Non-Conference Game Finals: 11/28/14

After a 3-0-0 start to the OOC schedule on Tuesday, the NESCAC went 0-3-0 against non-Cac opponents to open the weekend. 

Hamilton (1-2-1; 1-1-1 NESCAC)   3
Utica (2-4-2; 0-4-1 ECAC-East)      5
Box Score

Utica jumped out to a 2-0 lead 7:30 into the first and never relinquished the lead the rest of the way. Hamilton fought back to pull within one, but an empty net goal by UC's Joe Wetmore (F, '16) sealed the victory to give the Pioneers a 6-5-4 lead in the All-Time series between the Oneida County, NY schools.

After a six year old Clinton youth hockey player nailed the national anthem, sloppy play dominated the first in front of a "sell'out" crowd - the official attendance was a capacity 3,815 but the Aud was actually half-full. A poor Continental back-check led to a rebound goal by Kyle Lajeunesse (F, '18) 6:41 into the first. UC's Justin Hogan (F, '15) then drove down the left wing less than a minute later before cutting in front to beat Evan Buitenhuis (G, '18) for the two goal lead.

The Continentals got on the board three minutes into the second frame when Kenny Matheson (F, '16) fed Brad Smelstor (D, '17) for a ripped slap-shot from the point. The Vermont native now has three goals in his collegiate career with two of them coming against the Pioneers from almost identical spots on the Aud ice (Smelstor scored in last year's 4-4 tie against UC).

Buitenhuis, the reigning NESCAC Player of the Week after posting a 0.5 GAA and 77 saves to start his collegiate career, did not look as sharp as his opening weekend. Whether it was nerves or the soft ice of the Aud, he looked pretty shaky handling pucks behind the net.

That said, he did make a few quality saves before leaving the game with an apparent concussion just 38 seconds after the Continentals first goal. After Boots covered up a puck, Lajeunesse rammed into the rookie. Rushing to his goalies' defense, Marko Brelih (D, '15) began a pushing match with Lajeunesse. Brelih was called with a facemasking penalty, while Lajuenesse got a roughing the goalie penalty and a game misconduct.

Hamilton was inept on the five minute man advantage specifically and the power play in general. The Conts went 0-6 on the power play, including producing few shots on a 1:30+ two man advantage late in the third. Hamilton is now 1/17 on the power play, hearkening back to the 2012-13 season when the Conts went 13/125.

The Continentals erred  on the side of looking for the perfect shot on the pp rather than peppering goalie Dylan Wells (G, '15), who made 25 saves on the afternoon but showed definite weakness in net. Wells played at University of Southern Maine last season, after receiving no playing time at D-I Providence in 2012-13.  Utica has thrown out three goaltenders this season giving nearly equal playing time to each.

Utica scored their lone goal on five power plays 9:38 into the second when Kevin Valenti (F, '18) beat Kevin Arnold (G, '15) stickside on one of two Smelstor penalties on the afternoon. Arnold made 20 saves in relief of Buitenhuis to fall to 0-2-0 on the season.

Matheson put the Conts to within one again on a feed from Pat Curtis (F, '15) with six minutes to play in the second. Utica responded with three minutes remaining in the period when Brett Szajner (D, '18) put in a loose puck that Arnold couldn't wrap up for the frosh's first career collegiate goal.

The Conts cut it to 4-3 late in the third when Robbie Murden (F, '17) dangled the puck before making a nice feed to Pittsburgh native Jesse Root Tyler Jovejoy (D, '16) for the junior's first collegiate goal. UC sealed it with an empty net goal to improve to 4-0-3 in the last seven meetings between the two schools. The Pioneers also won their first game since the season opener with a hard-luck stretch 1-4-2 stretch with three one-goal losses.

Hamilton heads north to take on SUNY Canton on Saturday. The loss to Utica may have longer term ramifications with the head injury to Buitenhuis and what appeared to be a shoulder injury to Connor Lamberti (D, '17). Both will likely be out in tonight's non-conference tilt, but we'll see if they come back when the Continentals return to league action next week against Williams and Middlebury.


SUNY Brockport (3-5-0; 1-3-1 SUNYAC)     4
Tufts (1-4-1; 0-3-1 NESCAC)                         2
Box Score

Brockport broke a 2-2 tie in the second period before adding a tally in the third to move to the finals of the Rutland Herald Invitational  against Manhattanville. Tufts falls to the consolation game against host Castleton State. Mason Pulde (G, '17) made 31 saves to fall to 1-3-1, while Stewart Bell (F, '16) and Conal Lynch (F, '17) each put in their second goals of the season for the Jumbos.


Concordia (MN) (5-3-1; 2-1-1 MIAC)   4
Middlebury (1-2-2; 1-1-2 NESCAC)       3
Box Score

Middlebury fought back from a 3-0 deficit in the second to tie the game midway through the period, only to allow a Cobbers (yes, that's their nickname) goal just a minute and-a-half later. The game went scoreless for the last 28:22 after seven goals in the first 31:38. Panthers' goals went to Derek Pimentel (F, '15), Brendan McGovern (F, '16) and Mark McLellan (F, '18). It was the Surrey, BC native's first collegiate goal and point.  Liam Moorfield-Yee (G, '16) made 25 saves to fall to 1-1-2 on the year. Cobbers rookie goalie Alex Reichle (G, '18) made 36 saves to improve to 4-1-0 on the season.

The Panthers will take on #3 ranked Plattsburgh in the consolation game of the 17th annual PrimeLink tournament. The Cardinals fell 5-1 to #2 ranked Norwich in the other opening round game. Its the first time Middlebury hasn't made the finals of the tournament since 2011, the last time they hosted the PrimeLink. The Cardinals and Panthers skated to a 0-0 tie in that year's consolation game.

We repped Iggy Pop's "The Undefeated" after the 'Cac went 3-0 in OOC play on Tuesday, so now it is only fair that we play The Strokes "I Can't Win"