Live Scoreboard: NESCAC Semifinals

 Middlebury 2
 Bowdoin    4
FINAL     Box Score   NESCAC Recap

Pregame:   Chris Steele, Louis Belisle, Connor Frick, Chris Brown and Trevor Pollack starting for Middlebury. Mike Peters gets his fifth straight start in net.

Gabriel Renaud, Kyle Lockwood, Robert Toczylowski, Tim Mcgarry and Rob Macgregor start for Bowdoin. Max Fenkell gets the start in Net.

The Bowdoin men's choir sings the national anthem and we are all set for the sixth all time NESCAC playoff meeting between the Polar Bears and Panthers.

1st Period: Middlebury goes on the power play after a boarding call from Tim McGarry 2:30 in, but the Panthers aren't able to capitalize. Bowdoin has a flurry of chances around the 15 minute mark but can't put it in. Less than a minute later on an intercepted pass, Derek Pimentel rips a shot that Fenkell turns aside.

Bowdoin scores about 11:17 in; Tim Coffey makes a pass from the corner and finds Danny Palumbo who stuffs it home in front of the net. Polar Bears go on the power play at 13:25 on Ben Wiggins holding call.  Bowdoin has several chances on the man advantage but doesn't score; things getting scrappy after the whistles in this all important semi. Paulumbo scores his 2nd of the afternoon with just 39.4 seconds remaining and it is 2-0. Shots in favor of Bowdoin 11-9. Palumbo scores on two of his three shots in the period. In the twitter world, we would hashtag that as efficient.

2nd Period: Several "Let's Go Bowdoin" chants start up from the student body in the early minutes of the 2nd but end abruptly almost as soon as they start. Dan Weiniger intercepts a pass, dekes a defender and beats Peters for his team leading 17th tally on an unassisted goal 7:29 into the second to put Bowdoin up 3-0.  Middlebury gets several good looks of their own. Robbie Donahoe gets a good look a minute after the goal, but gets stuffed by Fenkell.Jon McGinnis whiffs on a clear and the Panthers get a shot from the angle by Chris Brown, but to no avail. 

With about six to play, Danny Palumbo finds himself alone in front of the net but can't put it home for the hat-trick. Middlebury gets on the board with 3:33 reamining in the period. Mike Longo has his slap shot blocked, but Robbie Donahoe is there to put it in. End of 2. Shots in favor of Bowdoin 22-17.

3rd Period:  After a big Dan Weiniger hit early in the third, the Bowdoin announcers remind us of the importance of staying out of the sin bin for the Polar Bears. Slashing penalty on Middlebury's Chris Steele 2:55 in and Ollie Koo scores from the point at 3:42 to make it 4-1. Middlebury responds almost immediately on a Robbie Dobrowski goal to cut it to 4-2.

Middlebury goes on the power play with 11:28 remaining on a tripping call on Tim McGarry. The Panthers go on the 5-3 just 46 seconds later on a cross checking call on Alexander Milley. The crowd gets amped as Bowdoin not only kills the 5-3, but almost scores on a Weiniger shot that just misses the net on a feed from John McGinnis. 

Middlebury pulls the goalie with 1:20 left but to no avail.Final shots are 34-29 in favor of the vanquished Panthers.


Trinity      2

Williams  4
FINAL  Williams Recap NESCAC Recap  Box Score

1st Period: Coulthard in net for Trinity. Dougherty in the pipes for Williams. Trinity strikes first on a goal by Tim Shea, assists to Charlie Mullan and Michael Flynn, 7:07 into the first. Ephs go on the power play on a hooking call from the Bantams Mullan about 12 minutes in but are able to generate little pressure on Coulthard. Still 1-0.End of period, shots in favor of Williams 13-9.

2nd Period:  Mike Broft scores early in the second to tie it at 1.Williams takes a timeout with 13:26 and shortly after go on a power play on a cross checking call on Trinity's Mike DiCenso. On the PP, Nick Anderson made a pass from behind the net to a well positioned Craig Kitto in front of the net who buried the puck for a 2-1 lead 8:27 into the period. Trinity goes on the power play just over a minute later on a cross checking call on Cody Skinner, but the Ephs kill the penalty.

For what it's worth heading into the third, Williams is 10-1 when leading after two and Trinity is 2-2-2 when trailing after 2. Williams is 8-1 in one goal games and Trinity is 5-3.

3rd Period: Less than two minutes into the final frame, Trinity's Larry Bero gets called for the crosschecking penalty to send the Ephs on the PP. Bantams kill the penalty. Off a face off, Eric Rubino took it nearly coast to coast to put in a beautiful unassisted goal; Ephs up 3-1 4:14 into the 3rd period. John Hawrigg hits the post, and Jackson Brewer puts in the rebound to make it 3-2 6:54 into the 3rd. Trinity goes on the PP on yet another cross checking penalty in this game on Zander Mascucci. Ephs kill it but as the penalty expires Chris Menard hits the cross bar and puck goes out of play.

Exciting hockey here in the third. Not to be outdone in the clang of the post, Williams Nick Anderson hits the pipes as well with about seven to play. Dougherty stones a one timer from the point by Paul Burns with six to play and it remains 3-2. An icing on Williams with 59.7 seconds remaining led to a Trinity timeout. Bantams come out of the stoppage with Coulthard pulled. Trinity gets several good chances but Dougherty stops the Bantams. Empty netter with 38 seconds left by Paul Steinig seals it. Final shots in favor of Trinity 37-32.