Throwback Thursday: Mike Cavanaugh (Bowdoin '90) and Trinity 2008 opener

Terry Meagher and Mike Cavanaugh in 1989-90 season

Social media outlets, ever the forum for historical perspective and alliteration, have a tradition of #ThrowbackThursdays, when users post pictures or videos of yesteryear on Thursdays (though hipsters might post with the hashtag on Wednesday).

This week we have a picture, courtesy of Bowdoin College via Benet Pols, of new UConn coach Mike Cavanaugh with Bowdoin coach Terry Meagher from Cavanaugh's senior season as a Polar Bear in 1989-90. On the video front, we have Trinity College's version of ESPN, "TSPN," and their coverage of the then defending NESCAC champion Bantams' 2008-09 season opener against Amherst.

Mike Cavanaugh 
A few weeks ago, the University of Connecticut hired Bowdoin alum Mike Cavanaugh ('90) as their men's hockey coach. Cavanaugh, a longtime assistant to living legend Jerry York at Boston College, joins Quinnipiac's Rand Pecknold (Conn College '90), as NESCAC men's hockey alumni currently coaching at the Division 1 level. 

Cavanaugh was a three-year ice hockey letterman for the Polar Bears, serving as captain in his senior season (1989-90). In this pic from 89-90, Cavanaugh stands next to his coach, 30 year (and current) Bowdoin bench boss Terry Meagher. The Bowdoin jersey has what one must assume is a snarling Polar Bear on it, but from the pic the animal looks more like a Jaguar. 

In the second pic, we have placed 2013 Meagher next to Cavanaugh from his UConn presser. Terry still likes to sport the athletic jacket outfit while Mike has traded in his snarling Polar Bear threads for a look that is more professional but has less hair. 

In addition to hockey, Cavanaugh captained and played wide receiver for Bowdoin football. After graduating, Cavanaugh spent one year in England as a player/coach for the British Hockey League's Richmond Flyers. Cavanaugh had 99 points (62-37-99) in 28 games with the Flyers.

Meagher/Cavanaugh now

When he returned stateside, Cavanaugh spent a year as an assistant at Belmont Hill School in 1991-92, before earning a master's degree in sports management from Bowling Green as part of Jerry York's BGU staff in 92-93. After two years as an assistant coach at Dartmouth, he followed York to BC, where Cavanaugh remained as an assistant coach for 18 seasons - the last nine coming under the title of associate head coach - until the UConn hiring.

In 2013 the American Hockey Coaches Association (AHCA) gave him the Terry Flannagan Award for career achievement as an assistant coach in college hockey. 

During his time at BC, Cavanaugh saw a Hobey Baker Award winner, four NCAA titles, ten Frozen Four appearances, 22 All-Americans and  27 Golden Eagles enter the NHL. This past season he coached Mike Matheson, a 2012 NHL first round draft pick and brother of Hamilton's Kenny Matheson. 

Read More: UConn Huskies - - Mike Cavanaugh Named Men's Ice Hockey Coach 

Trinity 2008-09 Opener 
In 2008, sixth seeded Trinity became the lowest seed to ever win a NESCAC men's ice hockey championship. In order to do so, the Bantams defeated third seed Bowdoin in the quarterfinals, top seed Colby in the semifinals and second seed Middlebury in the finals. As an automatic qualifier for the NCAA tournament, Trinity defeated UMass-Dartmouth (who Bowdoin beat in this year's NCAA tourney) in the first round but lost to Elmira in the quarterfinals.

The following fall, the defending NESCAC champions opened their season against the Amherst Lord Jeffs at home on Friday November 21, 2008. Trinity Sports Network, or TSPN - a play on the name of nearby Bristol, CT organization ESPN - did a highlight and fan reaction video for the game. Highlights of the first two periods are set to AC/DC's "Thunderstruck" and feature Trinity sporting some nifty gold jerseys with a large Bantam figure. They also show the Bantams three goals and no love loss between Trinity and the Lord Jeffs.

