Men's hockey takes on top teams at Primelink

The Middlebury men’s hockey team started the season with strong performances at Tufts and Connecticut College on November 21st and 22nd. The Tufts game ended in a 3-3 tie. The next day, Middlebury topped Connecticut College 5-3. After the first weekend of matches, the team was optimistic about the season but certainly recognized areas of its game that needed improvement.

This past weekend, the Panthers played in the PrimeLink Great Northern Shootout, a four-team tournament that was an important showing for the squad. After an unfortunate loss to Plattsburgh on Friday, the team rallied to beat Wisconsin-Stout 7-3.

Though the team returns many talented upperclassmen, several first-years are ready to make their mark on the ice this year. With ten first-years on the roster, the team will see some changes.

“I think we have a different look than past years just because of all the first-years. It’s a lot of new faces and a different style than we’re used to,” said tri-captain Charlie Townsend ’10, “so it should give us an exciting foundation to build from.”

Indeed, several first-years are seeing playing time — and taking advantage of it. First-year Mathieu Dubuc’s performances at Connecticut College and the consolation match at the PrimeLink Tournament were evidence of this as he ended both nights with two goals and one assist.

“We got great efforts from a lot of the first-years this weekend and are pleased with their ability to contribute so early in their college careers,” said tri-captain Bryan Curran ’11. “It will be exciting to see them grow and have a big impact this season.”

The season opener at Tufts was a bit of an eye-opener for the team. “Tufts was definitely a good learning experience,” emphasized Townsend. “It was a great way to learn that anyone can beat anyone in our league.”

The team came back the next night at Connecticut College with a victory in New London. Several players contributed goals and assists while goalie John Yanchek ’12 totaled twenty-one saves in the net.

While most students headed home for Thanksgiving break, the men’s hockey team stayed on campus preparing for the PrimeLink.

“The PrimeLink is always a really good opportunity for us to see where we are against the best competition in the country,” Townsend related. “To be successful in the tournament it takes a complete commitment to do all the little things and things not every guy necessarily wants to do, like block shots and take a hit to make a play.”

The Panthers faced third-ranked Plattsburgh on Friday, Nov. 27th, but unfortunately couldn’t pull out a win. Despite getting off to an early lead, the Panthers saw Plattsburgh surge late in the game to take the win, 3-1.

“It was great to see us put sixty minutes together and compete hard against one of the premier teams in the country,” said Curran. “We would have liked to come away with a win, but if nothing else, the game showed us what we need to work on.”

“We thought defensively; except for a few errors, we were pretty solid,” added tri-captain John Sullivan ’10. “We just could not bury our chances that we had.”

In the consolation match the next day, Middlebury matched up against seventh-ranked Wisconsin-Stout in what proved to be a very physical contest. The Panthers broke open a tie after the first period and ultimately surged to a 7-3 victory. Martin Drolet ’12 had an exceptional game, turning in three goals and two assists and garnering all-Tournament Honors. Goalie Max Kennedy ’10 had his first career win, making twenty-three saves in the net.

“It wasn’t the prettiest of wins, but it was good to see us battle one out even when we weren’t at our best,” Curran said.

Middlebury will now focus on its home opener against Southern Maine this Friday, Dec. 4 and the following day’s game against the University of New England.

“It is a huge opportunity for us to get four points and some momentum heading into winter break,” emphasized Sullivan. “The team is very excited about having the chance to play at home for the first time this year. We are really looking forward to it.”