NESCAC puckers in spring sports

With NESCAC seniors having graduated, we are now firmly entrenched in the Siberian wasteland of the offseason: 97 days since the 2016 NESCAC MIH Finals, 83 days since Williams' loss in the NCAA Quarters, but still  142 days until the start of team activities next season.

While coaches prepped for next season during the spring - sans Terry Meagher, who had his retirement ceremony last month- and some players enjoyed some time off from structured athletic activities, others jumped from the rink to the field.

Below are members of 2015-16 NESCAC MIH teams that were on the rosters of spring sports, listed in order of schools alphabetically. If we missed anybody, please let us know.

Amherst
First up on our list is Dave Cunningham '16, who is probably the most visible (well, as visible as a NESCAC athlete can be) of the NESCAC MIH two sport athletes. The 2014 Second Team All-NESCAC goalie has played baseball in three of his four years in central Mass. He only missed his junior baseball season after suffering a season ending hip injury midway through the 2015-16 hockey campaign. An aspiring writer in addition to his athletic achievements, Cunningham has written candidly about his two sport journey and troubles with injury for the Amherst Student. 

After ending his hockey career with a disappointing loss to Trinity in the NESCAC finals in March, Cunningham joined his baseball brethren for his seventh and final season of NCAA athletics. He had had his most successful season on the diamond, posting a .354 batting average, .431 on base percentage and .522 slugging percentage to go along with a .966 fielding percentage at first base (Cunningham's hip injuries moved him out form behind the plate). These numbers earned Cunningham a spot on the All-NESCAC First Team.

Bowdoin 
Bowdoin has a bevy of (Polar) Bears that ply their athletic trades off the ice. Co-NESCAC Men's Ice Hockey Rookie of the Year Cody Todesco joined sophomore blueliner Cullen Geary on the baseball diamond. Neither saw much playing time, with Todseco only garnering 38 at-bats as an infielder and Geary only doubling the number of games he dressed for in the hockey season with eight ABs. Mitch Barrington, Camil Blanchet, and Peter Bensen play lacrosse - the natural progression for hockey - in Brunswick. Barrington appeared in 16 games as a midfielder, while Blanchet made seven appearances on D and Bensen snuck in five caps at midfield.


Tufts
After posting four points (2-2-4) in 18 games on the ice, sophomore Dan Kelly posted one of the best batting averages for the NESCAC baseball champion Jumbos. The Belmont Hill product hit .327 with a .455 on-base percentage in 98 at-bats.

Wesleyan
Chad Malinowski kicked off his collegiate hockey career by leading the Cardinals in blueliner and rookie points with seven (4-3-7). He didn't fare quite as well in lax, only dressing in two games in the backfield. Pittsburgh native Jesse Root  Robby Harbison notched an assist in 18 games on the ice while posting a .257 average in 35 plate appearances on the diamond.