Saturday, November 23, 2013

NESCAC Preview 11/23/13

A full slate of games with all ten teams in conference action. Last night, the road team was the favorite in all three games and the road team won all three games (Bowdoin, Middlebury, Williams). All of today's action will be viewable by webcast. 


Middlebury Panthers (2-0-1;2-0-1) at Conn College Camels (0-3-0; 0-3-0)
3 PM  Dayton Arena; New London, CT 
Video   Audio 

Middlebury survived a late push by Tufts last night to remain unbeaten. Conn College took too many penalties to stay with a superior opponent and lost to Williams for their third 5-2 loss in three games this season. Last season, the two teams tied 3-3 in their November meeting in Vermont. Later in the season, the Panthers downed the Camels, 4-1, kicking off a (6-1-0) stretch for Middlebury following a rough (2-6-0) in December and January.

The Camels last beat Middlebury, 4-3, on January 27, 2012 in Vermont. Current Camels leading scorer and then freshman JC Cangelosi had his first NESCAC tally of his career in the game. In three career games against the Panthers, the junior from Florida has four points (2-2-4). This will be Panthers junior goaltender Mike Peters, who won the starting job down the stretch last season, first game against the Camels.



Williams Ephs (2-0-1; 2-0-1) at Tufts Jumbos (0-3-0; 0-3-0) 
4 PM   Malden Valley Forum; Malden, MA
Video 

The Jumbos dropped their third one goal contest of the season after fighting back against Tufts, while Williams defeated Conn College despite being outshot thanks to a 3/7 power play conversion rater. The Ephs have dominated the 21 game all-time series 17-4, including the last three matchups. That three game stretch includes the 2012 NESCAC Quarterfinals, when the Ephs ruined the Tufts only-ever home conference playoff game, 4-3, in OT. Kyle Gallegos had two goals in that game, while Ephs junior Craig Kitto, who currently leads the team with six points (1-5-6), had two assists. Tufts won the matchup immediately before that, 3-2, on January 27, 2012, also in OT, with all five goals coming from current Ephs/Jumbos( Tufts: Powers, Voigt, Gallegos; Williams: Kitto, Anderson).



Wesleyan Cardinals (2-0-0; 2-0-2) at Hamilton Continentals (0-2-0; 0-2-0)
7 PM    Sage Arena; Clinton, NY
Video

The Cardinals and Conts are coming off opposite weekeneds. The Cards swept Tufts/Conn College at home while Hamilton lost both ends of a home-and-home with Amherst. The last time the Cardinals were at Sage in January of this year, they absolutely demolished Hamilton 11-3. Earlier in December 2012 at Wesleyan, Hamilton's Marko Brelih scored a goal in the final minute to earn Hamilton a 1-1 tie.

Hamilton has dominated the All-time series 24-8-4, but the Cardinals are currently on a six game unbeaten streak against the Continentals that includes the eight seed Cardinals upsetting number one seed Hamilton in the 2011 NESCAC Quarterfinals. The loss was the last game Norm Bazin coached the Continentals. He left for Division I UMass-Lowell following the season and took 2011 NESCAC Player of the Year Joe Houk with him.


2013 NESCAC Player of the Year Keith Buehler missed last Saturday's game against Conn College but will be back today. Buehler has 11 points in six career games against Hamilton (4-7-11). This will be the first road game for Cardinal freshman Elliot Vorel,  who had seven points (4-3-7) in his first two collegiate games last weekend.



Colby Mules (1-2-1; 0-2-1) at Bowdoin Polar Bears (1-1-1; 1-1-1) 
7 PM    Sid Watson Arena; Brunswick, ME
Video   Live Stats   Game Notes

Last night's 201st meeting between Colby and Bowdoin was not a disappointment with a packed house, a 3-1 game and a garbage thrown on the ice after the third controversial goal by the Polar Bears. Should be another fun one tonight, including the first Bowdoin broadcast on NSN. Williams first broadcast on NSN this year was a bit of a disappointment from the camera quality, but Bowdoin's promises to be in HD.

The fun will be slightly hampered for those in Brunswick as the pep rally for today was cancelled by Student Life yesterday. On the ice, this will be the last Colby/Bowdoin game for Jay Livermore and the seven other Polar Bear seniors, as well as for Ben Chwick and the five other Mules seniors.



Trinity Bantams (2-0-2; 2-0-2) at Amherst Lord Jeffs
7 PM Orr Rink; Amherst, MA
Video 


The Bantams and Lord Jeffs both come off of perfect weekends to begin the season. Trinity swept last season's series with an expected defensive battle, 1-0, in Hartford and a surprising 7-4 goalfest at Amherst. Trinity returns their First Team All-NESCAC goalie, Ben Coulthard, while Amherst starts sophomore Dave Cunningham, who has only given up nine goals in 362 minutes of collegiate action. 5 of those goals, however, came in the loss to the Bantams last January on 19 shots.  


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