Panthers Batter Bantams to Claim NESCAC Crown

Author: Andreas Apostolatos

With another pair of wins during the weekend of Feb. 14-16, the Middlebury men's hockey team clinched the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) regular season title for the fourth straight year. Once again, the Panthers will enjoy home ice throughout the NESCAC playoffs scheduled for the last two weekends of February.
On Feb. 14, the Panthers defeated second-ranked Trinity. The 4-2 victory all but solidified the regular season title for Middlebury, as only NESCAC cellar-dweller Wesleyan remained on the schedule of league opponents. The Panthers cruised past Wesleyan in a 5-0 shutout the following day to extend their undefeated streak to 16. Middlebury has not lost in 2003, their last defeat being on Dec. 7, 2002.
"I think we're all really happy right now that we are sitting on top of the NESCAC," said first-year starting goaltender Yen-I Chen. "We accomplished what we set out to do, but I don't think anyone on the team is satisfied with just first place during the regular season. We still have a lot of improvement to make if we want to make a run at the NESCAC and NCAA Division III tournaments."
In the Trinity game, both teams were scoreless for the first period, displaying a defensive brand of hockey that has made them the top two teams in the NESCAC. In the second interval Trinity managed to strike first with an early goal with 17:16 remaining. Soon thereafter, Middlebury opened up a scoring tirade with four goals to close out the period. During the stretch, sophomore Brian Phinney notched two goals, including an important shorthanded goal that came with just one second to play in the period. Instead of going into the final period facing a two-goal deficit, Trinity now faced a 4-1 Middlebury lead. Trinity did manage a strong start to hopes of a comeback by scoring just 1:31 into the final interval, but Chen made sure to shut out the Bantams the rest of the way. Despite clinching the regular season NESCAC title, Middlebury is adamant about not letting up their guard. Beyond league rankings, Middlebury is currently ranked third overall in the NCAA Division III according to the latest United States College Hockey Online (USCHO) poll.
While regular-season NESCAC play is done, the Panthers still have Norwich and St. Michael's left on the schedule. Norwich is the current second-place team on the USCHO poll, and has dealt Middlebury three of its five losses dating back to the 2001-2002 season. This season, the Panthers lost to Norwich in the first round of the Primelink Great Northern Shootout in a game in which they led by 4-3 with 13:56 left in the contest. The Feb. 21 showdown will be both a good test of Middlebury's resolve and growth, and an indication of how the Panthers measure up against another top team in the NCAA Division III.
"The challenges only get tougher from here on out," commented Captain Rob Chisholm '03. "It is essential that we don't relax and feel satisfied with where we are. Friday night's game at Norwich is the first of many important games we'll be playing down the stretch. It ought to tell us something about where we are and where we need to go to be successful."