NESCAC 2017 to 2018

[CrossCheck]

Re: NESCAC 2017 to 2018

Yes, NESCAC is exactly like the all the other conferences which is why they have four of the 8 teams in the NCAA rankings.

BINGO!

[but please don't confuse that gavone with facts...it hurts his wittle head.

[shelfit]

Yes, NESCAC is exactly like the all the other conferences which is why they have four of the 8 teams in the NCAA rankings.

Wow, clearly you NESCAC lovers did not attend NESCAC schools yourselves, given your poor reading comprehension skills. Here's my post once again so you can re-read and hopefully understand what I wrote:

"Looks like the NESCAC is no different than any other conference when comparing the top teams to the bottom few in that there is a noticeable difference in the standings. They have a clear top six and a clear bottom three teams. (let the attacks of disagreement begin.... the parity police are out there just lurking)"

The key words, geniuses, are: "when comparing the top teams to the bottom few in that there is a noticeable difference in the standings. They have a clear top six and a clear bottom three teams."

For all of the posts there have been about how much parity there is within the league, I'm simply saying the standings at the end of the regular season show otherwise. I didn't say anything about this conference being or not being a stronger conference than other conferences, or how many teams they did or didn't have in the rankings, or whether the students do or don't get a better education there. My point is simple; there is a distinct and statistical difference between the best and worst teams in the conference, just like all the other conferences, and not the level of parity claimed by you guys. Some conferences are weaker and have terrible schools academically, but the point is that their standings also show a distinct separation between the best teams and worst teams in each of those other conferences. I didn't think it was that difficult of a point for you guys to understand. I think you're more than a little bit overly sensitive to anybody criticizing the great and glorious NESCAC. Relax!

[obserbear]

Re: NESCAC 2017 to 2018

Great to be back at Kenyon for this afternoon and the NESCAC quarter-final game against Wesleyan. The Panthers were impressive in skating to a 5-0 win, retaining the #1 seed and right to host next weekend's finals. Clearly frustrated by stellar play of Grant in the Cardinal goal, the Midd lead was 1-0 after the 1st. The Panthers then exploded for 3 goals in 11:30 of the 2nd and pretty much settled the issue. Just the way a really good team goes about beating the #8 seed.

The 1st opened with a Midd 2x1 at 1:17 as Jackson broke wide right and fed Portner for a wide open drive from the left circle that sailed wide right. Wesleyan was awarded a powerplay at 4:19 only to see Winslow intercept a pass on the blue line, control the puck and play to Young on her right. Young moved wide on right wing and made the pass back to Winslow at the top of the crease to goalie Grant's stickside, and Winslow's quick catch and release roofed it. Pretty shortie! The Cardinals did have 3 shots on the powerplay. The remainder of the 1st would comprise a series of great Panther chances, and stops in goal for Wesleyan: 7:50 Jackson and Portner team again for a shot ringing off the gloveside post; 9:36 Liedt jets around and turns a D ending up in Grant's grill and forcing her to kick away her drive; 10:32 Wulf walks out of the right end boards and must be fended off the gloveside post and again Young on an open backhand gloveside at 19:49. Midd dominating, but all you can show for all this energy is a pretty shortie.

The 2nd opened with Midd pressure on a powerplay. Then at 3:47 the Panthers scored on transition into the zone. Hlinka moved the puck to Griffin in the neutral zone; Griffin fed Barney who carried wide left into the circle for a drive beating Grant 5 hole. Liedt then scored a classic powerplay goal: puck out up right half boards from Portner to Lafontaine on the point and then a soft pass to Liedt on left point to ram home inside the short stickside post. Minutes later we saw Young carry and curl from the right wing, acoss the high slot on her forehand and suddenly launch a drive in close at the sickside of the crease, parried by Grant and collected and inserted by Portner, a stride behind Young at the same stickside post. Smith replaced Grant in net and made a nice stop on a powerplay drive by Zumwinkle, and then an impressive slide to Smith's gloveside robbing Jackson's put in from in close. Liedt added another as the period (effectively the game) came to a close. Zumwinkle fed Winslow, she moved off the left half boards, on goal, passed right to Liedt and Liedt picked the pass, firing one home from the slot, beating Smith gloveside.

The 3rd passed uneventfully. 5-0 final with Panther goalie Han earning her 6th shutout going 10/10.

This results in Bowdoin (upset winner over Hamilton) facing host Middlebury at 1 and Amherst against Conn College at 4 next Saturday. Hope to see you there.

