Rapid Reaction 2/16/14

Tufts 3-18-1 (1-14-1 NESCAC)        1
Amherst 13-6-3 (11-3-2 NESCAC)   1   OT

The last place team comes into the building of a team fighting for the top spot in the conference and earns a tie. Welcome to the NESCAC. Seldom used senior Johnny Russell got the start on Senior Day for the Lord Jeffs and other than a short handed breakaway goal for the Jumbos was solid in net. The Jumbos netminder Greg Jenkins needed to be even better as Amherst outshot Tufts by roughly a 2-1 margin.

For Amherst, they tie a pair of 1-1 games this weekend and sit two points behind Trinity for the top overall spot in the NESCAC. The Lord Jeffs can finish anywhere from first to third and will be hosting a playoff game, so Senior Day was not the last contest at Orr Rink this season. Tufts put in an admirable effort with nothing to play for, as the Jumbos were eliminated from playoff contention after last weekend.


Conn College 8-12-2 (7-8-1)   5
Hamilton 5-13-2 (4-10-2)        2
Box Score 

Conn College scored three second period goals and went 4/6 on the power play en route to their sixth win in the last nine games (6-2-1) after starting the season 2-10-1. The win clinches the Camels first NESCAC playoff appearance since the Camels were the eighth seed in the 2009-10 NESCAC playoffs. The four year drought means the eight Camel seniors have not played past the regular season finale in their college careers...until now. Among those seniors is goalie Mike Petchonka, who made 41 saves this afternoon to earn the victory. The senior from Ridgefield, CT has an impressive 1.43 Goals Against Average in the last seven games.

Hamilton is now a longshot to make the playoffs, as they sit three points behind Wesleyan for the eighth and final playoff spot headed into the final weekend. Hamilton's injured senior goalie, Joe Quattrocchi, who hasn't played in a game since being injured in the first period of a January 10th loss to Bowdoin, dressed for the game, but that was most likely for show on Senior Day.  Junior Zach Arnold gave up four goals on 31 shots in Q's place.

The Continental seniors have had a bumpy road since finishing first overall in the NESCAC regular season in the 2010-11 regular season under current UMass-Lowell coach Norm Bazin. They were upset by eighth seeded Wesleyan in the first round of the NESCAC playoffs, then had two straight years of first round playoff exists as the eight seed in 2012 and 2013 under current coach Rob Haberbusch.