NESCAC 2016-2017 season

[Scott_TG]

Re: NESCAC 2016-2017 season

I agree with GTOWN that Castleton has played a pretty touch schedule so far, and KRACH backs that up ranking them 9 in SOS. Only three NESCAC shools rank higher than that (Midd, Trinity, Williams). Castleton also was dealt a tough blow in having Steph Moberg step down so close to the start of term to go to Merrimack, leaving Castleton with DW's former coach and two recent grads as his assistants (though the pedigree of the aforementioned Jess Cameron and Plattsburgh standout Mia Favretto cannot be discounted).

I think it will take them another season or two to get that momentum back by recruiting and the coaching staff getting more experienced, but I hope they keep playing tough opponents like the NESCAC and Plattsburgh as they rebuild. Everyone talks about the ECAC West as soft but the NEHC Women don't have many perennial contenders outside Norwich.

 

[shelfit]

I was also at the game and agree with obserbear's comments...Castleton is a decent team [better than their record for sure], but IMO they were better last year. Conn should have won the game by a couple goals [3-1, or 4-1 IMO]. They usually breakout of their own end cleanly and they are fast and forecheck hard...as a result, they often possess the puck for long stretches but do absolutely nothing with it...they pass around the perimeter and settle for long shots, often from bad angles with no traffic in front ...Rarely do they make a goalie move to make a save and they don't use their points nearly enough [that's why you see 40 and 55 shot games with only 1 goal to show for it].

Yup, and that's all coaching and that's why they consistently underachieve year after year. Some coaches just never seem to be able to get the most out of their players and that's been the case here forever.

 

[PrezdeJohnson09]

I agree with GTOWN that Castleton has played a pretty touch schedule so far, and KRACH backs that up ranking them 9 in SOS. Only three NESCAC shools rank higher than that (Midd, Trinity, Williams). Castleton also was dealt a tough blow in having Steph Moberg step down so close to the start of term to go to Merrimack, leaving Castleton with DW's former coach and two recent grads as his assistants (though the pedigree of the aforementioned Jess Cameron and Plattsburgh standout Mia Favretto cannot be discounted).

I think it will take them another season or two to get that momentum back by recruiting and the coaching staff getting more experienced, but I hope they keep playing tough opponents like the NESCAC and Plattsburgh as they rebuild. Everyone talks about the ECAC West as soft but the NEHC Women don't have many perennial contenders outside Norwich.

Trinity is easily the best one win team in the country. They would be fighting for 2nd or 3rd place in the nehc out of D3 schools.

 

[bearcat]

Re: NESCAC 2016-2017 season

Trinity is easily the best one win team in the country. They would be fighting for 2nd or 3rd place in the nehc out of D3 schools.

Agreed. Very good team. The problem is they only 1 or 2 forwards who can score. That said, they should start winning now that they have played their 3 toughest Conf. series.

 

[Tjames]

Re: NESCAC 2016-2017 season

Anyone plan to attend the Conn-Bowdoin game Thursday at Fenway? Forecast is rain free but in the 50 degree range. Any expert opinion on potential ice problems? Hope to see you there!

St Denis vs Chester in net at Fenway Paak. This reminds me of Clemens vs Gooden.

 

[obserbear]

Re: NESCAC 2016-2017 season

Shots 6-4 CC end 1 with no score Using shovels to sweep water from the ice between periods. Polar Bears take the lead. Now 2-0 on 11 shots. Sheehan and Dachille with goals

 

[shelfit]

Congratulations to Bowdoin on a well executed game and 3-0 victory over Conn. The scoring woes continue for Conn. The shadows cast by the lights kind of reminded me of the Domes at Elmira. Lol.

 

[Tjames]

Yup, and that's all coaching and that's why they consistently underachieve year after year. Some coaches just never seem to be able to get the most out of their players and that's been the case here forever.[/QUOTE

Is Conn getting worse?

 

[obserbear]

Re: NESCAC 2016-2017 season

Tonight's tri-fecta: Williams, Trinity and Middlebury. Any other guesses or predictions?

 

[tjoneslo]

Re: NESCAC 2016-2017 season

Tonight's tri-fecta: Williams, Trinity and Middlebury. Any other guesses or predictions?

Williams vs Colby: Williams
Trinity vs Hamilton: Hamilton in a squeaker. Based upon nothing
Middlebury vs Stephenson: Middlebury. This is Middlebuy's Non-conference weekend taking on two teams from the new Colonial Hockey Conference. New teams are always an interesting test.

 

[shelfit]

Re: NESCAC 2016-2017 season

Williams vs Colby: Williams
Trinity vs Hamilton: Hamilton in a squeaker. Based upon nothing
Middlebury vs Stephenson: Middlebury. This is Middlebuy's Non-conference weekend taking on two teams from the new Colonial Hockey Conference. New teams are always an interesting test.

"New teams are always an interesting test."

I expect a Midd sweep of both teams. Endicott is 1st and Stevenson is 3rd in that conference but Morrisville is actually the best team in that conference based on stats. They just haven't played as many games as Endicott yet but look at their goals for and against and you'll see what I'm saying. The next 4 teams in that conference are terrible.

 

[obserbear]

Re: NESCAC 2016-2017 season

Midd 2-1 end of 1. Midd dominating. Mustang goalie playing well

 

[HockeyEast33]

Re: NESCAC 2016-2017 season

Trinity is easily the best one win team in the country. They would be fighting for 2nd or 3rd place in the nehc out of D3 schools.

I'm sorry, but a home loss to Hamilton tonight tells me that Trinity just isn't that good. You actually have to win a game at some point....

