Men's Hockey Rides Ten-Game Win Streak Home From Plattsburgh

Author: Andreas Apostolatos

Just two weeks ago, the Middlebury men's hockey team was a mediocre fourth place in the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) standings. However, after wins against Colby, Bowdoin and Williams, all strong league rivals, the Panthers (10-1-0 NESCAC) now rest just one point behind first-place Trinity.

Middlebury's recent successes have not come solely in the form of the team's current nine-game winning streak. Perhaps most characteristic of the Panthers' incipient league dominance is that two players, first-years Yen-I Chen and Tim Schneider, received NESCAC Player of the Week accolades in successive weeks. Chen's resiliency in goal notched him 45 saves and just three goals against Colby and Bowdoin on January 17 and 18, while Schneider managed four goals and two assists in three games during the week of Jan. 20-27.

"I think the team has really come together since the road trip to Maine," commented Schneider, who has nine goals and nine assists on the season. "Those two big wins really helped the team gel. Having Chen play so well behind us has made it even easier for us to score goals. Hopefully the team can continue to improve and I hope pucks keep going in for me."

On Friday Jan. 24, the Panthers routed New England College 6-1, led by Andrew Helming '04 (two goals), and Schneider (one goal, two assists). In a matinee the following day, Middlebury defeated St. Anselm 4-1 behind another two goals by Schneider, who is currently second on the team in most total points behind junior Kevin Cooper. Both games showcased a united Middlebury team that managed to control the puck for much of the game. The Panthers out shot both opponents by a total of 66-33.

"When you are a young team like we are, it takes a little while for everyone to figure out their role and learn what strengths they can bring to the table," said captain Rob Chisholm '03, when asked about the Panthers' rejuvenated play of late. "I think our momentum has been generated by everyone starting to believe in themselves and their teammates. Also, success breeds success. The more we see positive results or improvement in our play, the more confident we'll be and we can just keep raising the bar."

The Panthers have nine games left on the schedule, four of them against NESCAC opponents. On Feb. 14, Middlebury will host Trinity, a game that will potentially have heavy bearing on the NESCAC regular season title. Trinity is currently 10-0-1 against league opponents, and still has yet to play Bowdoin or Colby. In terms of overall NCAA Division III rankings, the Panthers are ranked fourth according to a United States College Hockey Online (USCHO) poll. Middlebury will play Norwich, the current first-place team, on Feb. 21 in what should be a highly contested battle. Norwich has dealt the Panthers three of its five losses dating back to the start of the 2001-2002 season.

"Our biggest challenge as a team is the same as it has been since day one: we have to continue to strive to improve daily," commented Chisholm. "We have to push ourselves to continually expect more out of each other everyday. Sometimes in sports or other activities there is a tendency to get complacent when things are going really well for you or your organization.

"We try to maintain a positive attitude about our play while remaining aware that we still have a lot of work to do to be the best team we can possibly be."

Editor's Note: On Tuesday night the Panthers defeated Plattsburgh 6-1, redeeming their early season 1-6 loss to the Cardinals. The game ended too late to meet The Campus' press deadline.