NESCAC 2017 to 2018

[obserbear]

Re: NESCAC 2017 to 2018

2-2 late 3rd at Orr

[obserbear]

Re: NESCAC 2017 to 2018

Congrats to the Mammoths and Coach Matthews. Down 2-0 and just kept at it for the 2-2 tie

[obserbear]

Re: NESCAC 2017 to 2018

Some random thoughts (embodying many hockey clichés) on yesterday's 2-2 tie between Amherst (9-5-3, NESCAC 5-3-2) and Plattsburgh (15-2-1, NEWHL 10-0).

The Cardinals came off the bus flying, got the Mammoths back on their heels, but did not finish them off early. A third goal might have broken Amherst's will, but the goal never came and Amherst adopted the notion that (as in Pine Valley) 'we can play these gals' and were skating much better the last 10 minutes of the 1st. Brush forced a turnover in front of the Amherst bench, slipped a pass to Katonka, who found space into the high slot and beat Amherst goalie Plaman with a quick wrister up gloveside. Fast paced 1st with few whistles and lots of end to end action. Thank you St. Lawrence and St. Lawrence for such a judicious handling of the officiating!

Note to the rest of the NESCAC: Mammoths have a win and a tie with the national #1 and should not be overlooked as the regular season winds down.

Amherst had a great chance early in the 2nd with McNamara in on Plattsburgh goalie Abbott, dangling and then going just wide in her attempt to tuck the puck past Abbott at the stickside post. Plattsburgh mounted a sustained attack about 9:30 and Plaman had a spectacular series of stops before giving up the second Cardinal score. Corcoran passed left to D partner Flanagan (nice Cardinal career start with 7 points in 7 games); Flanagan's shot from the left point was deflected by Brush, positioned at Plaman's stickside, in under Plaman.

The 3rd featured solid goal play at both ends of the ice. Abbott was tested on a Toupal forehand at 4:30 and a Sauvage wrist shot from top of the left circle that she kicked out with her left pad. A rare, undisciplined elbow in neutral ice in transition resulted in an Amherst powerplay. Toupal moved the puck up the right half boards to Hunyadi; Hunyadi got her shot through and Griese dug the puck home from Abbott's gloveside. So, is a 2 goal lead the worst in hockey? Well in classic fashion, Mo returned to the Mammoth bench and things got interesting for the Amherst faithful (and by the by, kudos to the Cardinals and so many of their fans making the trip to Orr!). Minutes later Amherst netted another. Toupal came on ice, collected a loose puck in front of the Plattsburgh bench, and broke wide down left wing. Toupal was forced wide and shot from low in the left circle beat Abbott 5 hole. Toupal seems to define pesky sniper to me: great skater, making space from nothing, constantly flipping shots on net from all sorts of angles and unexpectedly sliding the puck to others in the kill zone.

The OT was skated 5x5, ECAC style. The Cardinals were mounting pressure as OT wore on and a penalty was called at 4:18. Coach Houle decided not to attack with an empty net (loss was bigger downside than the potential tie) and Plaman was strong in net as she withstood the onslaught and earned the 2-2 draw.

Plattsburgh has an off weekend before a trip back across the Lake Tuesday to visit another NESCAC foe at Kenyon.
Amherst resumes conference action with their visceral blood feud against Williams in a home and home opening at Orr Friday evening before moving up the Mohawk Trail to Williamstown Saturday evening.

[obserbear]

Re: NESCAC 2017 to 2018

Anyone else having problems with NSN loading?

[tjoneslo]

Re: NESCAC 2017 to 2018

I did at the start of the Midd-Hamiliton game for a few minutes. But they seems to have fixed it.

[CrossCheck]

Re: NESCAC 2017 to 2018

Anyone else having problems with NSN loading?

Assuming you're at the game tonight {odd, no?}...perhaps now you will understand why I told you Grant was top two nescac tender last year...for her to have those numbers, while playing for that [horrible] team...facing the quality scoring chances she does night in and night out?

[obserbear]

Re: NESCAC 2017 to 2018

Assuming you're at the game tonight {odd, no?}...perhaps now you will understand why I told you Grant was top two nescac tender last year...for her to have those numbers, while playing for that [horrible] team...facing the quality scoring chances she does night in and night out?

