Williams (17-4-1;13-2-1 NESCAC) erased two goal deficits in both contests (as they did in both games last weekend) to sweep the home-and-home with travel partner Middlebury (6-10-6; 5-5-6). Friday's game at Middlebury might be the last on the road for Williams, as the Ephs are close to clinching their first ever NESCAC regular season title. Two wins at home against Amherst and Hamilton, or one win and a loss/tie by Trinity in their last four would give the Ephs the crown and home ice throughout the NESCAC playoffs.
On Thursday in Williamstown, the Ephs scored three goals in the third to erase a 3-1 Panthers lead after two and put Williams up 4-3. Later in the period on the power play, Middlebury's Zach Weir scored his first collegiate tally to force OT. In the extra period, Colby Cretella scored an opportunistic goal with Middlebury changing lines to lift the Ephs to the 5-4 victory (Box Score). Liam-Moorfield Yee, starting in place of injured Panther goalie Stephen Klein, had 45 saves in defeat, while Michael Pinios made 26 saves for the victory.
The next night in Vermont was a Hag(g)erty evening. Middlebury opened up a 2-0 lead in the 2nd on Zach Haggerty's third goal in two nights. The Ephs quickly struck back with goals by Thursday night hero Colby Cretella and sophomore Joe Welch (his college first). In the third, Williams scored the game winner on Alex Hagerty's fourth of the season for the 3-2 victory (Box Score). Moorfield-Yee stopped 31 shots while Pinios turned aside 21 of 23 Panther attempts.
The ability to keep his team focused after falling behind two goals in the last four speaks at least indirectly to the coaching job of Bill Kangas, who has manned the Williams bench since 1989. Kangas, who coach Williams to an NCAA title in women's golf in the fall, also serves as the committee co-chair for the NCAA selection committee for D-III men's hockey. In the next few years he should join NESCAC coaches Terry Meagher and Jack Arena, as well as recent retiree Bill Beaney on the exclusive list of NCAA coaches with 400 wins in men's hockey.
It might not have been a good series for current Panthers but it has been a good week for recent Panthers. Louis Belisle ('14) on loan to the ECHL's Wheeling Nailers (Penguins affiliate) from the SPHL's Columbus Cottonmouths, scored his first ECHL goal last night in the Nailers 5-2 victory over the Adirondack Thunder in upstate New York. Several dates late for the primaries, Belisle and the Panthers head to New Hampshire on Valentine's Day for an afternoon matchup with the Manchester Monarchs (Kings affiliate). The Monarchs roster includes Belisle's former teammate, Robbie Donahoe ('14), who has five points (2-3-5) in 23 games for the Monarchs this season.
You're off from games the next few days, current Panthers, and two of your former teammates are facing off against one another in the next state over on Sunday afternoon. Just sayin'.
Williams has fallen behind in the last four, but they came around in all four, and are on the verge of coming around to their first ever #1 finish in the ''CAC. Here's a stripped down version of Murder By Death's "I Came Around" with just an acoustic guitar and cello in a van. So there's that.
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