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| Amherst defeated Williams in the 2014 semis. What happens in the 2015 finals? |
Who: #4 Williams (15-8-2; 10-7-1) at #2 Amherst (18-4-2; 14-4-0 NESCAC )
Where: Orr Rink Amherst, MA
When: 2:00 PM Sunday 3/8/14
Video/Audio: Northeast Sports Network
Previews: NESCAC
Regular Season Stats
Overall (Conference Rank) Conference Games (conf. rank)
Offense: 3.08 G/GM (4th) Offense: 3.06 G/GM (4th)
Defense: 2.50 G/GM (5th) Defense: 2.61 G/GM (6th)
Power Play: 24/94 - 25.5% (4th) Power Play: 17/67 -25.4% (4th)
Power Play: 24/94 - 25.5% (4th) Power Play: 17/67 -25.4% (4th)
Penalty Kill: 54/69 - 78.3% (7th) Penalty Kill: 36/47 - 76.6% (8th)
Special Teams Net: +10 (3rd) Special Teams Net: +7 (8th)
Special Teams Net: +10 (3rd) Special Teams Net: +7 (8th)
Offense: 3.46 G/GM (3rd) Offense: 3.72 G/GM (2nd)
Defense: 2.12 G/GM (2nd) Defense: 2.22 G/GM (2nd)
Power Play: 20/77 -26% (3rd) Power Play: 15/53 - 28.3% (1st)
Penalty Kill: 78/92 - 84.8% (1st) Penalty Kill: 58/71- 81.7% (4th)
Special Teams Net - +8 (4th) Special Teams Net - +6 (4th)
The Throwdown
After both teams handled their bizness in the semis, the two teams that love to hate one another will faceoff in the NESCAC title game for the first time ever. The rivalry started in 1821 when Williams president Zephaniah Swift Moore defected to form Amherst College and it continues up to today's football rivalry, college rankings, LSAT/MCAT scores, etc. .
The teams have faced off three times in the NESCAC playoffs with Williams getting the first laugh with a 2-1 semifinal in the inaugural NESCAC tournament in 2000. The Jeffs have had the most recent laugh with semifinal victories in 2012 and last season. Current Eph George Hunkele (F, '17) and Jeff Connor Brown (F, '16) each had a goal in the 3-1 Amherst victory last year.
Amherst has also had the last laugh in terms of conference titles. The Jeffs have won in two of their four appearances beating Middlebury in 2009 and 2012 (which the Jeffs hosted like this year), but losing to the Panthers in 2001. The Jeffs most recent title setback occurred in last season's double-OT loss to Bowdoin. For Williams, they lost in the first NESCAC title game to Middlebury and then dropped games to Bowdoin in 2011 (obligatory reference to game being vacated officially) and 2013.
This season the teams split their head-to-head with each winning their home game. For the host Jeffs, they have a 13-1 reccord at Orr Rink this season. The beauty of a title game - even a knock down, drag out, rivalry title game - is that none of this background will matter once the puck is dropped. These players were Squirts (or whatever naming system Canadians use for that level of hockey) when their predecessors met in the first NESCAC conference tournament and a goal in February doesn't assure success in March.
So let's drop the puck and may the best elitist institution win.
And a word on the NCAA tournament. The winner obviously gets an automatic bid. A Williams win would create quite a situation for Trinity's chances. The last public release of the NCAA Regional Rankings had Amherst ahead of Trinity as the first team in the East. Based on this,, Amherst should be in the tourney, right? Unless the loss to Williams in the finals would be enough to move Trinity ahead of Amherst. Either way, if Amherst loses, would the committee really send three teams to the 11 team field? Most likely not.
A victory in the title game against your bitter rival would be monumental. A loss would leave you flatlined. The Flatliners - "Monumental"
The Throwdown
After both teams handled their bizness in the semis, the two teams that love to hate one another will faceoff in the NESCAC title game for the first time ever. The rivalry started in 1821 when Williams president Zephaniah Swift Moore defected to form Amherst College and it continues up to today's football rivalry, college rankings, LSAT/MCAT scores, etc. .
The teams have faced off three times in the NESCAC playoffs with Williams getting the first laugh with a 2-1 semifinal in the inaugural NESCAC tournament in 2000. The Jeffs have had the most recent laugh with semifinal victories in 2012 and last season. Current Eph George Hunkele (F, '17) and Jeff Connor Brown (F, '16) each had a goal in the 3-1 Amherst victory last year.
Amherst has also had the last laugh in terms of conference titles. The Jeffs have won in two of their four appearances beating Middlebury in 2009 and 2012 (which the Jeffs hosted like this year), but losing to the Panthers in 2001. The Jeffs most recent title setback occurred in last season's double-OT loss to Bowdoin. For Williams, they lost in the first NESCAC title game to Middlebury and then dropped games to Bowdoin in 2011 (obligatory reference to game being vacated officially) and 2013.
This season the teams split their head-to-head with each winning their home game. For the host Jeffs, they have a 13-1 reccord at Orr Rink this season. The beauty of a title game - even a knock down, drag out, rivalry title game - is that none of this background will matter once the puck is dropped. These players were Squirts (or whatever naming system Canadians use for that level of hockey) when their predecessors met in the first NESCAC conference tournament and a goal in February doesn't assure success in March.
So let's drop the puck and may the best elitist institution win.
And a word on the NCAA tournament. The winner obviously gets an automatic bid. A Williams win would create quite a situation for Trinity's chances. The last public release of the NCAA Regional Rankings had Amherst ahead of Trinity as the first team in the East. Based on this,, Amherst should be in the tourney, right? Unless the loss to Williams in the finals would be enough to move Trinity ahead of Amherst. Either way, if Amherst loses, would the committee really send three teams to the 11 team field? Most likely not.
A victory in the title game against your bitter rival would be monumental. A loss would leave you flatlined. The Flatliners - "Monumental"
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