was 1/3.

Braft scores the first Ephs goal (Photo: Benet Pol)

Tim Shea (F, So.) led off the scoring 7:07 into the game when he beat Dougherty on a rebound from a Charlie Mullan (F, Jr.) shot. Mullan would go to the box later in the first, but Williams could not capitalize.  Williams leap- frogged the Bantams on two second period goals to take a 2-1 lead into the third. Mike Broft (D, Sr.) scored first for the Ephs, beating Coulthard stick side(pictured) on a setup from Cody Skinner (F, Sr.).

The Ephs went on the power play later in the second, shortly after taking a timeout with 13:26 remaining in the period. Williams made the Bantams pay, as a well positioned Craig Kitto (F, So.) buried a one timer on an excellent pass from Hamilton transfer Nick Anderson (F, Jr.) behind the net. The Ephs would make it 3-2 4:13 into the third period, on a stellar solo effort from Eric Rubino (F, Sr.). Gaining the puck in the defensive end, Rubino took it up the left wing and beat Coulthard for an unassisted tally (pictured).

Rubino goes coast-to-coast (Photo: Benet Pols)

As they did against Colby last week, the Ephs played a defensive brand of hockey in the third to protect their lead. Trinity would bring it to within one when Jackson Brewer (F, So.) put in a free puck off a Mike Hawkrigg (F, Fr.) shot that clanged off the crossbar. The Bantams had several good chances the rest of the way, but Dougherty was in lock down mode.

The loss ends a solid season for a well coached Trinity team. Matt Greason, grandson of a former Bowdoin President, earned Coach of the Year honors in the NESCAC by bringing a Bantams bunch that didn't have a plethora of talent into the semifinals as the third third seed. Greason's gang last loss by more than one goal on their previous visit to Brunswick, a 5-2 loss to Bowdoin on January 12th.

Player of the game: Sean Dougherty (G, So.) The only sophomore Joe Concannon semifinalist made 35 saves, including 16 in the final frame, to send the Ephs to the finals.

Box Score: Trinity 2/Williams 4             
Williams Recap    Trinity Recap  NESCAC Recap