Nescac 2011-2012

[RIT Fan]

"and that's why they play the games!!"

Maybe this could be the start of your next article. A comparison between the five leagues, conference vs conference records, etc...

Happy New Years everyone!

[obserbear]

Another round in the ECAC-East-NESCAC face off this evening up in Hartford as Southern Maine (3-4-1) calls on Trinity (1-6). The Huskies have scored 7 goals in 8 games, with two losses to Colby, but a 0-0 tie with Manhattanville. Trinity has scored 11 goals in 7 games with their lone win a season opening 3-1 victory at Conn College, but played close in losses to RIT and Middlebury. Pujol has a solid .927 saves % for the Bantams. Frosh Bergstrom sports a .936 for the Huskies. Both squads feature anemic powerplays, with Trinity at 2/32 and SoMe at 1/38. Looks pretty evenly matched, except for the ECAC-East owning the NESCAC thing?
Anyone making the trip?

[obserbear]

Way to represent for the NESCAC Bantams!!! I admit I was a little nervous when SoMe scored on their 4th shot of the game and led 1-0, but my fears proved groundless.
Rematch tomorrow afternoon.

[obserbear]

The box makes it look like a good game, although UMB did outshoot the Cardinals 33-18:
http://collegehockeystats.net/1112/boxes/wumbwes1.j02

[obserbear]

Tess-Wanat scores her 4th goal of the Codfish Bowl to put the Polar bears up 1-0 at 16:31 of the 1st.

[obserbear]

Tess-Wanat scores the game winner with :05 left in OT for the 2-1 Polar Bear win!!!

[hockeymaven]

Congrats to the Polar Bears!!

However it is disappointing that the Trinity Bantams were not asked back to defend their title having won the Codfish Bowl four years in a row

[dontyelldad]

The box makes it look like a good game, although UMB did outshoot the Cardinals 33-18:
http://collegehockeystats.net/1112/boxes/wumbwes1.j02

It was a good game, with each team carrying play as momentum shifted back and forth. I'm not sure about the reliability of that shot count, but overall, Mass-B did outshoot the Cards, and Wes could not find a scoring touch. Lots of opportunities each way, and 1-0 until the EN goal with less than :30 remaining.

In the consolation game, Wes and SHU faced off for the third time this season. While Wes controlled the puck much of the time, again, they couldn't convert opportunities, while SHU capitalized on 3 breakaways.

[obserbear]

Who said the ECAC-East owns the NESCAC???
We're on a roll, so tonight Williams over Plymouth State and Conn College over Nichols.
Go U Ephs and Camels!!!

[dontyelldad]

Who said the ECAC-East owns the NESCAC???
We're on a roll, so tonight Williams over Plymouth State and Conn College over Nichols.
Go U Ephs and Camels!!!

Well, Williams seems to have held up their end ... 9-0
http://collegehockeystats.net/1112/boxes/wplywil1.j04

Looking for Conn to do the same!

[obserbear]

Back to some in conference action (after feasting on the ECAC-East)!
Middlebury sweeps Wesleyan
Amherst sweeps Colby
Bowdoin and Conn College split
Williams and Trinity split
and non-conference, Hamilton sweeps Cortland

[obserbear]

So much NESCAC action here in Connecticut this weekend, but I took in the Polar Bear-Camel contest in New London, and it was a good one!
Bowdoin scored early on a pretty play: red hot Tess-Wanat (her 6th goal in 3 games) passed from the right boards back to Tang at the blueline; she fed across to Fahey on the left point; Fahey passed around the D and found Tess-Wanat moving into the right circle for a shot that beat Leichliter high stickside.
The Polar Bears got a break when Sweet was called for cross-checking midway in the period. Coach Steele elected to double shift the Dumont-Farrell-DiPasquale line to begin the powerplay, only to see Bowdoin's Lozzi whistled for tripping, and not have the top line out for the 5x3 opportunity. The Camels did cash in a powerplay goal to tie the score just as the Lozzi penalty expired. McRae buried a long, low slapshot from the left point, beneath a diving Bowdoin forward and under Connolly, with assists to Posillico and Dineen..
Bowdoin regained the lead on a powerplay early in the 2nd. Ludy and Tang were working low in the right corner on the asymetric Polar Bear powerplay set and the Camel defense had collapsed low, Tang got the puck to Lane at right point, she had space and walked in for a slapshot , beating Leichliter up gloveside.
The Polar Bears netted the what proved to be the game winner just as a powerplay expired, as Lane got the puck down the right boards to Merrill, who found Ludy at top of the crease, gloveside, for the score under Leichliter.
The Camels were giving the Polar Bears fits on their breakout as the period wore on, and with a faceoff in the Bowdoin zone, Coach Steele called a time out and boldly pulled her goalie for the extra attacker. Her move was rewarded a minute or so later when Driscoll and Dumont were snipping away from Connolly's stickside, back of the net, only to have Farrell come around and poke the puck home inside the gloveside post.
Leichliter was back on for the ensuing faceoff and, although she got off again, time ran out before Conn could tie the score.
Rematch today at 3.
While it is still early in the meat of the NESCAC schedule, these points are critical. Amherst and Middlebury are clearly the top contenders for the regular season title, but 3rd place in conference is up for grabs. Bowdoin plays Wesleyan, Williams and Trinity twice each at Watson, but must visit Middlebury and then end the year with a trip to Hamilton before hosting Amherst. I must say the Polar Bears let 2 get away with their OT loss at Colby. It is hard to imagine there being more than a point or two separating 3rd and 5th or 6th come the end of February (and the Polar Bears do not want to need points the last weekend of the regular season).
GO U BEARS!!!!!!!!!!!!

