NESCAC Semifinal scores

For previews of today's games:
click here for Chris Hall's previews
click here for the Conn/Williams game
click here for the Tufts/Amherst game


Williams             4
Conn College     2
FINAL


1st Period: Sean Dougherty in net for Williams and Tom Conlin for Conn College. Kitto, Cretella and Debaere up front to start for the Ephs with Jarrett and Mork at the blueline. Conn does their usual senior line with Martinez, Jones and Patel up front, Leedy and Roper in the back. Brisk moving period with no penalties and a stoppage of play at a minimum. Williams carried the period with the unofficial shots being in favor of the Ephs 13-4, though the disparity in play was not as big as the SOG chasm.


2nd: Bit of a slower period with the whistles. Immediately after entering the offensive zone, Conn College sophomore defenseman fires from the point. His shot is deflected by an Ephs defender and it beats Dougherty over his blockerside shoulder 9:15 into the 2nd for the Camels lead.

The first penalty of the game was called 12:22 into the 2nd with an interference call to CC's Brian Belisle. Conn had a good short handed opportunity on an alleoopy pass form Cangelosi to DePretoro, but Mork broke it up. Later on the power play with CJ Shuggart screening Conlin, Greg Johnson fired it past the glove of Conlin for the tying goal 14:09 in. In the final two minutes, after David Jarrett blew a tire trying to clear the puck, Cangelosi fed DiPretoro in front of the net, but Dougherty made a sprawled out save to keep it tied. SOG in favor of Williams 28-17 after two.

3rd Period: Activity as the buzzer sounded at the end of the 2nd led to coincidental minors on CC's Adam Patel (boarding) and Williams's Alex DaBaere (roughing). As the four and four was about to expire, James McNamara kept the puck in the zone and fed it to George Hunkele at the right circle who fired it across to Johnson at the opposite circle for his second goal of the game two minutes in. Six minutes later, Matt Werner dislodged the puck in front of the net out to the left circle to Frankie Mork to fire it home for the 3-1 lead.

9:20 into the period, JC Cangelosi won a faceoff to Dougherty's right and immediately fired it in to cut it to 3-2. Dougherty, as we said in the preview, is prone to these lapses sometimes. Later on Dougherty shows the other side of his game with a beautiful poke-check to deny Cangelosi's second on the afternoon. Shortly thereafter, a beautiful give and go between Cretella and Kitto leads to Kitto's team leading 13th of the season with six to play.

Ephs forechecking stops Conn from pulling Conlin until 40 seconds left and time expires with the Ephs earning their third trip to the NESCAC title game in the last five years (still looking for their first crown). This time Conn is on the wrong side of a high scoring third at Orr Rink.  Williams faces the bitter rival Amherst tomorrow in finals. Final shots on goal in favor of the Ephs unofficially 34-29.


Tufts              2
Amherst         3
FINAL

1st Period: Sad news before the game, Lord Jeffs announcer Hugh Campbell's wife passed away earlier this week. He is not calling the games this weekend. Early on in the game, Tufts Stewart Bell gets called for a hooking call, but the Jeffs aren't able to capitalize on the power play. The host team does strike at the six minute mark, as smooth skating blueliner Aaron Deutsch brought it in behind the net before finding fellow 2nd Team All-NESCAC senior Mike Rowbotham in front of the net for the first tally.

These aren't your older brother's Jumbos, though. Tufts struck back at the 14:28 mark to tie it. Tyler Voigt followed up on Stewart Bell's attempt in front of the net. Crashing the net gave them their win over Trinity,so why stop now? Amherst carried the play overall, however, and led 12-6 for shots in the period.


2nd Period: Tufts is unable to score on their first PP early in the period, and 4:32 into the period senior Andrew Fenwick redirects Aaaron Deutsch's shot from just inside the left blue-line. Deutsch with the primary assist on Amherst first two goals. Later on, Blake Edwards turned it over in the neutral zone and the ensuing 2-on-1 resulted in David White feeding Connor Brown for the five hole goal at the 10:48 mark to extend lead to 3-1. At that point, Tufts didn't have a shot in the period and Tufts took their TO for the game. They turn on the pressure a bit but Amherst still has the better of the chances. SOG in favor of Amherst 21-13 after two.


3rd Period: Tufts amped up the pressure in the first half of the period, even tying the shots at 23 at one point, but Danny Vitale is up for the task in net. After an iceing call on Amherst, the faceoff came out to Edwards, who fired it in and an odd deflection left Conal Lynch in front of the net with the puck which he obliged by putting it in at 10:19 to cut the Amherst lead to 3-2. Tufts nearly does themselves in with a delay of game penalty on Brian Brown for knocking the net off its moorings with 3:30 left to play but the Jumbos kill the penalty. They pull Pulde with less than a minute to play but are unable to mount a serious attack.

Second seed Amherst will host fourth seed Williams tomorrow at 2 PM for the NESCAC title for the first time ever between these two. Amherst is looking for their third championship banner while Williams is looking for its first having faltered in their three previous trips to the title game.