NCAA Quarterfinal Final: Utica 4/Bowdoin 2

Bowdoin   2
Utica         4
FINAL Preview  Box Score 

Pre-game: Despite one OT, the high school games finished in a timely manner and the game started on time. Bowdoin took the ice to boos, the Pioneers to cheers. Shocker. Fenkell started in net.  He was joined by Toz, Lockwood, MacGregor, Renaud and McGarry. The Utica College faithful joined in for the "you see" (get it?) of the national anthem.

1st Period: UC went on the PP first as Tim Coffey was called for high sticking 2:48 in.  PBs killed the penalty but Adam Graff of UC got an open wrist shot off that Fenkell had to make a nice pad save to turn aside. Alot of forechecking in the first 10 as the TV announcers said the play was "blue line to blue line." Bowdoin got their first power play with 13:14 remaining as Pioneer captain Evan Chlanda gets called as the sixth skater on the ice. UC killed  the penalty with not much pressure from Bowdoin. Utica had a series of chances in the middle of the period but Fenkell was up to the task.


Bowdoin took the 1-0 lead at 11:38 in off good defense. After a block in the defensive zone, Matheson and Koo went on a 2-1, with Matheson passing to Koo who put it "top shelf where mama hides the cookies" according to Utica announcer . The PBs went up 2-0 13:55 in  when Downey dropped it off for Matheson, who fired it past Nick Therrien. The Polar Bears almost took a huge 3-0 lead when Shamburger and Quinn went on a 2-1 with 5:24 remaining in the period. Shamburger didn't get good wood on it and it went wide.

Despite the score, UC had several chances throughout the period including a centering pass from Joel Wetmore to Etic Peterson that Fenkell stuffed shortly before the first goal. The playing surface did seem to be a bit choppy as stick handlers seemed a bit slow.

2nd Period:  Utica struck back fast 45 seconds into the period. Steve Zappia coraled it in his own zone and started the break out to Captain Evan Chlanda. Chlanda took it into the offensive zone and found a streaking Jordan Hobaica for a one time goal. The goal got the crowd going and a raucous "Let's go U-C" chant ensued shortly after.

Action packed period with several penalties. 2 power plays for each squad before the final two minutes but none result in goals.  Pioneers Educate showed off some of the skills that netted him  77 points in just under two seasons at Utica. With 16:36 remaining in the period, he deked around several PB defenders only to be poke checked aside by Fenkell.

With about 8 minutes remaining, Connor Quinn took it in alone from the right angle and ripped a wrist shot that hit the post. Crowd got amped up with about 1:30 left as McGarry and Wetmore get into a kerfuffle in front of the net. Connor Quinn gets called for a hooking penalty with 24 seconds left and the Pioneers began the third on the PP for 1:36. Shots in favor of Bowdoin 21-13 at the end of two, as they outshoot the pioneers 14-4 in the period.

3rd Period: With 16:32 to go, Trever Hertz ripped it far side past Fenkell's glove from the right angle to tie the game.  The Utica fans respond with an "It's all your fault chant!" for Fenkell. Later, UC took the lead when Garbutt deflected a Chlanda shot with 4:24 left starting another racucous "Let's Go U-C" chant. Eric Peterson added an empty netter with 54.2 left to send the Pioneers to Lake Placid for the D-3 "Frozen Four"  Final shots in favor of Bowdoin 29-25

After the game Coach Meagher said he thought his team maintained their energy throughout and that at this level  it comes down to "timely goals and timely saves" and that he thought Utica had  "two or three timely saves in the second period. They got a shot on net that hit a player that when in to win the game." He had no problem with his teams effort saying "this team left it all on the sheet."

In terms of the goaltending decision, Coach Meagher said it is  "a little more of a challenge when you get into a one and out tournament," and that "we have two very capable goalies." When asked if the leadership council had a say in today's decision he said yes.

When Fenkell was asked about feeling any jitters in his first NCAA Tournament game he said no, adding  "you gotta approach every game the same way; in the first I got into a bit of a  rhythm, the second it was hard not seeing a lot of shots. The first one goes in obviously and probably one that I'd like to have, got through a bit of traffic.   Same thing in the third, one that I definitely should have had; then they got the momentum off that and arguably if that save is made, it's a different story." 

In terms of the much discussed playing surface, Captain Tim McGarry said the "puck was bouncing a little bit but both teams are playing on the same ice. No advantage either way." Fenkell added that it was a bit of a "chip it out, chip it in type of game" but on all the goals the puck came in cleanly.  Coach Meagher didn't mention the quality of the ice, but he did say that playing in a rink smaller than The Sid led to the first ten minutes being about "feeling out the sheet of ice itself."

As far as the pressures of midterms and playing four games in eight days, Bowdoin wasn't making any excuses. Mcgarry said,  "We're always students first, we took care of what we had to in the classroom. The NESCAC academic schedule is never easy, we're used to taking tests the same week as games."

We'll have a more formal write-up for the game tomorrow, including quotes from the Utica coach and players.