 |
| The Continental faithful showed up early for Hamilton's first ever hosted semifinal. Expect a sell-out today as well. |
Offense - 3.61 G/GM (1st)
Defense - 1.94 G/GM (2nd)
PIM - 12.9/GM (3rd)
Power Play - 17.2% (5th)
Penalty Kill - 86.8% (4th)
Special Teams Net - +5 (2nd)
Offense - 2.78 G/GM (3rd)
Defense - 1.56 G/GM (1st)
PIM - 9.2/GM (6th)
Power Play - 12.3% (9th)
Penalty Kill - 87.7% (2nd)
Special Teams Net - +4 (4th)
The Lowdown: Again, for the first time
Both Trinity coach Matt Greason and Hamilton coach Rob Haberbusch took over their respective programs in 2011. Haberbusch took over for a first place team that had just been upset in the NESCAC Quarterfinals and lost the NESCAC Player of the Year to a D1 transfer. Greason took over a seventh place team that lost an All-NESCAC goalie.
The paths they took in the first years of their tenures were quite different. After a year in seventh, Greason has had the Bantams third or better in each of the last five years and they have won at least one game in the NESCAC tournie in all of those five years except one, and in that one year they received a Pool C bid and won the NCAA title.
Haberbusch's road has been a bit bumpier. He finished eigth or ninth for the first thee years, before a gradual rise to first this season (sixth in 2015, fourth last year). The Continentals had not won a NESCAC playoff game since 2010 before this season and they had never hosted the NSECAC conference championships in Sage Rink, a building replete history (2nd oldest college rink in nation) but no unobstructed views.
For all the differences in paths, including campuses in two disparate locales, both coaches have their teams in the title game, Greason looking for the Bantams second conference title in a row and Haberbusch looking for the program's first.
And both coaches have their playing with intensity and heart. Yes, sure, these are easy, hackneyed terms to throw out there. Both teams fell behind by two goals in their respective semifinals and showed some lapses, blown tires and defensive hesitation from the Bantams, sloppy clearing from the Continentals. But both fought back and it showed in their actions.
Trinity players constantly crashed the Williams net and the bench was literally jumping up and down when they netted the game winner late in the third. Sean Orlando, who wasn't able to convert earlier on several opportunities, netted that tally.
Hamilton's Nick Ursitti missed an open net early in the third and lashed out with stick slams and expletives. He then went on to score the game tying and winning goals in the third. NESCAC Player of the Year Evan Buitenhuis didn't have the most impressive game of his career, but he still managed to make saves like this when it counted:
— Dan Jewell (@DanJewell35) March 5, 2017
So we could talk about Hamilton's line shuffling because of the injuries to Robbie Murden and Brandon Willett, or how the Bantams two upperclassmen lines will fare today. Let's leave the analysis to the coaching class of 2011 and their staffs. We'll just gear up for what likely will be a great final in a rocking building that has never experienced one of these games before.
No comments:
Post a Comment