[obserbear]

Re: NESCAC 2017 to 2018

The NESCAC all conference awards. Congratulations to all those honored!
http://nescac.com/sports/wice/2017-1.../allconference

[obserbear]

Re: NESCAC 2017 to 2018

Bowdoin 1 Midd 0 end 1st. Fusco from Solomon last minute of the 1st

[shelfit]

Bowdoin 1 Midd 0 end 1st

Not to worry. Middlebury is at home so Bill will get the refs to see a few things his way, and then his team will take advantage of some favorable calls.

[shelfit]

Not to worry. Middlebury is at home so Bill will get the refs to see a few things his way, and then his team will take advantage of some favorable calls.

Told you! All tied 1-1 at the end of two periods courtesy of a PP goal for Bill, I mean Middlebury.

[obserbear]

Re: NESCAC 2017 to 2018

2-1 Midd. Winslow from Leidt and Marotta. Absolutely brutal play in Midd end all 3rd. St Denis did all she could in Polar Bear net

[shelfit]

Told you! All tied 1-1 at the end of two periods courtesy of a PP goal for Bill, I mean Middlebury.

2-1 final score for Middlebury. What a shock that both Moddlebury goals were PP goals. Look at the box score! Only 2 penalties for Middlebury but 9 for Bowden, including 5 straight in the 3rd compared to none against Middlebury. Silly Billy and his Stripes win at home again. So very predictable.

[obserbear]

Re: NESCAC 2017 to 2018

2-1 final score for Middlebury. What a shock that both Moddlebury goals were PP goals. Look at the box score! Only 2 penalties for Middlebury but 9 for Bowden, including 5 straight in the 3rd compared to none against Middlebury. Silly Billy and his Stripes win at home again. So very predictable.

Bowdoin played the game they needed to play to be in a position to win or extend the game and got into the 3rd where they wanted to be. Bodies on the Midd skill people, slow things down. By the 3rd the refs really were not calling much for contact, just holding and hooking. Winslow, with the puck, was cross checked to the ice and off the puck in the high slot on a play that probably was called in the NHL; no call. It really got to a point where the refs just weren't able to call more penalties on Bowdoin. That said, St. Denis played a great game in goal for Bowdoin. Left pad on Portner from the slot on the Panther powerplay at 3:24 of the 1st; smothering a Winslow onetimer from top of the crease at 14:20 (1st); a jaw dropping right pad at 2:30 of the 2nd as Winslow found Hlinka open on her forehand in the slot and on for 39 saves on the afternoon.

Bowdoin got the early lead late in the 1st. Solomon broke in zone past the Midd bench wide right, Fusco jumped into the play and Solomon fed Fusco for the redirect from Panther keeper Han's gloveside of the crease and in with seconds left in the period.

Midd got even on, yes Santa, a powerplay goal. Winslow ground the puck off the end boards, got it to the net coming from the right corner and Young dug the puck home beneath St. Denis. St. Denis robbed Young at 13:15 when, following a Polar Bear icing on their powerplay, Young took the faceoff in the left circle, won to herself, stepping up for an open wrister. At 14:27 a Young drive popped from St. Denis glove and up, landing atop the net.

As mentioned above the 3rd was just wild! Game winner scored with Midd skating 5x3. Face off in the left circle drawn back to Marotta on left point, to the right across to Leidt at right point and finding Winslow on St. Denis' stickside of the crease; Winslow roofed it: 2-1 final.

[obserbear]

Re: NESCAC 2017 to 2018

Amherst got up 3-0 early in the 2nd and held on to defeat Conn College by a 3-1 final.

Conn had early 1st period pressure on a powerplay and nearly cashed in a 2x1 when Pavia left the box and got in close on Plaman in the Mammoth net, forcing Plaman to make a series of stops. Amherst got a bit of a Goal God gift on their first score. Lima took the puck wide right, deep into the corner and then along the goal line; Lima's low angle shot was off Conn goalie Mertz and then deflected off Eickhoff into the net to Mertz stickside. Mertz took a drive off her throat shield, breaking it and halting play at 17:10. Amherst got the gamewinner from Toupal at 18:50 of the 1st. DelRosso made a nifty play keeping the puck in zone, passed to Toupal moving right to left on her forehand beating Mertz from the left circle.

I totally missed what was described to me as a classic Toupal goal at :51 of the 2nd. Toupal alone switching forehand to backhand for an easy insertion from top of the crease (assists Savage and Flynn). Conn scored on a powerplay late in the 2nd. Kohl passed to her left to Pavia on the point; her drive was fought off by Plaman and Helm put back the rebound up gloveside, to make it a 3-1 final.

Conn outshot Amherst 16-1 in the 3rd, but Plaman was equal to the task. Amherst forwards were frequently blocking shots in the 3rd. Coach Steele went empty net for over 3 minutes, but Conn was never was able to get the puck into a scrum at the crease.