 

[obserbear]

Re: NESCAC 2016-2017 season

Middlebury continued to dominate and the Mustang goalie continued to play well. The Panther 4-1 win could easily have been a blowout were it not for the efforts of Stevenson goalie Darosa. 31/35 saves may not sound stellar, but Darosa's glove, particularly down low gloveside, thwarted Midd sniping all evening.
The scoring opened with the Panthers grinding below the goal line; the puck moved from Winslow on the left side, along the end boards, and behind the net to Young, who worked onto her forehand, nailing a pass and catch to Hlinka, with the puck coming out into the slot and one timed home beneath goalie Darosa. The Mustangs evened the score on an unassisted breakaway. Pirrello blocked a shot and was off ahead of the field in pursuit of the puck caroming into the Panther zone. Neuberger raced forward to clear the puck, reaching it in the gloveside, right circle, only to see Pirrello deftly catch the puck on her stick and score what was essentially an empty net goal from low right circle. The Panthers took the lead with the eventual game winner as time wound down in the 1st. Hlinka and Jackson grinding low below the goal line with Young in the slot for the score. Middlebury extended the lead with a powerplay goal. Mustang goalie Darosa made a series of pad saves, first on a Wulf drive from her stickside, kicked out to Young in the right circle for a follow up drive, kicked back to the stickside, left circle, where Winslow grabbed the puck and scored low to Darosa's stickside. Middlebury's fourth goal came on a breakaway and was Navratil's first career score. Sherman sprang Navratil with a long pass up the left side boards in front of the Mustang bench. Navratil broke wide left, reached the left dot, wound and fired low gloveside; Darosa made the left pad save, Navratil drove, scooped her own rebound and hit the open twine. Darosa kept the score at 4 making an outstanding pick on Winslow alone in the slot at 15:07 and then picking a Laven drive with 2.6 on the clock. Early in the 3rd the Panthers successfully killed over a minute skating 3x5. Neither squad solved the goal play of Neuberger or Darosa and the contest ended at 4-1.
Stevenson continues east to play St. Anselm tomorrow at 1.
The Panthers continue non-conference play hosting the 10th ranked (USCHO) Endicott Gulls in Kenyon at, 3 followed by the annual skate with the Panther women event sponsored by FoPH.

 

[obserbear]

Re: NESCAC 2016-2017 season

2-0 Amherst end of 2. Final 4-0

 

[tjoneslo]

Re: NESCAC 2016-2017 season

So this weekend we see:

Trinity wins their first NESCAC game and earns a split with Hamilton.

Amherst takes two from Bowdoin to make their record 3-3-2 to match Bowdoin's 3-3-1 record.

And Conn College spits their games with Wesleyan who is now also at 3-3-0.

I'm not sure what is going on here. Does anyone else know?

 

[obserbear]

Re: NESCAC 2016-2017 season

The NESCAC, there is no way to figure it out. The league has achieved a sort of parity. Another factor favoring the "weaker" team is the NESCAC 2 game set, which is thought by some to save travel money. An option might be to return to the old travel partner still used on the men's side.
Amherst entered their 2 game series with Bowdoin with a lone NESCAC win. Saturday they made a big comeback to win and this afternoon almost looked like the glory days of the Purple and White (or was that the Lord Jeffs?). Bowdoin came in to play their third game in 4 days, coming from the high of a 3-0 win in Fenway, and looked gassed by the end of play today.
Toupal led the way scoring shorthanded, even and a powerplay goal. Culhane blocked a drive from the Polar Bear left point, corralled the puck and sprang Toupal, in clean and with space she deked then went top shelf with a forehand over Bowdoin goalie St. Denis. Sullivan extended the lead in the 2nd. Savage collected the puck and advanced to Sullivan; she broke in wide down left wing and launched a rocket in up to St. Denis' stickside shoulder. Toupal scored twice in the 3rd to put the game away (you know what they say about 2 goal leads...). Culhane and Toupal broke in 2x1 with Savage wide right passing across to Toupal breaking on left wing, receiving the pass and making a power move to the crease and then lifting the puck back to the stickside of the moving St. Denis. The powerplay goal came with Malloy making a play at the blue line keeping the puck in zone; Malloy hit Savage and she passed low right to Toupal for a blast from a sharp angle that snuck the puck in low short gloveside on St. Denis.
Polar Bears return to the friendly confines of Watson and host Middlebury next weekend.
The Purple and White head north, way north, and play Colby at Alfond Arena next weekend.
Points are at a premium and every game will have impact on the final pecking order for the NESCACs.

 

[joecct]

Re: NESCAC 2016-2017 season

With an odd number of teams (no Tufts), does a travel partner schedule work?

 

[tjoneslo]

Re: NESCAC 2016-2017 season

Back when they had the travel partners going, Amherst drew the short straw and played the double weekend games. While I liked the dynamic of the travel partners more (variety in the play for a weekend), I can see why the odd man out would complain.

 

[tjoneslo]

Re: NESCAC 2016-2017 season

"New teams are always an interesting test."

I expect a Midd sweep of both teams. Endicott is 1st and Stevenson is 3rd in that conference but Morrisville is actually the best team in that conference based on stats. They just haven't played as many games as Endicott yet but look at their goals for and against and you'll see what I'm saying. The next 4 teams in that conference are terrible.

I haven't seen any of the CHC teams play outside of these two games. Based upon that alone I would say Stevenson is the better of the two teams. Stevenston is a small team, both in number of player and overall size of the players but played well even late into the third period.

I wouldn't read too much into the Morrisville stats. Their four conference wins are against Salem state (3-0, 11-0) and Canton (4-1, 6-2). So I'll reserve judgement until Morrisville plays both Stevensen or Endicott.