#8 Tufts (9-14-2) 2
#1 Trinity (21-3-1) 1
Box Score Trinity Recap Tufts Recap
Mason Pulde (G, '16) made 25 saves in the third period as Tufts held on for the huge upset and the program's first ever NESCAC playoff win. The Jumbos didn't play mistake free hockey as they gave up five power plays to the #2 team in the country, but goalies can take over playoff games. The Bantams went 0/5 on said power play opportunities and Pulde made 42 saves overall.
After a scoreless first, Tufts struck first midway through the second when Matt Pugh (F, '17) beat Nathaniel Heilbron (G, '16) low on a nice feed from Scott Majowski (F, '18). With less than a minute to play in the second frame, the host Bantams evened up the score where Anthony Sabitsky(F, '18) followed up a rebound on shots from Paul Burns (D, '15) and Ryan Cole (F, '16), who picked up assists on the play.
Tufts scored the final goal of the game 4:43 into the final frame, when a failed Bantams clear ended up with Tyler Voigt (F, '15) putting in a rebound from a Dom Granato (F, '16) shot. Trinity looked poised to even it up when Tufts Sean Kavanagh (D, '16) took a charging call with less than atwo to play, but with the net empty and a 6-4 skater advantage, the hosts were unable to get put one past Pulde.
Tufts now travels to Amherst next weekend for the Jumbos first ever NESCAC semifinals. It was the second eight seed victory over a one seed since the conference moved to an eight team playoff format in 2003. The other victory came in 2011 when eight seed Wesleyan defeated one seed Hamilton 5-2.
For Trinity, they now play the waiting game to see if they will get one of the three Pool C (at-large) bids to the 11 team NCAA tournament. Based on the NCAA regional rankings and Trinity's relatively strong non-conference schedule, a trip to the semifinals should have locked up a bid. But such an early exit will leave many questions for the selection committee that will depend on how other conference tournaments play out and what Amherst does the rest of the tournament.
It might be the second straight year that a strong Trinity regular season is negated by an exit one round too early in the conference playoffs. Last season, Trinity failed to earn a Pool C bid after losing to Bowdoin in the semifinals. Based on the Bantams weak non-conference schedule, the relative consensus of the online chatter was that Trinity would have needed to have lost in the finals to get a Pool C bid.
#7 Middlebury (10-12-3) 0
#2 Amherst ( 19-4-2) 3
Box Score Amherst Recap Middlebury Recap
Amherst shutout Middlebury for the second straight week at Orr Rink to earn the right to host NESCAC championship weekend thanks to Trinity's loss. After Middlebury carried a scorless opening period with a 11-2 shots advantage, the Lord Jeffs drew first blood when David White (F, '15) poked home a goal for his team leading 18th goal. The Jeffs would add an insurance goal from Andrew Fenwick (F, '15) in the third and a Topher Flannagan (F, '16) empty-netter to seal it.
Middlebury played without leading scorer Jake Charles (F, '16), who earned a game disqualification for a spearing call in the regular season finale against Hamilton. The Panthers were also without starting goalie Stephen Klein (G, 1'8), who was injured during practice during the week. Senior Mike Peters (G, '15) stopped 22 shots in defeat to finish his college career at 7-5-2 in net. Peters had defeated Amherst at Orr Rink just two years prior in the NESCAC quarterfinals. It's the second straight Quarterfinals loss for Middlebury and only the third time the Panthers have failed to make the semis.
On the other end, Danny Vitale (G, '15) made 28 saves for the shutout in the senior's first NESCAC playoff action. The Lord Jeffs will host championship weekend for the third time as they take on eight seed Tufts next weekend. The Jeffs will focus on winning the tournament, but we can start the conjecture of whether they will get a Pool C bid over Trinity if Amherst loses in the semis or finals. We should have a bit of a better picture after the latest NCAA Regional Rankings are released this week.
#6 Hamilton (9-10-6) 3
#3 Conn College (14-9-2) 4 OT
Box Score Conn College Recap Hamilton Recap
With Tom Conlin (G, '16) pulled and a Hamilton defender without a stick, Conn College's Brian Belisle (F, '18) buried a feed from Joe Birmingham (F, '16) to pull the game even at three with 48 ticks to play. The Conts carried much of the OT, but a tripping call on Bennett Hambrook (D, '17) setup the second power play goal of the game for the Camels to send them to their first ever NESCAC playoff win. JC Cangelosi (F ,'15) put home a nice pass from Birmingham for the game winner. The UConn transfer added a secondary assist on the Camles first goal for three points (0-3-3) on the afternoon.
In a back-and-forth affair, Hamilton held leads of 1-0,2-1 and 3-2. In his final collegiate contest, the Conts' Pat Curtis (F, '15) scored two tallies (ninth and tenth) for his first double digit goal season. His second lamp light of the afternoon broke the 2-2 tie 13:21 into the final frame.
The Conts 2-1 lead came 14:46 in the second on the power play, when Brandon Willett (F, '18) slammed in a re-direct. Willett drew the power play when he was tripped trying to bull through two Camel defenders. Less than a minute later the Conts lost the lead, when Tim DiPretoro (F, '16) put in his second goal of the game on a controversial unassisted tally. After a shot was deflected at the right point, Hamilton goalie Tim Nowacki (G, '18) stood up to freeze the puck, but had it dislodged with DiPretoro eventually scoring from the subsequent scrum. The Hamilton bench was incensed that a goalie interference call was not called.
Nowacki ended up with 24 saves to take the loss in his first playoff start. The Continentals graduate only one of the four goalies that saw playing time this year, with injured Evan Buitenhuis (G, '18) likely to have the job if he is healthy next year. Coach Rob Haberbusch switched up the lines for the playoffs, moving
For the Camels, reigning NESCAC Player of the Week Conlin was solid in net down the stretch and finished with 33 saves for the game. Jim Ward's charges now head to Amherst for a semifinal showdown with Williams, the team they surpassed the final regular season weekend to earn the three seed. Hopefully the Camels Team Impact player John-Anthony is able to make the trip to Massachusetts next week after he was on hand in his CC jersey for his team's first ever playoff victory.
#5 Bowdoin (14-8-3) 3
#4 Williams (15-8-2) 4 OT
Box Score Williams Recap Bowdoin Recap
Craig Kitto (F, '15) scored his team leading 12th goal in OT to eliminate the two-time defending NESCAC tournament champion Polar Bears from the playoffs. Bowdoin fought back from two goal deficits of 2-0 and 3-1 before eventually faltering in OT. It's the first quarterfinals loss for Bowdoin since 2009, when the then sixth seed Polar Bears lost in OT to the third seed Ephs.
Bowdoin brought their offensive A game, edging Williams in shots on goal 47-39. After a rough regular season finale weekend, Sean Dougherty (G, '15) rebounded for 44 saves to move to 3-0 in quarterfinal games. For Bowdoin, coach Terry Meagher went with freshman Peter Cronin (G, '18) over senior Max Fenkell (G, '15) in net, though Fenkell was likely injured as he is having surgery later this month. Cronin stopped 35 shots to end his first season at 6-3-1.
Williams - whose third goal came on a penalty shot from Alex Debaere (F, '15) after a trip on a breakaway - will now head to Amherst for a semifinal showdown with Conn College. The Ephs five man senior class in the only one in the 'CAC that can say they made it to championship weekend in each of their four seasons. The Ephs, however, have never won the NESCAC crown.
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