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NESCAC 2025-2026: Don't Call it a Comeback

M

MikeMidd

Middlebury: "Three-peat Sweep!"
Fall sports have only just started this past week, but it's never too early to look ahead to hockey.

Top of the NESCAC has been fighting to be nationally competitive, but there's a question of whether the league can go back to being multi-bid and show how strong it is.

Some big incoming classes in the NESCAC, led by Middlebury with a whopping 12 new players (11 first years, 1 transfer from Holy Cross). According to NeutralZone.com, the Panthers have the third-ranked incoming recruiting class. Another step forward on the road back to greatness.

But there's some tough news for Middlebury this week - the departure of Assistant Coach Jack Fitzgerald: Former Middlebury, Amherst assistant coach Fitzgerald takes reins of Saint Michael’s men’s hockey team Fitzgerald was evidently pivotal to recruiting at Middlebury, so leaves a big gap on the bench and in rebuilding the program.

Just two and a half months until the games begin. Let's goooo.
 
MikeMidd said:
Fall sports have only just started this past week, but it's never too early to look ahead to hockey.

Top of the NESCAC has been fighting to be nationally competitive, but there's a question of whether the league can go back to being multi-bid and show how strong it is.

Some big incoming classes in the NESCAC, led by Middlebury with a whopping 12 new players (11 first years, 1 transfer from Holy Cross). According to NeutralZone.com, the Panthers have the third-ranked incoming recruiting class. Another step forward on the road back to greatness.

But there's some tough news for Middlebury this week - the departure of Assistant Coach Jack Fitzgerald: Former Middlebury, Amherst assistant coach Fitzgerald takes reins of Saint Michael’s men’s hockey team Fitzgerald was evidently pivotal to recruiting at Middlebury, so leaves a big gap on the bench and in rebuilding the program.

Just two and a half months until the games begin. Let's goooo.
Click to expand...
Hearing a former Laker will take over as Assistant Coach at Middlebury.
 
HockeyTime9 said:
Hearing a former Laker will take over as Assistant Coach at Middlebury.
Click to expand...
Interesting... any more details you can share?

Middlebury seems to have had a small staff recently - head coach and an assistant. But the past two assistants (Ceglarski and Fitzgerald) found their way to head coach jobs pretty quickly. No idea what the pay looks like compared to similar roles elsewhere, but would think it's a reasonably attractive job at a program with potential.
 
MikeMidd said:
Fall sports have only just started this past week, but it's never too early to look ahead to hockey.

Top of the NESCAC has been fighting to be nationally competitive, but there's a question of whether the league can go back to being multi-bid and show how strong it is.

Some big incoming classes in the NESCAC, led by Middlebury with a whopping 12 new players (11 first years, 1 transfer from Holy Cross). According to NeutralZone.com, the Panthers have the third-ranked incoming recruiting class. Another step forward on the road back to greatness.

But there's some tough news for Middlebury this week - the departure of Assistant Coach Jack Fitzgerald: Former Middlebury, Amherst assistant coach Fitzgerald takes reins of Saint Michael’s men’s hockey team Fitzgerald was evidently pivotal to recruiting at Middlebury, so leaves a big gap on the bench and in rebuilding the program.

Just two and a half months until the games begin. Let's goooo.
Click to expand...
This seems like as good a place as anywhere else to ask where are all the DIII, esp. Nescac, hockey forums? Is this it?

I ask because I also follow Nescac college lacrosse and the Nescac forum on Fanlaxforum is fire currently on 765 pages and 7,200 posts (all since about 2017). Of course, Nescac is by far the best lacrosse conference.
 
Unknown Participant said:
This seems like as good a place as anywhere else to ask where are all the DIII, esp. Nescac, hockey forums? Is this it?

I ask because I also follow Nescac college lacrosse and the Nescac forum on Fanlaxforum is fire currently on 765 pages and 7,200 posts (all since about 2017). Of course, Nescac is by far the best lacrosse conference.
Click to expand...
To add, my buddy, who played hockey at Midd 78-82ish, whose son played lacrosse at Tufts a year behind my son, can't stand Midd's current hockey coach.
 
Yes, this is the place for NESCAC Hockey. Which current hockey coach, since they just got a new head coach last year?

Ceglarski I know nothing about, but he managed get a better record than Sinclair ever did, so I'm willing to cut him some slack.
 
Indeed, this is pretty much it for DIII and NESCAC hockey talk.

If you're on X, DIII Hockey News is worth a follow at DIII Hockey News. There are a couple NESCAC fan accounts, NESCAC Ice Hockey, Hockey in the 'CAC. That's about it.

Many years ago, this forum used to be really active with students, local fans, etc., from lots of colleges and universities. That included some NESCAC chatter, though it's never had the big NESCAC presence that the DIII lacrosse, basketball and soccer boards do. Not sure why, though probably not helped by the NESCAC not having a dominant national power like Middlebury in the 1990s and 2000s, hockey being a bit lower profile on campus, a number of NESCAC schools being basketball powers.

(Of course, some of the NESCAC "banter" on the soccer boards is just nasty, so happy to not have that.)

As for Ceglarski, why's your buddy dislike him?

I never heard good things about Sinclair as a leader and coach, and he steered the program into the ground (together with the now departed Middlebury president), but not had anything bad on Ceglarski.
 
MikeMidd said:
Indeed, this is pretty much it for DIII and NESCAC hockey talk.

If you're on X, DIII Hockey News is worth a follow at DIII Hockey News. There are a couple NESCAC fan accounts, NESCAC Ice Hockey, Hockey in the 'CAC. That's about it.

Many years ago, this forum used to be really active with students, local fans, etc., from lots of colleges and universities. That included some NESCAC chatter, though it's never had the big NESCAC presence that the DIII lacrosse, basketball and soccer boards do. Not sure why, though probably not helped by the NESCAC not having a dominant national power like Middlebury in the 1990s and 2000s, hockey being a bit lower profile on campus, a number of NESCAC schools being basketball powers.

(Of course, some of the NESCAC "banter" on the soccer boards is just nasty, so happy to not have that.)

As for Ceglarski, why's your buddy dislike him?

I never heard good things about Sinclair as a leader and coach, and he steered the program into the ground (together with the now departed Middlebury president), but not had anything bad on Ceglarski.
Click to expand...
My buddy was talking about Sinclair I'm certain. This was a cpl years ago.
 
Unknown Participant said:
My buddy was talking about Sinclair I'm certain. This was a cpl years ago.
Click to expand...
I have it on good authority that Sinclair was the #3 choice but the two in front of him turned it down for various reasons.

Midd was already in a downward spiral, but Neil certainly couldn't get anything going to right the ship. I do know there was very little if any emphasis placed on hockey though by that president you speak of and you can see the result...
 
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