NESCAC Quarterfinals: #8 Wesleyan at #1 Trinity 3PM Saturday 3/1/14

Who: #8.Wesleyan University Cardinals (10-11-2; 6-11-1 NESCAC) at #3.Trinity College Bantams (20-4-0; 15-3-0)
Where: Koeppel Center  Hartford CT
When: 3 PM Saturday 3/1/14
Video/Audio: Trinity Live Stream  Live Stats

Overall  (Conference Rank)             Conference Games (conf. rank)
Offense: 3.33 G/GM (3rd)                                Offense: 2.94 G/GM (4th)

Defense: 3.21 G/GM (7th)                                Defense: 3.50 G/GM (8th)

Power Play: 14/93 -15.1% (9th)                      Power Play: 10/71 -14.1% (8th) 

Penalty Kill: 67/93 - 72% (10th)                      Penalty Kill: 51/73 - 69.9% (10th)

Special Teams Net  -11 (10th)                        Special Teams Net  -13 (10th)

Overall  (Conference Rank)             Conference Games (conf. rank)
Offense: 4.50 G/GM (1st)                                 Offense: 4.28 G/GM (1st)

Defense: 2.50 G/GM (3rd)                                Defense: 2.50 G/GM (3rd)
 Power Play: 39/130-30.0% (1st)                      Power Play: 23/89 -25.8% (1st)   
Penalty Kill: 71/91 78% (8th)                           Penalty Kill: 50/64 78.1% (8th)

Special Teams Net: +17 (1st)                           Special Teams Net: +6 (3rd)

The Lowdown

For the second straight year, the Bantams and Cardinals - with campuses separated by less than 20 miles - will play in the NESCAC Quarterfinals after completing the regular season with two games against one another. Last year, the two teams split the regular season finale before meeting in Hartford for the #3/#6 playoff matchup. Trinity won, 5-4, in OT on game tying and game winning goals by Mike Hawkrigg (F, '16).

This year, the nationally ranked Bantams swept the regular season season series with the Cardinals, 2-0 and 8-5, to clinch the first seed and set up the rivalry #1/#8 game with Wesleyan. The Cards don't have to look back too far in time to find encouraging historical evidence of their chance in such a game. #8 Wesleyan defeated #1 Hamilton back in 2011. 

At this point, it's do or die for everyone's season. But the Bantams have a twofold path to the 11 team NCAA tournament, both of which involving winning today. Trinity topped the east region in the second of three NCAA regional rankings this week. A Bantams loss is the NESCAC finals would make them likely candidates for one of the three Pool-C "at large' bids to the NCAA tourney. 

Key(s) to the game

When a team wins 20 of 24 game, it is hard to find any kind of patterns on how to beat them. Trinity has won games with offense, thanks to having the three highest point scorers nationally in D-III hockey, and they have won games on the other end with the goaltending of Concannon semifinalist Ben Coulthard (G, '14).  

You might think keeping Trinity off of their nation leading power play would be a key, which, yes, it is a key to limit penalties in any game. But the Bantams actually had at least five power play opportunities in each of their four losses this season. Coach Matt Greason's squad was uncharacteristically anemic in the ample opportunities they had in those four games, going 3-31 on the man advantage, which probably speaks more to good goaltending than anything else.

In the preview he did for us last year for the Bowdoin/Utica NCAA quarterfinal, Colby assistant coach Chris Hall said playoff hockey usually comes down to goaltending and experience. In this case, it might not just be the experience of the players, but the fact that this is the third game in nine days between the Nutmeg State rivals. 

Players to watch 

Dawson Sprigings (G, Fr.) The Cardinals will likely need the freshman from Toronto to have a performance similar to last weekend's 46 save effort against the Bantams in order for the Cardinals to be playing hockey next week. 

Mike Hawkrigg (F, '16) The Toronto native had the OT heroics as a freshman last year. What will the nation's leading goal scorer (20-26-46) do for an encore this year? 


Third meeting in nine days. I feel like we've been here before with these two...