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| Teammates console goalie Evan Buitenhuis after OT loss in NESCAC Finals |
1. Hamilton
2015-16 Reccord
11-3-4 (1st in NESCAC)
20-5-4 Overall
Stats:
Overall (Conf. Rank) Conference Games (Conf. Ranks)
Offense - 3.17 G/GM (2nd) Offense - 2.78 G/GM (3rd)
Defense - 1.86 G/GM (1st) Defense - 1.56 G/GM (1st)
Power Play - 27/161 16.8% (8th) Power Play - 13/106 12.3% (9th)
Penalty Kill - 86/97 88.7% (4th) Penalty Kill - 57/65 87.7% (2nd)
Penalty Minutes - 9.4/Gm (6th) Penalty Minutes - 9.2/Gm (6th)
Season Review
Hamilton looked to continue their rise up the NESCAC standings in 2016-17 after moving from ninth in 2013-14 to sixth in 2014-15 and then fourth in 2015-16. There's no better building block in hockey than a stud goaltender and the Continentals not only possessed the best goaltender in the NESCAC, they had arguably the best goaltender in the nation in Evan Buitenhuis headed into the season. Add to that the return of two fellow All-NESCACers in Conor Lamberti and Robbie Murden and the Continentals had high hopes headed into the season.
The Conts started out a program best 11-0-2 to start the season (bolstered by a cupcake OOC schedule) until they fell to Tufts 3-1 in January. A brief 1-3-2 slide was just a bump in the road before a 5-0-0 run down the stretch earned the Continentals the first overall seed for the first time since 2011 when they were upset by an eight seeded Wesleyan team.
There would be no such 8/1 let down as the Conts took care of business 4-2 against Bowdoin to earn the first ever NESCAC finals weekend at Sage Rink, the second oldest barn in college hockey. The Conts rallied in a wild semifinal to beat Wesleyan 5-4 despite Boots giving up more than three goals for the first time all season.
Senior captain Robbie Murden, who suffered a near career ending injury against Trinity in late January, fought back to return in what could have been his last hockey game in the NESCAC finals. He scored to join the 100 point club but Hamilton lost the finals 3-2 in OT to leave their postseason hopes to the discretion of the selection committee.
The Continentals earned their first NCAA tournament bid as an at-large team and traveled to the shores of Lake Ontario to upset the Lakers 3-1 thanks to the 101s and 102nd points of Murden's career and 34 saves from Buitenhuis. The magic carpet ride ended with a 6-2 flat appearance against Norwich, the eventual national champion who lost only one game all season, in the NCAA Quarterfinals. A win would have sent the Conts to the nearby Aud in Utica for the DIII Phrozen Four.
Despite the loss, the season was the most successful in the program's history. They received contributions throughout the lineup from junior Brandon Willett, who made First Team All-NESCAC despite snapping his leg to end his season in the final weekend of the regular season, to senior Jon Carkeek, who made Second Team All-NESCAC as a defenseman all the way down to freshman like smooth skating blue-liner Bennett Morrison and forward Nick Ursitti, who scored the game winner against Wesleyan. And then, of course, there is Boots.
High Point
The come from behind win against Wesleyan in the NESCAC semis not only kept the Contientals hopes for the NCAA tournament alive, it was a legit exciting environment in a rink that hasn't seen too much excitement in the recent past.
Low Point
The 1-0 loss at Colby capped off the 1-3-2 run that looked like the Continentals might slip into the mid/late season slump they fell into in 2015-16.
MVP
Evan Buitenhuis (G, '18) NESCAC Player of the Year, Sid Watson Award Winner for most oustanding DII player. Need we say more?
From high school for Trinity to middle school for Colby to...before I was born for Hamilton. Buitenhuis was a brick wall for the Continentals.
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