NESCAC Semifinal #1 Preview

It's the last go around in the NESCAC semis for Dave Cunningham and a
large Amherst senior class 

#6 Amherst (10-11-4; 8-7-3) vs #5 Middlebury (8-10-7; 6-5-7)  (hosted by Trinity)
1 PM  Video

For the second time in three years, NESCAC Championship weekend will be hosted by Trinity. The fifth seed Middlebury will be the "home" team in the first semifinals as both the Panthers and Amherst won their road games in last weekends quarterfinals. Middlebury road a stellar performance by senior netminder and reigning Player of the Week Liam Moorfield-Yee to a 2-1 OT victory over fourth seed Hamilton. Defending NESCAC champion Amherst won a wacky 8-5 game at Bowdoin thanks to a six goal third period and scoring from unlikely sources with none of the scorers ending the game with more than four goals for the season.

Middlebury swept the regular season series defeating Amherst 2-0 at Orr Rink then downing the Purple and White 3-1 just two weeks ago in Vermont in the regular season finale. Over the past two games, against Amherst and then in the Quarters against Hamilton, Moorfield-Yee has stopped 61 of the last 63 shots he has faced.

In terms of post-season history, the two teams have split the six times they have met with the most recent meeting going  to #2 Amherst over #7 Middlebury in last year's Quarterfinals in what proved to be Bill Beaney's last game as Panthers coach. The last time they met in the semis was in 2008 when the Panthers took down the Purple and White 2-1.

This year's installment features a matchup of two senior goalies and at least seven seniors a squad that have logged at least 18 games played this season. For the two large senior classes it will be third time they have faced one another in the NESCAC playoffs.

Players to watch (other than the goalie)
Conor Brown - The senior has seen a dip in his statistics this season since back-to-back double digit goal campaigns, but the Greeley, Ontario native had a tally in last weeks's slugfest in Maine.

Jake Charles - The Panther senior missed last season's playoff game against Amherst because of a DQ in the regular season finale against Hamilton, but Charles redemmed himself in the same building with last week's OT goal against the Continentals to punch the Panthers ticket to Hartford this weekend.


Neither of these teams has a chance for an at-large bid, so it's either win the tournament and go dancing in the bigger tournament or have your season go dark. If we are not mistaken, Amherst senior goalie Dave Cunningham has a Bruce Springsteen quote on his helmet design. Either way, here's the boss with "Dancing in the Dark"