After the second period, host Joey Roberts talks to Trinity football and baseball players about the 3-3 game headed into the "third quarter." (whoops) Most of the commentary centers around the Mighty Ducks, including Bantam shortstop Kevin Collins imploring Trinity to use the flying V and cornerback Mike O'Connor asking, "What exactly is the Junior Goodwill Games?" 

Trinity first baseman Kent Graham feels confident his beloved Bantams will pull it out in the third period. Amherst, the eventual 2009 NESCAC champions, would win 5-3 on two third period goals. Jonathan La Rose, of 2012 D-III National Player of the Year fame, got the win in net for the Lord Jeffs. 

Recruitment Update: 5/22/13

St. Anselm transfer and Trinity recruit Liam McKillop

Since out last update, we have learned of three additional names for the 2013-14 NESCAC recruitment list. Trinity added a prep school forward in St. Paul's Nate Wark and a NCAA D-II transfer in St. Anselm's Liam McKillop. Tufts nabbed prep school forward Matt Pugh from Salisbury.

Trinity
Burlington, VT native and Trinity recruit Nate Wark co-captained St. Paul's varsity hockey team with Williams recruit Greg Zaffino in 2012-13. Wark, a 5'11" 180 lb. forward, spent the past three seasons at the Vermont prep school. In 2011-12, Wark finished sixth on the Pelicans with 12 points (5-7-12). As a senior this past season, he had 18 points (5-13-18). The Scouting News noted Wark's  "quickness and accurate shot" and prior to the 2012-13 season, the New England Hockey Journal named him a player to watch.

Wark played baseball for the Pelicans in 2011-12 but stepped away from the diamond in his senior season. More importantly, he participated in a three-on-three hockey tournament in 2011 that raised over 2,000 dollars for Haiti earthquake relief efforts. Wark's team didn't win the tourney, but they did take home the prize for best uniform for their fluorescent leotards. Current Colby Mule Brendon Bourgea's team won the charity event.

Before coming to St. Paul's, Wark played high school hockey in Burlington. In 2010, Wark made the Burlington Free Press All-Vermont team for his 51 point sophomore campaign (19-32-51).

Wark will be joined on Coach Matt Greason's squad next season by NCAA D-II transfer Liam McKillop. The 5'11" 175 lb. forward spent his first two college years with St. Anselm's, netting 56 points (27-29-56) in 49 games. This past season, he was second on the team in goals (16) and tied for the team lead in points (16-16-32).  The Hawks won the Northeast-10 regular season and conference championships with McKillop making the NE-10 All-Conference team.

St. Anselm is technically D-II, but they also play a D-III ECAC East regular season schedule with teams such as national powerhouse and Middlebury rival Norwich. The NE-10 is the only D-II conference that has hockey and since the NCAA D-II Hockey Championship was suspended after 1999, St. Anselm and other D-II hockey schools have no post-season aspirations, similar to NESCAC members prior to 1993.  The first ever D-II hockey championship in 1978 was mentioned in last week's Throwback Thursday piece.

Before going to the Manchester, N.H. college, McKillop played junior hockey on Long Island  for the New York Bobcats. Prior to that, the New York native grew up on Manhattan's east side and played youth hockey with many current NESCAC players. McKillop was part of both the North Jersey Avalanche peewee national champions and Long Island Gulls midget team that made it to the national semifinals.

Wark and McKillop become the 11th and 12th names on Trinity's recruiting list, tying them for now with Colby for most recruits for 2013-14.  Bowdoin, Hamilton and Williams come in tied for third with nine recruits each, followed by Tufts with eight, Wesleyan and Conn College with six, Middlebury with four and Amherst with only three names so far. 

A large recruiting class that includes proven scorers such as McKillop should help Trinity soften the blow of losing four of their five top scorers from 2012-13 to graduation. 

