NCAA Tournament 1st Round: Bowdoin at Oswego 3PM 3/13/14

Who: Bowdoin Polar Bears (17-8-2)  at  Oswego State Lakers (20-6-2) 

Where: Campus Center Ice Arena  Oswego, NY 

When: 3 PM Thursday 3/13/14
Video          Audio          Live Stats

Number in parentheses is national rank 
Offense: 3.93 G/GM (9th)                   

Defense: 2.85 G/GM (29th)                    

Power Play: 24/109 - 22/02% (15th)           

Penalty Kill: 97/106 - 83.6% (23rd)       

Number in parentheses is national rank 

Offense: 4.11 G/GM (6th)                   

Defense: 2.39 G/GM (16th)                    

Power Play: 38/130 - 29.23% (4th)           

Penalty Kill: 80/101 - 79.2% (48th)  

The Lowdown

The third NCAA Tournament meeting in five years between Oswego and Bowdoin is here...finally. After a State of Emregency was issued for Western New York, the game, originally scheduled for 7 PM last night, was re-scheduled to today at 3PM. In weather related news but unrelated to the postponement, Bowdoin's parked team bus slid down a hill and crashed into the side of Canale's Restaurant in Oswego, NY. No one was on board, as the team was in the restaurant eating a pre-game meal. No one was injured in the restaurant and damage to the establishment was minimal. 

Back to hockey. Oswego has handled Bowdoin at the Campus Center Ice Arena in the past two meetings with a 7-5 victory in the 2011 NCAA Quarterfinals and a 9-2 victory in the 2010 NCAA Quarterfinals. Historically, this is the sixth NCAA men's hockey tournament appearance for Bowdoin and the 15th for Oswego, including five straight trips to the tourney and four straight appearances in the D-III Frozen Four. The Lakers won the national title in 2007, defeating Middlebury in overtime in the last appearance by the Panthers (or any NESCAC school) in the title game. Oswego has been the brides-maid more than the bride as national runner-up four times, including the last two years. The Polar Bears have never made it past the Quarterfinal round in their previous appearances, including an exit in the quarters last year at Utica. 

But the past is the past. As Bowdoin coach Terry Meagher said in the USCHO preview for this game, "Every year is really different for every team." This year, both the Polar Bears and Lakers enter the game having beaten their conferences 1st and 2nd seeds to win the NESCAC and SUNYAC conferences, respectively. 

Previews 
For X factors, keys to the game, players to watch and predictions, you should check out our round table preview with the voice of Utica hockey, Ray Biggs, the voice of Bowdoin hockey, Rob Kennedy, and the hockey beat writer for the Oswegonian, Andrew Pugilese. 

For Bowdoin Athletics written preview, click here. For Bowdoin's interview with senior co-captain Harry Matheson, find the embed below.

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For D3Hockey.com's preview of the NCAA first round, including a breakdown statistically, click here. The aformentioned USCHO preview with quotes from Bowdoin coach Terry Meagher can be found here.


The jokes will get old quick, but at least give us a 24 hour shelf-life to crack fun as no one was hurt and damage was minimal. Today's preview song is Dave Matthews "Crash into Me")