Frustrated by a tough opposing goaltender, the men’s hockey team ended its season in gut-wrenching fashion, suffering a 4-3 loss to Middlebury in the NESCAC Quarterfinals at Orr Rink last Saturday.
The Jeffs (15-7-3, 11-5-2 NESCAC) mounted a furious comeback in the dying minutes —scoring twice in the final 2:47 to close the deficit from 4-1 to 4-3 — but the spirited rally provided little consolation in the dejected postgame locker room.
“When a season ends there are no moral victories,” head coach Jack Arena said. “The guys were devastated.”
Propelled by an early four-goal outburst and a virtuoso 37-save performance from goaltender Nathan Corey ’13, the men’s hockey team skated to an impressive 6-3 win at Bowdoin last Friday. The Jeffs (12-5-3, 8-4-2 NESCAC, No. 11 in the country) matched a season-high by scoring six goals against the No. 2 Polar Bears (17-2-1, 11-2-1 NESCAC).
Perhaps still suffering from an NCAA Frozen Four hangover last winter, the men’s hockey team continued its maddeningly inconsistent season by splitting a home doubleheader this past weekend. The Jeffs posted a solid 3-1 win over Wesleyan on Friday night before collapsing in a 7-4 loss to Trinity on Saturday.
The weekend’s results moved the Jeffs’ record to 11-5-2 (7-4-1 NESCAC), dropping Amherst to fifth place in the NESCAC standings, behind Bowdoin, Williams, Middlebury and Trinity.
The men’s hockey team battled through a pair of tight games last weekend, eking past Wesleyan 3-2 on Friday before falling to Trinity 1-0 on Saturday. After surging into the NCAA Frozen Four last winter, the Jeffs (4-2-1, 3-1-0 NESCAC) are still trying to piece together consistent, 60-minute performances on the ice in the early season. Despite securing a 3-2 road win at Wesleyan (3-3-1, 1-2-1 NESCAC) in a crucial rivalry matchup, many players were disappointed in the team’s overall performance, describing it as lethargic and uninspired.
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Bolstered by a dynamic power play and a balanced scoring attack, the men’s hockey team clinched the No. 1 seed in the NESCAC tournament with a pair of emphatic wins over Tufts (score 8-0) and Conn. College (5-2) last weekend. The Jeffs (18-3-1, 15-1-0 NESCAC) have now reeled off six straight victories, outscoring their opponents 30-5 in that span.
The recent surge has catapulted the Jeffs to No. 3 in the national polls — the highest such ranking in program history. In addition, Amherst has clinched home-ice advantage throughout the NESCAC tournament.
With a gritty 3-1 win over Bowdoin this weekend, the men’s hockey team has skated to the cusp of its first regular season NESCAC championship in three years.
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Fueled by aggressive forechecking, balanced scoring production and stingy defense, the men’s hockey team pounded and pummeled its opponents last weekend, as the Jeffs earned shutout victories over Wesleyan (6-0) and Trinity (3-0).
With the two wins, the Jeffs (14-3-1, 11-1-0 NESCAC) moved four points ahead of second-place Bowdoin (8-2-2 NESCAC) for the conference’s top spot. In a battle of league heavyweights, Amherst and Bowdoin will square off at Orr Rink this Friday night, at 7 pm.
