2008 Woodie Awards
Panthers prevail in two NESCAC nailbiters
Captain Smith's slap shot goal lifts Middlebury over Amherst in season finale
Steve beslow
Issue date: 2/23/06 Section: Sports
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After a tough loss at Babson earlier in the month bumped Middlebury to the third spot in the national standings, the Panthers returned home to finish off the regular season on a high note, cementing their place at the top of the NESCAC standings. Heading into this weekend, the men's hockey team needed only one point to clinch home ice throughout the NESCAC tournament, which begins next week.
The Panthers decided not to wait until the last minute to secure that advantage, taking down the Hamilton Continentals on Friday night. Hamilton, who beat Middlebury during last year's regular season, came out firing on all cylinders, seemingly out-hustling the Panthers for most of the first period. Sophomore goaltender Ross Cherry was the victim of Hamilton's high-powered start, giving up two first period goals, including one shorthanded fast break where he was screened by his own defenseman.
As tough as the rival Continentals were playing, the tide began to swing in Middlebury's favor late in the first frame. With only 29 seconds left in the period, first-year sensation Jamie McKenna scored on the powerplay, stuffing a Jack Kinder '09 rebound home.
McKenna's goal provided plenty of momentum going into the locker room, and the Panthers returned to the ice invigorated and ready to take command.
Middlebury tied the game at 14:52 of the second period, when Yev Saidachev '07 beat Hamilton netminder Gabe Tash with a screamer from just inside the blue line. The tie was short lived - only 42 seconds later, sure-handed Mickey Gilchrist '08 stepped up and wristed home the deciding goal.
This quick turn of events came as no surprise to the Panther crowd, as fan favorites Saidachev and Gilchrist have become known for coming through in the clutch. Gilchrist's play and leadership have been so impressive, in fact, that he was recently named the team's only alternate captain.
Hamilton did not simply lie down, however, and the third period was hotly contested and brutally physical until captain Jeff Smith '06 provided some breathing room at 2:21 with a perfectly placed rebound. Scott Bartlett '08 finished off the scoring by putting home an empty netter with less than a minute left in the game, making a winner of Cherry who overcame those early scores to finish the contest with 17 saves, several of which came at crucial points.
The Panthers decided not to wait until the last minute to secure that advantage, taking down the Hamilton Continentals on Friday night. Hamilton, who beat Middlebury during last year's regular season, came out firing on all cylinders, seemingly out-hustling the Panthers for most of the first period. Sophomore goaltender Ross Cherry was the victim of Hamilton's high-powered start, giving up two first period goals, including one shorthanded fast break where he was screened by his own defenseman.
As tough as the rival Continentals were playing, the tide began to swing in Middlebury's favor late in the first frame. With only 29 seconds left in the period, first-year sensation Jamie McKenna scored on the powerplay, stuffing a Jack Kinder '09 rebound home.
McKenna's goal provided plenty of momentum going into the locker room, and the Panthers returned to the ice invigorated and ready to take command.
Middlebury tied the game at 14:52 of the second period, when Yev Saidachev '07 beat Hamilton netminder Gabe Tash with a screamer from just inside the blue line. The tie was short lived - only 42 seconds later, sure-handed Mickey Gilchrist '08 stepped up and wristed home the deciding goal.
This quick turn of events came as no surprise to the Panther crowd, as fan favorites Saidachev and Gilchrist have become known for coming through in the clutch. Gilchrist's play and leadership have been so impressive, in fact, that he was recently named the team's only alternate captain.
Hamilton did not simply lie down, however, and the third period was hotly contested and brutally physical until captain Jeff Smith '06 provided some breathing room at 2:21 with a perfectly placed rebound. Scott Bartlett '08 finished off the scoring by putting home an empty netter with less than a minute left in the game, making a winner of Cherry who overcame those early scores to finish the contest with 17 saves, several of which came at crucial points.