Tufts
Salisbury forward Matt Pugh will head to Medford, MA next year to play hockey for the Jumbos. USHR describes Pugh as a "solid, north/south power forward who can skate and is strong enough to hold his own at the D-I level." In his PG season in 2012-13, the 6'1" 190 lb. forward finished fifth on the team in scoring with 25 points (11-14-25) en route to a New England Prep School Championship. Currently Pugh pitches and plays outfield for the 21-2 powerhouse Salisbury baseball team.

Prior to PGing at Salisbury, the Watertown, MA native spent three years at Buckingham Browne and Nichols. In 2011-12, Pugh was an All-ISL selection and finished second on BB&N with 40 points (17-23-40) in addition to co-captaining the Knights with his once and future teammates, current Jumbos Luke Griffin and Aidan Hartigan. Pugh led BB&N in scoring with 37 points (14-23-37) in the 2010-11 season and co-captained the team with Hartigan and current Hobart player Alex Quinn. 

Apparently Pugh wants to room at Tufts with Jumbo recruit Conal Lynch from Andover.  So there's that.

@clynch_7 we rooming together or what kid
— Matt Pugh (@PepeLePugh10) April 29, 2013

While at BB&N, Pugh played split seasons with the U18 Junior Bruins along with Wesleyan recruit Elliot Vorel and Colby goalie recruit Ben Csiernik.  You can find a highlight video of Pugh from his time with the Bruins in 2011-12 here.

Pugh also played summer hockey for the Boston Junior Whalers and will skate for them in the Chowdah Cup this summer. The Whalers have a post on their website congratulating Pugh and Trinity recruit Jordy Abrams on their NESCAC futures.  Pugh may follow the likes of Bowdoin's Tim McGarry in playing NESCAC hockey and baseball, but has not yet committed to the diamond for the Jumbos.

Throwback Thursday: Nobody Does it Better (The Story of the 1977-78 Bowdoin Polar Bears)

As part of our offseason Throwback Thursdays series, we present a 1978 Bowdoin College student film, set to Carly Simon's 1977 rendition of "Nobody Does it Better," highlighting the Bowdoin 1977-78 men's ice hockey team. Benet Pols gives you the background on that championship team and the 8mm film.

 

by Benet Pols 

Three Championships in four years. In the NFL that is called a dynasty. When you include Bowdoin’s first championship in 1971, Bowdoin’s 17-4, 1972 team prohibited by NESCAC from participating in that year’s ECAC championship (the tournament field was expanded from four to eight teams late in the season requiring an additional week of play. The presidents of the other NESCAC schools balked, so Bowdoin did not play), and the ECAC championship teams of 1975 and 1976, you can see why the 1977-78 team was a little cocky. Championships were expected at Dayton Arena.

But Nobody Does It Better?  Carly Simon’s 1977 re-recording of the classic power ballad, used as the theme song for that year’s Bond flick, “The Spy Who Loved Me” has a vague whiff of campiness. Let’s face it; Roger Moore’s Bond is the ultimate narcissist. Perhaps the film-making quartet, which included hockey player Bob Devaney, ’79, had their tongues planted firmly in cheek.

But maybe not. Let’s examine the record: 
- Two College Division All Americans
- Four New England Hockey Writer’s Association All- New England Selections
- An All-ECAC squad selection
- Three members of Bowdoin’s hallowed 100 point club, each of whom pulled off the feat in just three seasons: freshmen did not compete in varsity sports at Bowdoin until the 75-76 season.
- A record setting goaltender who would snag his second ECAC tournament MVP award.

The team had an 88.4% penalty kill rate, a Bowdoin record that still stands. For many in the stands at the old Dayton Arena the Polar Bears were more fun to watch man-down than at any other time. Speedster Bob Devaney, ’79, whose name appears in the film’s credits, would take the ice with a bounce to his stride and the cheering would start. After all, among his 109 career points were 10 shorthanded goals.  Devaney led the team in scoring in the ‘77-78 season with 22 goals and 20 assists (22-20-42). The winger from Watertown, Mass. earned All-American status that season. He appears wearing number 9 in the film.

