Conference Preview 1/18/14 3 PM games

Bowdoin Polar Bears 8-4-2 (4-4-1 NESCAC) at Wesleyan Cardinals 7-5-1 (2-5-0 NESCAC)
Spurrier-Snyder Rink    Middletown, CT
3 PM  Video 

Bowdoin enters the game after a 5-1 defeat against Trinity last night looking for their first win outside of Maine for the season. Wesleyan enters the game on a five game NESCAC losing streak after dropping a decision to Colby in OT yesterday.

The teams last met in February 2013 at Snyder and skated to a 3-3 tie. Steve Messina (G, '14) had 27 saves for the Polar Bears in that contest and then freshman Nolan Daley (G, '16) had 37 saves to earn a hardfought point for the Cardinals.  With Wesleyan handing Bowdoin its first loss of the season last January, the Cardinals were the only NESCAC team that Bowdoin did not beat last year.

Don't expect a rematch of last February's goalies. Max Fenkell (G,'15) will likely play for the Polar Bears, as Messina played last night and Bowdoin almost exclusively uses a  tag team in net each weekend. Freshman Dawson Sprigings (G, '14) has taken over the starting job from Daley on the Cardinals end.

Today will mark the first webcast for a Wesleyan home game this season. The Wescast camera is of higher quality than a lot of the wall mounted or low set cameras in the NESCAC, but it does little good when you have little to no webcasts.


Hamilton Continentals 4-7-1 (3-5-1 NESCAC) at Conn College 2-10-1 (1-6-0 NESCAC)
Dayton Arena   New London, CT
3:00 PM 

Hamilton travels down I-95 to New London after beating Tufts, 3-2, in OT last night. Conn College dropped a 4-2 decision to Amherst to remain tied with Tufts for last place in the NESCAC. A win today would give the Continentals nine points with eight games left to play. Hamilton only had ten points all of last season.

The teams last met February at Dayton Arena in a rare Monday NESCAC game thanks to the delays from superstorm Nemo. Conn College took a 3-2 lead into the third period only to have the low scoring Continentals score five unanswered goals in the final frame for a win 7-3. Conn College finished in ninth last season with nine points, one point and one spot behind Hamilton for the eighth and final playoff spot.


Bowdoin and Hamilton pass the half-way point today while Tufts and Conn College are only a week away from the hump. There's still plenty of hockey to be played, so whether you are Bowdoin trying to return to the top half of the league or Conn College trying to stay in playoff contention, remember to stay the course. 
DJ Shadow ; "Stay the Course" (featuring Psdnuous and Talib Kweli)