[obserbear]

Back to some non-conference weekday action:

Bowdoin over St. Anselm-Polar Bears did not look sharp against Conn Saturday, but that renowned dining service food should have them ready by Tuesday evening!

Middlebury over Utica-Panthers tuning up for the de facto conference regular season title weekend

Salve Regina over Wesleyan

Williams over New England College-the Ephs have some offense

Elmira over Hamilton

[obserbear]

So much for the home cooking...
Congrats to St. As on their 2-1 win at Watson!

[obserbear]

Tonight the Soaring Eagles travel to Clinton to face Hamilton-Elmira has way too much for the Continentals

Huge weekend of action in conference:

Bowdoin sweeps Wesleyan

Conn College sweeps Colby

Williams and Hamilton split

Trinity and Buffalo State split

and that leaves the de facto regular season title series: Middlebury@Amherst-???

[surgical wit da puck]

Bowdoin sweeps Wesleyan

Conn and Colby split

Hamilton sweeps Williams

Trinity drops both

Midd and Amherst split

[dontyelldad]

Conn College and Colby split

Hamilton gets 3 points from Williams

Trinity and Buffalo State split

Amherst takes 3 from Middlebury

About time to chalk up some tie games in the NESCAC ... none so far!

[brook39]

Middlebury takes 2! Best of the best
Colby gets 3pts on small ice
Hamilton and Williams split
Trinity takes 2 non league games

[obserbear]

So the big day has arrived: Panthers@Lord Jeffs round 1 7pm at Orr! Clash of the titians, the defacto NESCAC regular season championship series, hosting rights for the NESCAC tournament.
It was not always like this. Looking back at the history of Amherst-Middlebury one has to realize the Lord Jeffs did not take a point from the Panthers until 2/9/07 when they palyed a 2-2 tie at Orr, or that it took a 64 save 3OT game to produce theri first ever win over Midd at Kenyon 3/4/07. Back then Middlebury was the power and merely had to deal with upstart Polar Bears or pesky Ephs. I remember the first women's game I ever saw, 12/7/01 at Dayton. Bowdoin Alum relations had e-mailed something about the ranked Polar Bears playing #1 Midd, who were riding some ridiculous 132(?) game unbeat DIII winning streak, so I took my son out of class to "go look at colleges" and we were there for the 3-2 Panther win, but I was hooked. I was at the incredibly funky New Roc City when Manhattanville ended that 136 game win streak on 1/26/02. I started driving randomly around New England for games. I am unclear exactly when I started exchanging small talk with then Bowdoin assistant Coach Plumer. I do know I first spoke with Coach Mandigo at the Panther-Cardinal Classic in November '05. Back then I was really just a crazy Polar Bear fan. Over the years I have come to embrace all the NESCAC teams and hope I have been able to become a more objective obserbear.
That said, I think this weekend produces a split. I have not seen either team play since the break and the stats show amazingly evenly matched clubs. Balanced scoring, great goal play, pretty even special teams. Should be worth the drive!!!

[spike]

So the big day has arrived: Panthers@Lord Jeffs round 1 7pm at Orr! Clash of the titians, the defacto NESCAC regular season championship series, hosting rights for the NESCAC tournament.
It was not always like this. Looking back at the history of Amherst-Middlebury one has to realize the Lord Jeffs did not take a point from the Panthers until 2/9/07 when they palyed a 2-2 tie at Orr, or that it took a 64 save 3OT game to produce theri first ever win over Midd at Kenyon 3/4/07. Back then Middlebury was the power and merely had to deal with upstart Polar Bears or pesky Ephs. I remember the first women's game I ever saw, 12/7/01 at Dayton. Bowdoin Alum relations had e-mailed something about the ranked Polar Bears playing #1 Midd, who were riding some ridiculous 132(?) game unbeat DIII winning streak, so I took my son out of class to "go look at colleges" and we were there for the 3-2 Panther win, but I was hooked. I was at the incredibly funky New Roc City when Manhattanville ended that 136 game win streak on 1/26/02. I started driving randomly around New England for games. I am unclear exactly when I started exchanging small talk with then Bowdoin assistant Coach Plumer. I do know I first spoke with Coach Mandigo at the Panther-Cardinal Classic in November '05. Back then I was really just a crazy Polar Bear fan. Over the years I have come to embrace all the NESCAC teams and hope I have been able to become a more objective obserbear.
That said, I think this weekend produces a split. I have not seen either team play since the break and the stats show amazingly evenly matched clubs. Balanced scoring, great goal play, pretty even special teams. Should be worth the drive!!!

Great reminiscense, Bear. Kinda like reading about how the Batman legend was born. I am anxious for tonight's tilt as well. Last year we saw how Amherst was affected by relying on first years to blend in. This year it seems to be Midd's turn to rely on first year depth. I think Amherst is smaller but faster than they were during the Hanlon Zukas era. Last year Midd finally figured out how to handle the size, now lets see how they adapt to handle the speed. Go you Panthers!