Co-Captain Paul Sylvester was right behind, netting the puck 13 times to go with 27 helpers (13-27-40). The Hyde Park, Mass. native’s forty points (of a career 113) earned him first team All-New England honors to go with first team All–ECAC honors. Sylvester shows up often on the film wearing number 4 and carrying the cup around the ice at the end of the game.

The other Co-Captain was Framingham, Mass.’s Dave Leonardo seen wearing number 14 in the film. The New England Hockey Writers included him on the second team All-New England roster after the 77-78 season.

The third member of the 100 point club was blue-liner Gerry Ciarcia. His 24 assists for the season matched with 8 goals (8-24-32) helped him set what were then Bowdoin records for scoring by a defenseman. Both the season points (32) and assists (24) still stand up nicely at sixth and fifth respectively in the all time Bowdoin record book. 

Like Devaney, the junior defenseman from Arlington, Mass. earned All-American honors for the season, an accolade he’d garner again in his senior season, making him Bowdoin Hockey’s first two time All-American. In 2010, he was elected into the Bowdoin College Athletic Hall of Honor.

Ciarcia, wearing number 3 for Bowdoin, ended his Polar Bear career with 101 points, but his hockey career didn’t stop when he picked up his diploma in 1979. In addition to being drafted by the Minnesota North Stars and playing for their EHL affiliate Baltimore Clippers, Ciarcia suited up for 1984 Italian Olympic team in Sarajevo.

The only staged scenes feature the black masked goaltender Rob Menzies glaring menacingly into the camera and leaping to make a glove save, but you can see him in person during the post game celebrations, receiving his second ECAC tournament Championship MVP from Bowdoin’s President Roger Howell. Menzies’s 3-0 shutout of Merrimack in the final wrapped 114:48 minutes of consecutive scoreless tournament play for Bowdoin’s opponents.  Salem State scored an early goal before enduring a 7-1 semi-final drubbing. It is the Vikings who take the ice dressed in orange while Carly Simon warbles, “makes me feel sad for the rest.”

Only Bowdoin’s NESCAC rivals, the Colby Mules managed any offense against Polar Bears, managing four markers in a 7-4 quarterfinal lose.

Menzies 1,891 career saves set a record at the time; he is still second on the all time list.

But the players are only part of the story. No one watching the 3 minute 45 second film will miss the iconic fedora on Coach Sid Watson’s head; the hat itself still sits in a glass case in the foyer of Bowdoin’s Sidney J. Watson Arena. Watson earned the National Small College Coach of the Year award for the third time in 1978.

But still. Nobody Does It Better? Is that a fair statement about a small college team from a conference where rigid academic rules frequently prohibited its members from competing on the national stage?

Ask the Merrimack Warriors of 1977-78. Thom Lawlor’s team, blanked in Brunswick at the Dayton Arena for the ECAC championship, went on as conference runner-up to play in the NCAA Division II tournament that year. The Warriors thumped Mankato State 6-2 in a semi-final, and thrashed Lake Forest 12-2 in a seriously anti-climactic NCAA national championship game. There’s still no word on whether the Warriors shared their championship champagne with NESCAC and Bowdoin.

Embed of video on top of article. To view the video on its YouTube page, click here.

#Throwback Thursday: Rob Menzies

Social media outlets, ever the forum for historical perspective and alliteration, have a tradition of #ThrowbackThursdays, when users post pictures or videos of yesteryear on Thursdays (though hipsters might post with the hashtag on Wednesday).

In this spirit, we are going to post a throwback video, picture and/or game on Thursdays to give you a fix for your NESCAC hockey off-season jonesing. Today, thanks to Benet Pols, we have a vintage Bowdoin pic of Polar Bear goalie Rob Menzies from 1976. We'll have a larger article about the 1970's Bowdoin Polar Bears, including a video, but for now enjoy the photo tease and background from our resident Bowdoin connoisseur.

 by Benet Pols

Who shut-out the eventual NCAA Div II National Champion for 1978, Merrimack College Warriors, in the 1978 ECAC Division II final? Bowdoin's Rob Menzies, that's who.

