Trinity (17-7-1) at Babson (19-5-2)
Well, folks, we were here two years ago. A NESCAC champion from central Connecticut was poised to head to Babson for a first round NCAA Tournament game. Wesleyan never got to make that trip in 2020 for reasons that need no introductions, but travel partner Trinity will take their vaxed roster and head up I-84 today to eastern Massachusetts to take on the Babson Beavers.
The Bantams are no stranger to the NCAA tournament under head coach Matt Greason. Trinity made the finals in 2017, won the whole dang thing in 2015 and made appearances in 2016 and 2019. The 2019 appearance - the last time the NCAA actually had an NCAA DIII Men's Hockey Tournament - ended in a first round loss in Hartford to University of New England. The Bantams also made the tournament in 2003, 2005 and 2008 in the pre Greason days. While Trinity may know their way around the NCAA Tournament, it has been quite a while since they faced the Beavers. Babson holds a commanding 12-5 mark in the all-time series, but the two last faced off in 2010-11, a season before Greason took over the program. The two squads were supposed to close out 2021 with a non-conference game but that contest was cancelled for COVID related protocol reasons.
The entirety of the NESCAC had such game cancellations and re-scheduling in this very non-regular, 2021-22 regular season. So much so that the league had all ten teams in the playoffs due to the uncertainty that everyone would play a full conference schedule (they all did, in the end). Trinity, widely believed to be the favorite to win the league even if there wasn't ink or digital words to memorialize this belief pre-season, finished second in the conference after a shaky start. All ten NESCAC rosters faced some experience issues with the lost 2020-21 season, and Trinity particularly had a lack of seasoning on the blue line with only 37 games played coming into the 2021-22 campaign. On the injury front, Niagara transfer Patrick Pugliese's nagging injuries saw an increased role for sophomore JP Mella.
Mella stepped up in net and only allowed one goal in three NESCAC tournament games. Overall, the Bantams won eight games down the stretch, but still needed the NESCAC title victory over 1 seed Colby to make the NCAA Tournament. The NESCAC hasn't had an at-large bid since 2017 when NESCAC runner-up Hamilton made their first ever tournament appearance. Trinity heads into the national tournament with two newly minted All-NESCAC players in Player of the Year Lucas Michaud (also made conference teams in 2019 and 2020) and new comer blue liner John Campomenosi, who made the second team.
The Bantams will have their work cutout for them against the New England Hockey Conference champion Beavers, who skate a deep four lines of forwards and three d-pairs. They feature NEHC Player of the Year forward Ryan Black, but also get contributions from the likes of Andrew Holland, whose only goal of the season came in an OT winner over Norwich in the conference playoffs. Fifth year goalie Brad Arvanitis hasn't played as well as he did during his All-American campaign in 2019-20 after transferring from D-1 UMass, but he is still a formidable foe in net.
Plus, as always, all bets are pretty much off in playoff hockey. Anything can happen when two teams with this much talent play, and that's part of the fun of it. So, sit back, relax, enjoy and be thankful that we actually get to watch this after the last two years of events on the third rock from the sun.
With only 12 spots and a single elimination format, we honor the NCAA Tournament with Five Iron Frenzy's "While Supplies Last"
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