[obserbear]

Re: NESCAC 2017 to 2018

Another season in the books.
Thanks to Middlebury for providing the venue for such exciting hockey this weekend.
Most of all, thank you players (coaches and parents) for all the passion you lay out there every game!

[Mucker44]

Re: NESCAC 2017 to 2018

Missing your NESCAC Championship recap???

[obserbear]

Re: NESCAC 2017 to 2018

Missing your NESCAC Championship recap???

One of the top games of the year. Amherst was much more comfortable on the big Kenyon ice Sunday (neither the Mammoths nor Camels ever really looked in sync in the semi on Saturday). Middlebury is relentless in working down low, cycling and setting up shots in close from spaces and angles created by constant motion. The 'zebras' let two teams play a high energy, physical, clean contest resulting in an essentially clean sheet (1 hook, 1 trip for both teams and the entire game...although Wulf's goal was really a powerplay goal, coming :04 after the penalty was off the clock).

Midd's first goal came with Leidt pinching the puck at the blueline on the boards in front of the Midd bench. Leidt fed left to Young (and with Winslow swooping in on net to her left), Young rifled a forehand, beating Plaman up on the short gloveside from the right circle.

Wulf's back breaker came in classic powerplay style: Jackson from left point, across to Lafontaine, with Lafontaine's low drive deflected in the high slot by Wulf; Plaman was moving to her gloveside and the puck eluded her stickside. I saw the goal as a Goal God tribute to Wulf (5'3"), a senior, who plays a tenacious, grinding game in spaces where much 'bigger' players fear to tread.

Plaman was outstanding in net for the Mammoths, controlling the puck and thwarting Midd in close. It is easy to overlook Han (unless you see a body of her work) in the Panther goal. Han (.944%, 1.24GA) rarely faces too many shots, skates a lot to keep loose when a stoppage is in the other end, and then makes a jaw dropping save on the odd rush her way.

Midd did an excellent job not allowing Amherst's Toupal space and time to create her magic.

Congratulations to the Mammoths and Coach Matthews on advancing to the NESCAC final.

Congratulations to the Panthers and Coach Mandigo upon their third straight NESCAC championship and their advance to the NCAA quart-final on Saturday at Plattsburgh. Hope to see you all in Stafford Saturday!

[obserbear]

Re: NESCAC 2017 to 2018

Sadly, another NESCAC season comes to an end on the ice at Stafford and for a second consecutive season there will be no NESCAC squad participating in the DIII finals. That said, Middlebury and Plattsburgh went at it and provided a high energy, physical battle. The refs seemed judicious in officiating the carnage, although the 3 goals scored were all really 'powerplay' goals (both Cardinal scores came 3 seconds after a Panther penalty expired). Coach Houle faced the added challenge of finding line combinations with 2 forwards out of action and an in game injury to leading scorer Moriarty (not on ice after the 1st). A tribute to the Cardinal team and their depth to carry the day and find a way to win!

Middlebury got an early boost with a powerplay, but as the 1st period wore on the Cardinals were flying. Middlebury had a good opportunity on the powerplay around 11: when Winslow got open in the slot, but moving right to left and on her backhand the attempt was wide to Cardinal keeper Abbott's gloveside. Sheeran broke down the left side about 13:25, forcing her way in close, Han made a series of saves down low, but Sheeran drew a hook on the play. The Cardinals peppered Han's net as the period wound down; Han played :20 without her stick, made a huge left pad save at 19:30, and the 1st ended without any score.

Plattsburgh's Abbott was stellar in net thwarting Leidt on a drive from the top of the right circle at 3:57 and fending a Zumwinkle drive off her blocker at 4:30. Plattsburgh cashed in following expiration of a powerplay. McArdle was open for a drive from the right circle; Han made the initial stop, but couldn't control the puck, the rebound was collected by McArdle and she scored up short gloveside (assists to Hudson and Viola). The Panthers responded with their own powerplay goal; win the faceoff in the right circle, drawn to Marotta at right point, a soft pass to the left to Leidt for an open drive, tipped by Winslow in front of Abbott, in low for the goal.

The 3rd afforded the Panthers an early powerplay and Leidt, on left point, had several open looks, firing high and wide to Abbott's gloveside. Han was hung out to dry at 4:20 on a 2x1, but fought the attack off at her stickside post. The gamewinner came as a Middlebury penalty expired. McArdle got the puck to Viola in the left circle; Viola got the puck on net and Songin found the rebound and scored up from the stickside of Han. Coach Mandigo got Han off for a full 2 minutes around 18:, but Abbott was strong in the Cardinal net and Millen iced the contest drilling an empty netter from center ice for the 3-1 final.

Congratulations on a great season for Middlebury and Good Luck to Plattsburgh as they continue their amazing quest for a 5th straight NCAA DIII title!