While Merrimack would go on to take the National Title by defeating Mankato State 6-2 and thrashing Lake Forest 12-2 in the final of the NCAA tournament, there was one piece of hardware they didn't take and one goaltender they could not solve. The ECAC championship belonged to Menzies and Bowdoin in 1978. Menzies blanked the Warriors in the conference championship in Brunswick that spring, 3-0.  Bowdoin was prohibited by NESCAC guidelines from competing in the NCAA so the Warriors advanced.

For his shutout Menzies earned his second ECAC Tournament MVP award. Two years earlier in North Andover he'd stymied the same Merrimack Warriors with 46 saves in earning that year's ECAC tournament MVP award.

For the Polar Bears, it was their third ECAC Div II conference championship in four years.

Recuitment Update: 5/3/13

Future Trinity teammates Ryan Doppelheuer (white) and Ethan Holdaway (black)

Four more names added to the NESCAC recruiting class of 2013. Trinity grabs two prep school forwards in Hotchkiss' Ryan Doppelheuer and Taft's Al Nejmeh. Amherst got just their third recruit in juniors defenseman Austin Ho of the Springfield Jr. Blues. Finally, Conn College added Brian Belisle of the famous Rhode Island school, Mount St. Charles.

The Bantams netted Taft captain and Lancaster, PA native Al Nejmeh.  After playing for the Central Penn Panthers in 2009-10, Nejmeh spent the past three seasons at the Watertown, CT prep school. In his first season as a sophomore in 10-11, the 93' forward had six points (1-5-6).  As a junior, Nejmeh was a co-captain and netted 23 points (8-15-23). Perhaps most importantly, the Pennsylvania native appeared in a Taft fashion blog and was the 2013 commissioner of the Pre-Study Ball League (PSBL), Taft's intramural softball league.

Trinity also nabbed Hotchkiss forward Ryan Doppelheuer. The Mclean, VA native, who co-captained the 2012-13 Hotchkiss squad with Tufts recruit Dan Camilletti, led the Bearcats with 16 points (7-9-16). In his first season at the Lakeville, CT prep school in 2011-12, Doppelheuer  had 13 points (8-5-13). Before that, he played on the Washington Little Capitals Midget team in 2009-10.

Defenseman Austin Ho became the third member of the Springfield Jr. Blues from the North American Hockey League (NAHL) on  the 2013-14 NESCAC recruitment list, joining Blues teammates Jon Carkeek (Hamilton) and Ryan Kellenberger (Tufts). The Chino Hills, CA native heads to Amherst, MA to play for Jack Arena's Amherst squad. Ho started the 2012-13 NAHL campaign with the Odessa Jackpoles (Texas), but was traded after 29 games to Springfield on January 25th.  In 40 games with Odessa/Springfield, the 6'0" 190 lb blue liner had five points (0-5-5). Before junior hockey, Ho played for the Los Angeles Jr. Kings U18 team and L.A. Selects U16 Midget teams.

The NESCAC as a conference is known for its high academic standards and we've mentioned on this site several times that four of the top six ranked (U.S. News and World Report) liberal arts colleges come from the 'Cac. This fact doesn't seem to be lost on Amherst's lastest recruit.

Amherst ranked as #2 undergraduate program in the US
— Ho, Austin (@a_ho94) April 25, 2013

Conn College snagged Brian Belisle, grandson of legendary Mount Saint Charles Academy coach Bill Belisle and the best high school player in the state of Rhode Island. Belisle forwent juniors and prep school to stay at the Woonsocket, RI school and play for his father and grandfather. The Mount has won a record 43 Rhode Island State hockey titles, including 26 straight from 1978-2003. Mount's hockey program was the subject of the book "Pride on the Mount" and the documentary "Ice Kings."

