Throwback Thursday: Middlebury's Legendary Two-Headed Scoring Monster of Mike Karin ('59) and Phil Latreille ('61)

 courtesy of Tad Merrick (Middlebury Magazine)

Last season we referred to Wesleyan's tandem of Keith Buehler ('14) and Nick Craven ('13) as the
"two-head scoring monster," and rightly so. The duo combined for 73 points, between Buehler's 40 (20-20, 1st in NESCAC) and Craven's 33 (16-17-33, 3rd in NESCAC).

But the Cardinal combo can't hold a candle historically to Middlebury's Mike Karin ('59) and Phil Latreille ('61). Karin, who current Middlebury head coach Bill Beaney called a "Gretzky of his time," still holds the NCAA record for assists per game in a season at 3.1. Latreille, who would go on to briefly play for the New York Rangers, set an NCAA record for goals in a season with 80.

Notice those are NCAA records, not NCAA Division III records. Prior to 1964 there were no Divisions I,II or III, as all schools, regardless of size, played in one division. Karin and Latreille even pre-date the NESCAC, as the league was not officially founded unti l971.

Karin came to the Green Mountains in 1955 from Lake Placid, where he played prep hockey at Northwood School, the same establishment that produced the Fenwicks, three brothers currently playing in the NESCAC: Andrew (Amherst '15), Chris (Bowdoin '16) and Scott (Colby '17), who recently arrived in Waterville. Before going to Northwood, Karin grew up in the sleepy upstate town of Clinton, NY, home of Hamilton College. Mike was the stick boy for the minor league Clinton Comets at Clinton Arena, a rink that still stands and hosts the Hamilton Continentals once a year. 

Colby announces 13 incoming recruits

Colby's Ben Chwick ('16) is getting 13 new teammates 

Colby announced their thirteen incoming recruits for the 2013-14 men's hockey season today, over two months before NESCAC rosters are official on November 1.

"The 12 members of the Class of 2017 are forwards DevinAlbert (Reading, Mass.), Kevin Doherty (Wakefield, Mass.), Scott Fenwick(Quispamsis, N.B.), EJ Rauseo (Methuen, Mass.), Colin Reilly (Pelham, N.Y.),Brandon Willett (Toronto, Ont.), Michaelvan Siclen (Carlisle, Mass.), defensemen Jack Burton (Reiserstown, Md.), KaiFrankville (La Jolla, Calif.), Sam Hudziak (Charlotte, Vt.), and Geoff Sullivan(Topsfield, Mass.), along with goaltender Ben Csiernik (Hamilton, Ont.).

Colby hockey will also add one to the Class of 2016 in defenseman Alex Walsh (Basking Ridge, N.J.)."

The announcement gives background on each player, including Colby head coach Blaise MacDonald's take on each of the thirteen man class. According to the WordPress Blog, which correctly identified all thirteen names, the new Mules are the second largest 'Cac recruiting class, behind only Trinity, who has 14 incoming players. 

This was the first full recruiting cycle MacDonald has had since being hired in June of 2012. Prior to coming to Waterville, the former head coach of Division I Niagara (1996-2001) and UMass-Lowell (2001-11) spent a year as an assistant at UMass-Amherst in 2011-12. 

How I Spent My Summer Vacation: Bowdoin Assistant Jamie Dumont

by Benet Pols 

What does a D-III hockey coach do in the summer time? Jamie Dumont, the Assistant Coach for the Bowdoin College men's ice hockey team, has his mind on next year's class. "Evaluating talent in the next few months is crucial for our recruiting class for the fall of 14."  The Lewiston, Maine Native is in his second stint as an assistant in Brunswick.  He first served as Head Coach Terry Meagher's assistant from 2001-05.

Between stints at Bowdoin the 1998 graduate of D-III powerhouse Oswego State led the Bolzano Ice Hockey Club to the Italian Professional League Championship; he was head coach of the program from 2007-09 and was also a member of the Italian National Team Coaching staff. 

But right now Coach Dumont is focused on Bowdoin and Maine. "The recruiting landscape now is a twelve month job not only at the Division I level but at the Division III as well. There are showcases  and camps every weekend in all points of the country so anytime I can be back to 207 (Maine) is nice."

How does he spend his downtime in 207? Helping out with the local youth hockey program. After the Brunswick Mites took the ice this week for their regular Tuesday night gig they were joined by Coach Dumont. Program coordinator Bill Patterson noted, "Coach Dumont has run clinics for us in the past and the kids learn a great deal from him every time out.  An added benefit is our own coaches participate and absorb a lot of knowledge and coaching tips as well. The sessions focus on skating technique and stick skills and of course having some fun!" 

As for Coach Dumont, he feels "it's always fun to work with our local youth players in the summertime." Then again, you never know where you might find the next Ollie Koo.

102 days until NESCAC men's hockey opening night

Longtime Connecticut College coach Doug Roberts

If you've been following us on twitter or Facebook (and if you aren't, what's the deal?), you know that we have been doing a countdown until NESCAC men's ice hockey opening night on November 15 with a NESAC related stat, either current or historical, for that day's countdown number.

Today we are at 102, which doesn't seem like a good day to pick to do a full article for; it isn't a nice round number like 100, or particularly close to the season ("10 days left until NESCAC hockey!"). Even the stat itself, Conn College's Doug Roberts Jr. ('91) and his 102 career assists, isn't all that spectacular (it puts him second All-Time on the Camels assist list) in the grand scheme.

But what makes it noteworthy is the time period during which it took place, Conn College in the late 80s/early 90s, and the name of the person that accomplished it.

It wasn't Doug Roberts that got 102 assists in a Camel uniform. It was Roberts Jr. It's an important distinction to make, since he wasn't even the only Doug Roberts in Dayton Arena's locker room. Doug Roberts doubled as little Dougie's father and hockey coach, just as Pat Arena is playing for his father  Jack Arena right now at Amherst.