Regret medical issues have restricted my travels, but I hope to be returning to action before too long.

[puxrex]

Re: NESCAC 2017 to 2018

Get better Bear. We need your voice of reason from rink side.

[obserbear]

Re: NESCAC 2017 to 2018

Anyone care to share thoughts on the final 2 regular season matchups?

Middlebury controls their destiny #1 seed-wise.

Conn has Bowdoin at Dayton and a trip to Hamilton to end the year.

Hamilton and Amherst fighting for #3-4 this weekend, although 4 wins for either would put a new wrinkle in the standings.

[tjoneslo]

Re: NESCAC 2017 to 2018

Well, I missed commenting on the penultimate NESCAC weekend, but here are a few thoughts. I've been known to jinx things with these comments.

Midd vs Williams. This is a home/away series this weekend. Williams is playing well enough, and this is NESCAC, that the Ephs might be able to steal a tie or a win. OTOH, Midd is playing stronger and hungry in a way I've not seen in several years. Midd takes both games.

Conn College vs Hamliton. Both Conn and Hamliton always weird at the end of the season. I call a split here.

Amherst vs. Wesleyan. Wesleyan has an great goaltender and enough talent to be surprising. But Amherst, like Midd, seems to playing a championship level. Two games to Amherst. Note, if both predictions come true, the brings Amherst into a tie with Conn College for #2, with Conn owing the tie-breaker.

Bowdoin vs Trinity. Bowdoin is hosting this game coming off a 4-2 loss to Endicott on Tuesday. Trinity has been playing better recently. Bowdoin's offense is impressive, and if they can avoid repeatedly turning the puck over in their own end, they can take both games and move into 5th place.

Bonus game: Colby vs Endicott Gulls. The Gulls are a ranked team and looked pretty impressive against Bowdoin. If Colby can bring their A game they make it close, but I think the Gulls win this in a close game.

Colby is off this weekend, and if both Trinity and Wesleyan manage to win at least one game, it will bump Colby to 9th and out of the NESCAC tournament.

[tjoneslo]

Re: NESCAC 2017 to 2018

Well, that was an interesting weekend. Williams, playing at home manages to steal a tie with Midd. Hamliton with their usual flair, manages to steal and win and a tie and putting them in to a tie for third place with Amherst. The Mammoths own the tie breaker, so Hamiton get a fourth seed in the NESCAC tournament, and still a home game.

The NESCAC quarters are, I think:

Wesleyan at Middlebury
Colby at Conn College
Williams at Amherst
Bowdoin at Hamilton

[shelfit]

Well, that was an interesting weekend. Williams, playing at home manages to steal a tie with Midd. Hamliton with their usual flair, manages to steal and win and a tie and putting them in to a tie for third place with Amherst. The Mammoths own the tie breaker, so Hamiton get a fourth seed in the NESCAC tournament, and still a home game.

The NESCAC quarters are, I think:

Wesleyan at Middlebury
Colby at Conn College
Williams at Amherst
Bowdoin at Hamilton

And of course Trinity on the outside looking in. Before the season started, did anybody anticipate them having this bad of a season?

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)

[CrossCheck]

Re: NESCAC 2017 to 2018

And of course Trinity on the outside looking in. Before the season started, did anybody anticipate them having this bad of a season?

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)

LOL....and you just saw Williams tie Midd and lowly Wesly BEAT Amherst....so no, you're completely wrong. I didn't see Norwich or Platty losing to their Conf basement dwellers.

[shelfit]

LOL....and you just saw Williams tie Midd and lowly Wesly BEAT Amherst....so no, you're completely wrong. I didn't see Norwich or Platty losing to their Conf basement dwellers.

A game here or there along the way sometimes doesn't go as expected, like Platty's tie against Oswego who have taken a major step backwards this year (besides Platty, that down-sized conference is basically garbage). I like how you're trying to tell me I'm wrong based on those 2 NESCAC games and just 2 other non-NESCAC teams. That's very selective of you. When you look at the standings of all conferences across the board for the whole season you'll see I'm right. To not see it is to have blinders on.....NESCAC blinders in your case. I guess it doesn't really matter either way in the end because you only get one AQ so good luck to all teams in the playoffs.

[tjoneslo]

Re: NESCAC 2017 to 2018

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)

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