After leading the state in scoring in 2011-12 with 40 points (18-22-40), Brian missed a significant portion of the 2012-13 when he suffered successive concussions within a month of another in the fall. The first was a minor concussion in November while playing for his Midget team, the Rhode Island Saints. In MSC's regular season opener, Belisle took a blindside hit that would result in several weeks of missed school and a month away from the ice. When the Cumberland, RI native came back he ended up with 27 points (9-18-27) to  help MSC win yet another state title. Below find a segment on Belisle's season from Cox Sports RI.

Throwback Thursday: 5/2/13

Social media outlets, ever the forum for historical perspective and alliteration, have a tradition of #ThrowbackThursdays, when users post pictures or videos of yesteryear on Thursdays (though hipsters might post with the hashtag on Wednesday).

In this spirit, we are going to post a throwback video, picture and/or game on Thursdays to give you a fix for your NESCAC hockey off-season jonesing. Today we have an Anaheim Mighty Ducks promo circa 1996 that stars Hamilton's Guy Hebert and a photo from one of the oldest rivalries in NCAA hockey.

Throwback Video: Guy Hebert 
As any NESCAC hockey historian - or anyone that has walked into the Hebert Shrine that is Sage Rink - knows, Guy Hebert is the most famous alum to grace New England Small School Athletic Conference ice. Hebert was drafted by the St. Louis Blues in 1987, between his sophomore and junior years at Hamilton. After winning 46 games as a Continenntal, Hebert went on to spend 10 years in the NHL as a member of the St. Louis Blues, Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and New York Rangers. The 1997 NHL All-Star was the first pick by the Mighty Ducks in the 1993 Expansion Draft and represented the United States in the 1994 World Championships and 1996 World Cup. Check out his full bio and stats(including for his time at Hamilton) here.

Today we present a Mighty Ducks commercial from 1996 starring Hebert.Commercials shouldn't bother you, unless of course you go to the Brunswick Re-Education Camp. (what up, NAS?). In this Prime Sports promo for a regular season Ducks game against "Super Mario (Mario Lemieux) and the Penguins,"  Hebert appears alone, in a dark rink, under spotlights at "6:42 PM," accompanied by Gregorian chanting.

The former Continental goalie then drops some fortune cookie knowledge, "I play behind a mask, I don't hide behind it/ I play because the glove is quicker than the eye/I play because I'm no sitting duck." The payoff comes when Hebert removes his mask and says, "I play for Prime Sports." Riveting stuff.

If you'd like to see the entire 1997 NHL All-Star game Hebert played in, you can find it on YouTube (thanks, internet!). Hebert's intro is about 11:40 in and he plays goalie in the third period for the Western Conference squad that lost 11-7 to the Eastern Conference. Hebert let up only one of the eleven goals.



Throwback Picture: Bowdoin-Colby Rivalry 

Bowdoin College Athletic DepartmentThe Polar Bears and White Mules playing at Bowdoin’s “Delta” outdoor rink in 1948.

Back in November 2012, with the NHL lockout in full effect, The New York Times hockey blog  "Slap Shot" had to look for alternatives to pro-hockey. So, they ended up turning to one of the oldest rivalries in collegiate hockey dating back to 1922 between the Bowdoin Polar Bears and the Colby Mules.

As we have discussed before, the Times clearly has a connection to the NESCAC as Hamilton games regularly appear among the handful of D-III scores published in the weekend sports section. In advance of the home and home (199th and 200th meetings) between Bowdoin and Colby, the Times posted an article about the rivalry on November 30, 2012, which included pictures (like the one above), a  background of the series and Bowdoin Coach Terry Meagher calling the rivalry a "little Beanpot." Meagher played in the actual Beanpot as a member of the Boston University hockey team in the 1970s.

Read More: New York Times Jeff Z Klein. - - Want a Real Rivalry? Try Bowdoin-Colby