Volume CXXXIII, Number 15 February 8, 2002 f

Men's hockey rolls through weekend undefeated
ALISON L. McCONNELL
ORIENT STAFF

Norwich and St. Michael's became the most recent victims of Bowdoin hockey last weekend when the men dug in to earn two important home victories.

Sean Starke '03 maneuvers through two Norwich players in last Friday night's game. (Karsten Moran, Bowdoin Orient)

Movies: one two three four (2 MB each) (Quicktime 5 required)

"We found a way to win," head coach Terry Meagher said. "Every game this time of year is big-they all represent points-and we're trying to hold our position."

Their position is a strong one at present. The Bears, who are #3 in national Division III rankings, are still the only team in college hockey with an undefeated record. As the men attempt to keep a hold of that record, some big games lurk on the horizon, including every Bowdoin fan's favorite the Colby home game. As usual, however, they're taking it one game at a time, never looking too far ahead.

In accordance with that philosophy, they dealt losses to Norwich and St. Michael's last weekend, one by one.

The Norwich game, which ended in a 3-1 Bear victory, didn't come easily. "We struggled a bit in the first period," Meagher said. "We weren't as secure in our zone play, but we worked our way through it."

Bill Busch '02 found open net in the first period after Adam Mantin '03 fed the puck forward, putting the Bears up 1-0. Sophomore Chris Pelletier beat the Norwich goaltender in the first minute of the second period for another, and Dave Rush '02 finished the scoring with a man-up goal at 17:32.

Meagher said, despite the 3-0 lead, it wasn't smooth sailing. "We had to kill some penalties in the second, and it was hard to get a flow going," he said. "But I thought our rhythm came back and we played the third as the type of period we should have."

Norwich's Phil Aucoin managed a goal at 8:29 in the third, but the Bears were able to hang on to the win with the play of sophomore netminder Mike Healey. He stopped 28 Norwich shots in the game.According to Meagher, he did an excellent job of mitigating the Norwich offense. "He was outstanding," Meagher said.

After Friday's success, it was on to St. Michael's (8-10-1)-an 8-1 game in which six different Polar Bears scored. "Aesthetically, I thought we played a very nice hockey game," Meagher said. "I was very pleased with Saturday's play from a technical point of view."

Mike Carosi '02, Sean Starke '03, Ryan Seymour '03, Shannon McNevan '05, Pelletier, Rush, and Busch all found the net at least once, tallying an insurmountable eight goals against St. Michael's one. Healey made 13 saves in the win.

Meagher said, while he was pleased with last weekend's wins, he was very proud of Bowdoin athletics as a whole. "It was a wonderful weekend for our team," Meagher said. "But to see the success of all our teams, how the athletes are interacting, the students are supporting them-it's a very healthy environment at Bowdoin right now. That got me really excited."

According to several players, looking back over the course of the season reveals some measurable improvements. "I think the biggest difference between the beginning of the season and now is in the forwards," Healey said. "They are really engaging in the play and finding the seams."

"The defensemen have consistently been able to find the soft areas of the ice and aren't making flat passes under duress," he added.

Carosi agreed. "The team has made the most progress on the defensive end," he said.

The Bears hit the road again this weekend for their last two away games of the regular season. "We're looking to continue our team's solid play this weekend," Carosi said.

Tonight's matchup with the University of Southern Maine is set to begin at 7:00 p.m. "We're looking forward to playing a tough defense against both opponents and we expect to have all four lines producing offensively," Pelletier said.

Meagher said it should be a good weekend for points competition. "[USM is] playing very well right now," he said. "They're moving up the ladder on their side."

The men face Salem State for the second time this season on Saturday at 3:00 p.m.

"Again, it's about points," Meagher said. "We'll make some adjustments; we've got some bumps and bruises that will change the matchups from last time."

Only three regular-season games will remain after Saturday, all of which are home matchups. "It will be nice to put away the suitcases for a while," Meagher joked.

The Bears look to finish off the White Mules from Colby next Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. If it's anything like December 8's barnburner-which ended in a 6-6 split-it will be one to watch.

"That was a classic," Meagher said. "Traditionally, we've had close games, but that was like six games in one.

"Coming off the way our students were this weekend, we're expecting a fun evening," he added.

Pelletier agreed. "The Bowdoin-Colby game is one of a kind," Pelletier said. "The rivalry runs deep and we always get great fan support. The students have a lot of pride in our hockey team, and the game seems to bring out everyone's spirit."

He went on to say that support from Bowdoin fans makes a big difference in the game's intensity. "We play them tough physically and we thrive on the excitement the crowd creates," he said. "We love to play in front of a big crowd, they make it very easy for us to play the best we possibly can."

If an age-old rivalry isn't enough to motivate you to get over to Dayton next Tuesday, Carosi said that watching "...arguably the nation's best goaltender, Mike Healey" is reason enough.

Tuesday, 7:00 p.m. Cheer on the Bears as they send those damn Mules back to Waterville!