D É J À V U Men skate to victory

Author: Steve Beslow

It is likely that, at some point in the future, Middlebury will no longer be the driving force in NESCAC hockey. Then again, maybe not. After going undefeated in the conference this season, the men's hockey team achieved its first goal of the post-season, cruising through the NESCAC tournament for Middlebury's third straight conference championship.

The first step toward the title was in the semi-finals against Hamilton last Friday night. After taking down the Continentals 5-2 only two weeks before, the Panthers were prepared for another hotly contested match -up. This was not to be, however, as Middlebury steamrolled the hapless Continentals all night. Mickey Gilchrist '08 started off the goal-fest just 1:14 into the game. Gilchrist, recently named First-Team All NESCAC along with captain Jeff Smith '06, stepped into the slot and wristed a backhand home, the first in a record-tying five tournament goals. Brett Shirreffs '07 added to the lead just 2:28 later, putting away a rebound on the powerplay. The Panthers took advantage of another Continental penalty when Kyle Koziara scored from the point at 8:05. Hamilton would strike back against Middlebury netminder Ross Cherry '08 just before the end of the first period, keeping the game tight going into the second.

It would not, however, remain tight for very long. The Panthers found their legs in the second frame, pouring on five unanswered goals. In the first three minutes of the period, Ritchie Fuld '07 scored twice in 11 seconds and the Panthers never looked back. Second period scores by Justin Gaines '08, John Sales '07 and Tom Maldonado '08 sent much of the crowd to an early exit.

With the game already well in hand, the two teams traded goals in the third period, including a short-handed tally by Sam Driver '08. The 9-2 final made a winner of Cherry, who played a sensational game, making 21 saves in all.

While the score may have been closer, the Panthers were almost as dominant in the finals last Saturday against a Bowdoin squad that had taken down Trinity 3-1 the night before. The referees kept their whistles busy in the first period, but, despite several powerplays, both teams had trouble scoring early. Sales broke that streak, however, putting Middlebury ahead with a spinning wrist shot at 14:09. Middlebury's defense was absolutely stifling, giving Cherry plenty of time to sit back and relax while keeping the Polar Bears to just one shot in the first period despite three Bowdoin powerplays. This set the trend for the evening, as Bowdoin would end up 0/6 with the man advantage. These results did not go unnoticed by Smith, Middlebury's top defender. "We were a little shaky on defense not too long ago," recalls Smith, who was named NESCAC Player of the Week on March 5, "but I think we've figured it out and I think it's our defense/goaltending that is going to make the difference over the next few games - which is similar to all Middlebury hockey teams."

It's been long argued that defense wins championships - but it takes some help from the offense as well. In Saturday's game, as in so many this season, the majority of that offense was provided by Gilchrist. This time, Gilchrist padded the Panther's lead at 11:48, scoring on a nifty pass from linemate Jamie McKenna '09.

After Gilchrist's goal, things began to take a turn toward the absurd. The referees, who had been calling a tight game all night, singled out Bowdoin's top scorer, Jon Landry, for a major penalty for hitting from behind. The 5:00 major earned Landry an automatic ejection from the game, putting the Polar Bears into an even deeper hole. However, before the Panthers could take advantage, they soon found themselves in a hole of their own, as Middlebury took two quick penalties, leaving them short-handed despite Bowdoin's game misconduct. In the face of the confusion and quick changing of numbers, neither team managed to take advantage of the odd situation before the end of the second period.

Just as the Panthers seemed poised to clinch the title, the Polar Bears came out of hibernation. Only 34 seconds into the third period, Bowdoin's Tim McVaugh managed to score from a seemingly impossible angle, putting the Bears right back in the game. The comeback was not to be, however, as Gilchrist took a feed from Rob MacIntyre '08 and put another one past Bowdoin goalie George Papachristopoulos, who played an outstanding game and made several spectacular stops despite the loss. Gilchrist's second goal gave him a record 10 points for the tournament, and gave Middlebury plenty of breathing room to clinch the title behind Cherry, who finished the game with only eight saves thanks to extraordinary defense. Cherry tied a tournament record by only allowing a combined three goals.

Besides being his third straight, this title was the sixth for the Panthers under coach Bill Beaney. The win, combined with a loss from St. Norbert College, catapulted Middlebury back into the top spot in the Division III National polls, setting up the Panthers as the favorites in the upcoming NCAA tournament, Middlebury's 12th straight berth.

The quarterfinals will be held at Chip Kenyon Arena on Saturday evening at 7 p.m. when the Panthers host the winner of the first-round match-up between UMass-Dartmouth and Geneseo. The competition will be stiff, but Middlebury's chances of a third straight national championship are as strong as ever. When asked how he felt about the team's title hopes, Smith simply replied, "I love our chances. Anything can happen in a one-game elimination - you need to have a little luck on your side, especially in hockey, but the boys are ready to go and whatever happens, we'll have one hell of a last game."