There is no doubt things are heating up in all the conferences in the east. Plattsburgh now sits atop the SUNYAC while Trinity has taken over the top spot in NESCAC. Utica, Endicott and Plymouth State continue as unbeatens in conference play but the battles up and down the standings are even more contested in the final weeks of the regular season and heading into conference tournament play. Here is the wrap-up for action in the East last week:
CCC
Endicott and Curry played a critical home-and-home series for the battle at the top of the CCC standings. On Friday, the host Colonels took advantage of a Timmy Kent goal in the first period and Ben Beister’s shorthanded tally in the second period for a 2-1 lead entering the final 20 minutes of regulation. Andrew Kurapov tied the game with just 39 seconds remaining on the clock for a 2-2 tie. Overtime could not decide a winner but Kurapov scored the only goal in the shootout for the Gulls. Reid Cooper was outstanding in goal for Curry stopping 38 of 40 shots. On Saturday, the scene shifted to Endicott where the game was again tightly played in playoff fashion. Makem Demers gave the Colonels a 1-0 lead that stood until Jackson Sterrett tied the game with a power play goal midway through the third period. In overtime there was a winner, and it was Kurapov again scoring a big goal for the Gulls in a 2-1 win.
Independents
Canton hosted Anna Maria for a two-game series and took both games over the AmCats. On Friday, Sam Martin got the Kangaroos off to a fast start with a power play goal and a shorthanded goal for an early 2-0 lead. AMC would tie the game in the second period before Brendan Morrow and Zac Sirota gave the Kangaroos some breathing room in the final period of a 4-2 win. On Saturday, the Kangaroos held a 3-0 lead after two periods of action only to see the AmCats tie the game in the first eight minutes of play of the third period. Noah Robinson would score the game-winner just over a minute later in a 4-3 win for Canton – the team’s tenth win of the season.
MASCAC
Plymouth State got a major surprise from visiting Salem State on Thursday night as the Vikings raced to a 4-1 lead just over a minute into the second period. That is when the Panther offense kicked things into high gear scoring six unanswered goals in route to an 8-5 win. On Saturday, things were a little tighter on the ice at home against Fitchburg State. Gene Bouthiette scored both Falcon goals as the visitors held a 2-1 lead after two periods of play. With just under five minutes remaining in regulation time, Carson Lanceleve scored a power play goal to tie the game at 2-2. It took awhile but in overtime Niks Krollis gave PSU the 3-2 win with just three seconds remaining in the extra session to keep the Panthers undefeated in MASCAC play.
NE-10
Six different goal scorers and three power play goals helped Assumption to a 6-3 win over Franklin Pierce on Friday night. On Saturday, the Greyhounds couldn’t keep the Ravens down as the home team rallied from two-goal deficits three times to tie the game at 4-4 early in the third period on a goal from Cody Rumsen. William Smith provided the game-winning goal for Assumption to take a 5-4 win and weekend sweep of the Ravens. Assumption now stands at 10-4-0 in NE-10 play.
St. Michael’s continued their torrid play in January with a weekend sweep of Southern New Hampshire. On Friday, Jeremy Routh recorded a hat trick in a 6-1 win for the Purple Knights. On Saturday, it was SNHU that broke the ice before St. Michael’s scored five goals in a row for the 5-1 win. Brennan McFarland scored a pair of goals and Routh added three assists in the sweep that moved the Purple Knights to 8-5-1 in conference play.
NEHC
Castleton played the first of their travel partner games on Tuesday night with the Spartans adding to the growing list of upsets across D-III hockey. Carrying a 3-2 lead late into the third period, Castleton’s Andrew Stefura scored with just under two minutes remaining in regulation to tie the game at 3-3 before stunning the Thoroughbreds with the overtime winner. Goaltender Brandon Collett was outstanding with fifty saves for Castleton in the 4-3 OT win.
Hobart took a pair of games over Massachusetts-Boston and Johnson & Wales over the weekend to move to 19-2-0 on the season. Artem Buzoverya scored a pair of goals in Friday’s 6-1 win over the Beacons. On Saturday, the Wildcats scored first for a short lived lead as Jonah Alexander scored twice in a 5-1 win for the Statesmen.
Norwich played just a single NEHC game against travel partner new England College and skated away with a 6-0 win. Andrew Albano made thirty-three saves to earn the shutout while Patrick O’Neal scored a pair of goals for the Cadets who moved to 11-1-2 in NEHC play.
