After making its fourth consecutive trip to the NCAA Div. III championship in 2007, the Middlebury hockey team is back for more.
The NESCAC season starts on Friday and the opening weekend will shed some light on what to expect from the conference this winter. With each team playing two games this weekend, many of them in-conference, building up early momentum will be crucial to success later in the long season.
The defending-champion Panthers, coming off a 4-3 overtime loss to SUNY Oswego in the national title game in March, will look to jump back on the winning track against Conn. College on Friday night and Tufts on Saturday.
"We're farther ahead this year than we were last year," coach Bill Beaney said. "We've come together in the first week or so of practice, but there are still lots of things we're unsure of and lots of factors out of our control."
In such a highly competitive league as the NESCAC, the disparity between the teams at the top and bottom of the standings is getting smaller by the day.
"The league is continually getting more balanced," Beaney said. "We're in the situation where we have to play at a high level for over two and a half months to even have a chance at hosting the NESCAC Tournament. To win, you have to stay healthy."
The Panthers, who took down top-seeded Bowdoin, 4-2, in the NESCAC title game, have a strong core of returning players hoping to lead them to a fifth straight league title.
Senior tri-captain Mickey Gilchrist, a forward, leads one of the most potent offenses in Div. III. As a junior, Gilchrist led the team in both goals, with 19, and total points, with 34. His defensive counterpart, fellow senior tri-captain Tom Maldonado, led the Panthers in assists last year with 24.
Gilchrist and Maldonado have the experience of two national championships and three straight NESCAC championships, giving the Panthers a level of leadership unique among NESCAC squads. The Panthers enter the season atop the national rankings of the U.S. College Hockey polls.
"We feel fortunate to have the success that we've had," Beaney said. "With so many one-goal games, the win can be decided by a great save or an inopportune penalty or a great play from one of your top players. These things make all the difference in the world."
Looking to dethrone the Panthers are the Bowdoin Polar Bears. Bowdoin's 16-7-3 season in 2006 was hallmarked by the NESCAC championship game loss to Middlebury. After Bowdoin handled the Panthers, 6-2, in the regular season, the Panthers returned the favor in the NESCAC final two months later. The Polar Bears will go for revenge this season when they play the Panthers at Middlebury on Jan. 18.
The Polar Bears' hope for success this season lies in the hands of their youth. Their top goal-scorer last season was freshman Ryan Blossom with 11, who also tied for the team lead in total points (21) with classmate Colin MacCormick. Bowdoin's difference-maker may be the depth of goal-scorers on its roster, which can stretch opposing defenses thin and create opportunities from multiple threats.
The team that may be overlooked in the NESCAC is the Colby Mules. Last season, the Mules finished third in the NESCAC standings with an 11-7-1 conference record and fell the NESCAC semifinals by the eventual champion Panthers in a 4-3 game that was as tight as it looked from the box score.
One reason the Mules were able to stay close with the Panthers was the play of All-American defensemen senior Arthur Fritch. Fritch scored twice in that game and was the second-highest scorer in the league last season with 37 points - second only to his graduated teammate Greg Osborne, the NESCAC Player of the Year. With the return of Fritch, as well as other offensive juggernauts in seniors Josh Reber, T. J. Kelley and Joe Rothwell, all top-10 on the league's scoring board, the Mules will be hard to beat.
"We can only try to stay healthy and keep our mindset at the highest level as the season progresses," Tortorella said. "From there, whatever happens, happens."
With all of their returning scorers, the Mules undoubtedly have another playoff run on their minds. But given the competitive nature of NESCAC hockey, a return to the top of the league won't be easy.
"It's all going to come down to the last weekend," Tortorella said. "The level of competition in the league is so high that every game will be critical. We're just going to try to play our best hockey in February and during the playoffs. We want to get better each and every game."
