Men's hockey takes out frustration on Skidmore Middlebury power play gives Panthers early lead against Thoroughbreds

Author: Peter Baumann

Even in a game where the margin of victory seems to indicate a blowout, it is often difficult to pinpoint the exact moment when the tide turned and the outcome was decided.

While the scoresheet says the Skidmore Thoroughbreds lost to the Middlebury Panthers 4-1 on Jan. 10, in truth they were done in by a single botched line-change - a simple task that lead to a penalty for too many men and a Middlebury power play.

At this point, with Middlebury down 1-0 after a half period of play, the Panther power play came alive and used precision passing between point-men Michael Kretschmer '11 and Jamie McKenna '09 to befuddle the Skidmore penalty kill.

With less than a minute remaining on the penalty, McKenna walked in from the corner and slid the puck in front where John Sullivan '10 banged it home in the ensuing scrum.

"The power play goal against Skidmore was huge for us," said McKenna. "To be able to convert on three chances on Saturday was a huge boost for our confidence and energy level."

That goal unleashed a fury of activity from the Panthers that resulted in their dominating the next period-and-a-half of play.

By the time the second period had come to a close, Middlebury headed to the locker room with a 4-1 lead that it would never relinquish.

The Panthers' power play evoked images of dominant Middlebury teams of old, using their advantage in speed and quickness to skate circles around the Thoroughbred defense.

Even more telling, however, was the way in which the Panthers outworked their opponents. With renewed intensity, Middlebury won every loose puck and pounded Skidmore with a ferocious fore-check.

Having suffered a disappointing defeat to Castleton St. the night before, Middlebury needed this victory.

On paper the team has all the ingredients of a national championship contender: good goaltending, strong defensemen with great passing skills and a stable of quick, intelligent forwards with which to wear down the opposition.

But none of this matters without the effort the Panthers displayed during that period and a half on Saturday afternoon. When they play like that, they are as good as any team in the country - capable of dominating play for prolonged periods of time.

To find Middlebury's recipe for success, one need look no further than Middlebury's third goal of the afternoon.

Following a dump-and-change, Charlie Townshend '10 chased a Skidmore defenseman behind the net, forcing a turnover with a powerful check.

He collected the puck along the sideboards and fed Trevor Dodds '11 in the top of the slot.

Dodds' shot was blocked, but Artie Mittnacht '09 came crashing in from the bench to pound in the rebound and record the first goal of his Middlebury career.

"[Artie] just kept going and going, battling in front and eventually he found the puck and popped it in," said McKenna. "Goals like that are just as important as the pretty 2 on 1 goals."

With an offense predicated on creating confusion through a strong cycle, Mittnacht's goal showcased Middlebury's renewed emphasis on crashing the net and fore-checking.

With so much movement, it is impossible for opposing defenses to account for forward players searching for rebounds.

As Middlebury enters the meat of its schedule, look for coach Bill Beaney to focus his squad on its performance during the middle of Saturday's game. If the Panthers can play like that, the possibilities are endless.