When the Trinity hockey team took the ice on Nov. 25, the Bantams were seeking revenge against the Amherst Lord Jeffs, who had beaten them 4-1 just over a week earlier.
The Bantams delivered, thanks to senior forward Matt Crum.
Crum led the Bantams to a thrilling 5-4 overtime victory over the Lord Jeffs with a goal in the late stages of the extra period this past Saturday. The goal brought Crum to three goals and two assists on the season for five total points, good for 19th in the NESCAC.
The Bantams, who Amherst handled with ease in their first bout, came into the game ready to make a few changes which ultimately were enough to push them to victory.
"Amherst is a really talented team, and we knew it," Crum said. "In the first game, we couldn't stay out of the penalty box. We were in there around 10 or 12 times - even playing a high school team we wouldn't have been able to win with that many penalties. This time, we tried to stay out of the box."
Luckily for the Bantams, the penalties stayed at a minimum the second time around. They committed only three penalties the whole game; however, the Lord Jeffs were able to convert one of these power play opportunities into a go-ahead goal in the middle of the third period. But Trinity left wing Riley Hicks scored his second goal of the night with less than two minutes to play in the game, tying it up to force overtime.
A likely explanation for the Bantams' revitalization against Amherst was their switch back to their old three-forward, two-back system. The new formation was in contrast to the two-forward, three-back system they had been using at the beginning of the year including the loss to Amherst.
In addition, Trinity coach Dave Cataruzolo stressed the importance of sticking together throughout the game, which gave his Bantams a chance against the solid Amherst team.
"We wanted to play 60 minutes of hockey as opposed to only a half," Cataruzolo said. "We put in three periods of solid hockey, and in the end, we got the bounce."
The bounce was Crum's overtime blast, which came with 4:29 left to play in OT. It was another clutch performance from the veteran, and one that won him recognition as the NESCAC Player of the Week.
"He's an inspirational story," Cataruzolo said. "He was a spot player his first three years and didn't play much, but he worked so hard in the offseason to get a starting position that it was only fitting for him to score the game winner against Amherst."
"It felt pretty amazing to score the goal," Crum said. "And it was a big win for the team, especially because we had just beaten Wesleyan the night before, and we wanted to keep that going."
The Bantams are now off to a 3-2-1 start. Although they'd like their record to be even better, it's a step up from their 2-3-1 mark from this point last year. For a young team trying to get back on the right track after a disappointing 8-13-4 finish last season, the season has been a step in the right direction.
"This win was important because we have a relatively young team, and to pull out a win like this can be very beneficial to their learning," Crum said. "It was definitely good for us and put us in the right direction."
Trinity currently stands tied for sixth in the NESCAC standings with Tufts and Williams. All three teams currently boast a 1-2-1 conference record. But after back-to-back conference wins, the Bantams look to be separating themselves from the bottom of the pack in the NESCAC.
With the help of Crum up front and junior defenseman Chris Powers, who leads the team with six points (one goal, five assists) this season, the Bantams should be able to accomplish that goal and pose more of a problem to the opposition than they did last season.
Up next on the schedule for the Bantams is Salve Regina on Dec. 8. Following that game, they will have a long rest before returning to action in the Cardinal Classic Tournament at SUNY Plattsburgh on Jan. 4.