NESCAC
Trinity continued their strong play in January with a 1-1 tie with Hamilton on Friday night and a 4-0 win over Amherst on Saturday. The win moved the Bantams to the top of the NESCAC standings. On Friday, Trinity outshot Hamilton by a wide margin but the Continentals’ Jack Grant made 46 saves surrendering just Nicholas Siffringer’s second period goal in a 1-1 overtime tie. On Saturday, the battle for the top of the standings saw a scoreless first period before the Bantams broke out with four goals in the second period led by Gerrard Maretta’s hat trick. Devon Bobek made 13 saves for the Bantams in the shutout win.
After tying Trinity on Friday, Hamilton extended Wesleyan’s difficult week with a 2-1 overtime win on Saturday. Grant was again outstanding in goal for the Continentals making 24 saves while Grisha Gotovets scored the game-winner just 28 seconds into overtime. The win moved Hamilton to 9-8-1 overall and 7-4-1 in NESCAC play.
Colby extended an exceptional record in their long-time rivalry with Bowdoin on Saturday night with a 4-0 shutout win. Andy Beran backstopped the win while four different players scored for the Mules who are now 11-0-1 in their last 12 games against the Polar Bears.
SUNYAC
Plattsburgh moved to the top of the SUNYAC standings with a pair of wins over Brockport and Geneseo. The Cardinals took advantage of two goals by Bennett Stockdale that broke a 1-1 tie in route to a 4-1 win over the Golden Eagles. Eli Shiller picked up the win making 25 saves. On Saturday, the Cardinals took a 2-0 first period lead on goals by Adam Tretowicz and Jake Lanyi only to see the Knights answer back with two quick goals in the opening minutes of the second period. The score remained tied until Carson Gallagher broke the deadlock midway through the third period for the 3-2 road win. Jacob Hearne made twenty-two saves for the win.
Oswego started the weekend atop the standings but fell in overtime on Friday to Cortland. Evan Beaudry’s goal in the final minute of the period left the teams tied at 2-2 after 20 minutes of play. Cortland’s Nick Grupp gave the Red Dragons a one-goal lead after two periods of play. Alex DiCarlo tied the score at 3-3 early in the third period and the score remained that way to close out regulation time. In overtime, Domenic Settimo scored to give Cortland the upset win just over a minute into the extra session. Goaltender Luca Durante made thirty-nine saves for Cortland.
UCHC
Nazareth traveled to face Utica for two games over the weekend and was looking to benchmark their stature against the top team in the conference. The Pioneers were hardly hospitable hosts as they swept the weekend series by scores of 6-1 and 4-1 over the Golden Flyers. On Friday night, the Pioneers opened up a 2-1 game with two goals in each of the second and third periods to comfortably win. Six different players scored goals for Utica. On Saturday, Henry McKinney gave the visitors a 1-0 lead after the first period but four unanswered goals including two on the power play, provided all the offense Utica would need in the 4-1 win that moved them to 14-0-0 in UCHC play.
It was not easy, but Wilkes extended their win streak to seven games with a pair of 4-3 overtime wins over Lebanon Valley this past weekend. Wilkes took three different leads over LVC on Friday only to see the Flying Dutchmen rally to tie the game at 3-3 at the end of regulation. In overtime, Ben Stefanini scored the deciding goal for the Colonels in the win. On Saturday, it was Wilkes’ turn to rally as Cam Lowe’s third period goal sent the game to overtime, where Billy Berry was the hero with the game-winner to extend the Colonels win streak.
Three Biscuits
Andrew Stefura and Brandon Collett – Castleton – each contributed significantly in the Spartans 4-3 overtime win over Skidmore on Tuesday night. Collett stopped 50 of 53 shots while Stefura provided both the game tying and game-winning goals.
Gerrard Maretta – Trinity – scored a hat trick in the second period to spearhead a 4-0 Bantam win over Amherst on Saturday. The win moved Trinity into first place in the NESCAC standings.
Andrew Kurapov – Endicott – scored three goals including an overtime game winner for the Gulls in their weekend series with Curry where they earned a tie (shootout win) and an overtime win to remain unbeaten in CCC play.
There are going to be more and more ups and downs as we officially enter February and the final weeks of the regular season. Everyone looking for wins and points and the consistent game that will have the team playing for something meaningful come playoff time.
