Hockey had udder control

Author: Jeff Patterson

"At forward, a sophomore from Lake Placid, New York, number 24 Jamie McKenna," said public address announcer Dave Sears as he finished introducing the Panthers' starting lineup for the opening game of the NESCAC Tournament versus Williams. And right on cue, number 14 Jamie McKenna '09 skated out to the blue line to join his other blue clad line-mates.

With 10 more digits to his credit, McKenna played 10 times better than he has all year. He was on the puck all afternoon and on the ice for all five of the Panthers' goals as Middlebury manhandled a bigger Williams team 5-1. The Ephs average a full 1.46 inches taller in height per player, but as the saying goes: "The higher you are, the harder you fall."

With a goal and two assists, it would be fair to say McKenna played like Kent Hughes '92, Middlebury's all-time leader in points and assists, and the last Panther to wear 24.

"He was the Player of the Year in 1992 and an All-American," recalled Coach Bill Beaney. "He led us to the ECAC Championship back before we could go to the NCAAs."

Whether or not this year's team can go to the NCAAs will depend greatly on their play this upcoming weekend. They will meet Colby, a team they lost to 4-3 in overtime on Jan. 12, in the semifinals with aspirations to meet the winner of host Bowdoin-Amherst in the finals.

After three quick first period goals from Sam Driver '08 (his first of two in the game), Mickey Gilchrist '08 and Darwin Hunt '07, Williams Coach William Kangas pulled his goalie Marc Pulde seven minutes and 39 seconds in. His replacement, Rick Redman, momentarily stopped the bleeding, but the Ephs' season was already on life support.

A fluke goal, when the puck ricocheted off a Panther defender's skate, was the only offense Williams could muster. Doug Raeder '09 was spectacular in between the pipes, stopping 25 shots as he improved his perfect playoff record to 3-0.

Goals have been hard to come by for McKenna this season; He has only three to date, quite the opposite of his first-year campaign when he had 17, but he found the empty-net with 20 seconds remaining to put the game on ice.

Granted, Sears' miscue in calling the lineup was probably nothing more than a mistake, but make no mistake about this: Midd has to win two (road games) 4 the NESCAC Championship.

With a number 12 national ranking, it would be a lot easier to win the automatic bid that goes to the NESCAC champions than to sweat it out, waiting to see if they are given one of the two precious at-large bids.

In an effort to change their luck - the Panthers have not won at Bowdoin's Dayton Arena since Jan. 18, 2003 (meaning no one on the current team has ever won there) - the team will try staying at the Parkwood Inn in Brunswick, Maine.

"We aren't staying at the same place we stayed at before, because last time we lost," said Beaney.

The team will embark for the Pine Tree State on Friday, giving them plenty of time to prepare for the 4 p.m. face-off on March 3 with the Mules, who beat Connecticut College 5-1 to advance. The Mules have one of the top offenses in the NESCAC with four of the top 10 points leaders in the league, including number one, Greg Osborne, and number three, Arthur Fritch.

The Panthers, on the other glove, have the best scoring defense in the league, an honor they have held every year the league has kept statistics, allowing only 2.42 goals per game. Something will have to give.

If the Panthers wants to remain National Champs, they pretty much have to find a way to win in Maine.