Conference Roundup 12/11/15 - 12/12/15

The last weekend of the 2015 half of the 2015-16 season saw Amherst and Williams fall from the ranks of the unbeaten to leave Middlebury as the only 'Cac teamed unscathed in conference heading into break. 

Middlebury 3-0-3 (3-2-3 NESCAC)

Friday December 11                                  Saturday December 12

Middlebury 3                                              Middlebury     2

Hamilton     3                                              Amherst          0

Box Score                                                    Box Score

Panther goalies Liam Moorfield-Yee (G, '16) and Stephen Klein (G, '18) combined for 82 saves, including 33 from Klein against Amherst in his fifth career shutout, to leave the Panthers unbeaten in conference play (but winless out of it).   On Friday, the Panthers blew a 2-0 lead to Hamilton, only to score a third period goal from Travis Stephens (F, '18), his collegiate first, to salvage a tie. Moorfield-Yee turned aside 49 shots on the evening. On Saturday, Middlebury took down previously NESCAC unbeaten Amherst on the strength of 33 saves from Klein and Max Greenwald (F/d, '16)'s third goal of the season, his team leading sixth point.


Williams (5-2-1; 4-1-1 NESCAC)  
Friday December 11                    Saturday December 12
Williams 2                                    Williams   0
Amherst  2                                    Hamilton   1
Box Score                                     Box Score

The Ephs entered the weekend as one of the three unbeatens in conference play. On Friday, Williams earned a 2-2 tie in a back-and-forth affair against rival Amherst  with CJ Shuggart (F, '18) netting his team leading fourth goal and Noah Klag (G, '16) stopping 23 shots. The Ephs fell for the first time in conference, 1-0, on Saturday at Hamilton. It was the third straight loss to the Continentals.

Trinity (5-2-1; 3-1-0 NESCAC) 
Friday December 11                    Saturday December 12
Hobart   1                                      Elmira  1
Trinity   1                                      Trinity  2
Box Score                                     Box Score

Trinity and Wesleyan spent the last weekend of 2015 action in OOC play at home against the ECAC-West. Nate Heilbron made 42 saves on Friday to go along with an Anthony Sabitsky (F, '18) for a tie with the 5th ranked Statesman of Hobart. On Saturday, Ryan Cole (F, '17) scored an OT goal to pull into a threeway tie for first on the team with four goals and to lift the Bantams past the Soaring Eagles of Elmira.

Amherst (3-2-2; 2-1-2 NESCAC) 
Friday December 11                                  Saturday December 12

Williams     2                                             Middlebury     2

Amherst      2                                              Amherst          0

 Box Score                                                  Box Score

The LJs only had two goals on the weekend from Thomas Lidstrom (F, '18) and Jack Fitzgerald (F, '19) as Amherst fell from the ranks of the unbeaten with a blanking from Middlebury. Airforce transfer Connor Girard (G, '18) made 33 saves against Middlebury on Saturday but fell to 0-2 on the season in his first NESCAC start.

Hamilton (4-3-1;2-2-1 NESCAC) 
Friday December 11                                  Saturday December 12

Middlebury 3                                              Williams   0 

Hamilton     3                                              Hamilton   1

Box Score                                                    Box Score

Hamilton sophomore Evan "Boots" Buitenhuis (G, '18) stopped 78 of 81 shots on the weekend, including 42 saves in a shutout of Williams, to earn a spot on D3Hockey.com's Team of the Week. Continentals freshman John Stickel (F, '19) scored the lone goal in Saturday's contest against his brother Luke's Williams' squad.

Bowdoin (3-5-1; 1-3-1 NESCAC) 
Friday December 11                                  Saturday December 12
Tufts 2                                                        Conn College 3
Bowdoin 0                                                  Bowdoin         8
Box Score                                                   Box Score 

It was a tale of two days in Maine for Bowdoin as the host Polar Bears were blanked on Friday by Tufts then responded with a blowout of Conn College on Saturday. Superfrosh Cody Todesco had a five point game (3-2-5) against Conn College for a 14 point total (6-8-14) through his first 10 collegiate games. Peter Cronin (G, '18) spent most of the weekend in net with Mark Schiller (G, '17) getting some time in net at the end of the Camel route.

Colby (3-3-2; 2-3-1 NESCAC) 
Friday December 11                                  Saturday December 12
Conn College 2                                          Tufts   2
Colby              3                                          Colby 2
Box Score                                                   Box Score 

Mario Benicky (F, '18) had a goal and assist to lift the Mules past Conn College on Friday night in Waterville. On Saturday, Cam MacDonald (F, '18) scored a third period goal to pull the Mules even with the Jumbos for the tie.

Tufts (2-4-3; 1-3-2 NESCAC)  
Friday December 11                                  Saturday December 12
Tufts 2                                                        Tufts   2
Bowdoin 0                                                  Colby 2
Box Score                                                   Box Score 

Thanks in large part to solid performances in net, the Jumbos had a three point trek to Maine. On Friday, Mason Pulde (G, '18) made 28 saves to shutout Bowdoin, while transfer Nik Nugnes (G, '18) made 38 saves to earn the tie on Saturday at Colby. Four different Jumbos scored on the weekend for a Tufts team that ranks second to last (1.50 G/GM) in conference scoring. 

Wesleyan (0-4-4; 0-3-3 NESCAC) 

Friday December 11                                  Saturday December 12

Elmira       6                                                Hobart   3

Wesleyan  1                                                Wesleyan 2

Box Score                                                   Box Score 

Wesleyan is still searching for their first victory of the season as they fell to the visiting ECAC-West opponents. The Cardinals had their chances against Elmira with 41 shots but were blown out by the Soaring Eagles. On Saturday, they played a tough Hobart team close but ultimately faltered on a third period goal by the Statesmen. 

Conn College (1-6-2; 0-4-2 NESCAC) 

Friday December 11                                  Saturday December 12

Conn College 2                                          Conn College 3

Colby              3                                          Bowdoin         8

Box Score                                                   Box Score 

After a 2014-15 campaign which saw Conn College's first NESCAC playoff home game, the Camels close out the 2015 segment on the 2015-16 season in last place in the 'CAC. Reigning 2nd team All-NESCAC goalie Tom Conlin (G, '16) finds himself last in conference play in GAA (3.41) and second to last in save percentage (.910).