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Volume CXXXIII, Number 13 |
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Big weekend ahead for hockey
ALISON L. MCCONNELL
ORIENT STAFF
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| Bowdoin battles it out in front of the net for control. Senior goalie Mike Healey has a .907 save percentage and a record of 5-2-0. Healey had 25 saves against Wesleyan in the team's 3-2 win. (Brian Dunn, Bowdoin Orient) |
Confidence will be the name of the game this weekend as men's hockey takes on St. Michael's and top-ranked Norwich in Dayton Arena.
Yet the Bears, as usual, have been taking it one game at a time. Last weekend's road trip yielded a 3-2 win over Wesleyan and a 2-3 loss at the hands of Trinity.`
"We went up against probably the two best goaltenders in the league," head coach Terry Meagher said. "We played soundly; they were two very good games."
In the matchup with Wesleyan on Friday, three quick goals got both teams on the board. Sophomore Jon Landry found the net first, scoring on an assist from Adam Dann '06 and Bryan Ciborowski '07 after 11 minutes in the first period. Steve Bogosian answered for the Cardinals a minute later, tying it up at 1-1.
Landry, who currently leads the Polar Bears with 26 points, assisted Ciborowski for the Bears' second goal at 13:58. The score would remain at 2-1 until Mike O'Neill '04 and Ciborowski's passes found Landry again. He put the puck past Wesleyan's Jim Panczykowski for a 3-1 lead.
Bogosian would score a final goal for the Cardinals at 7:16 in the third period, but the Polar Bears held steady. Senior captain Michael Healey had 25 saves in the win.
"We played well against Wesleyan," sophomore goaltender George Papachristopoulos said. "Those were big points for us away from home."
The outcome of Saturday's visit to Trinity was less positive, but Meagher made clear that he was pleased with his team's efforts.
"The Trinity game was great hockey," Meagher said. "It was pretty even; could have gone either way."
Junior Nate Riddell netted the game's first goal off an assist from Landry. In the second period, the Bantams put two shorthanded goals past Papachristopolous, and first-year Peter Smith scored unassisted at 5:17 in the third frame.
The two-goal total was not enough to sustain the Bowdoin men. Trinity junior Joseph Ori put the game winner away just half a minute later and the Bantams stayed on top of their lead, finishing with a 3-2 victory.
"It was a learning experience and I'm happy with the way we played," Meagher said.
The men stand at 11-5-0 (8-4-0 NESCAC) after the weekend. They are tied with Williams for second place in the NESCAC and were 14th in this week's U.S. College Hockey Online Division III poll.
"It's certainly exciting," Meagher said. "My goal-what I always want-is to be in the hunt, in the position to compete. And that's where we are."
"It's a lot of hard work, but it's also rewarding, enjoyable, very fulfilling," he added. "Leadership is very important," Meagher said. "The captains and upperclassmen have to take over the focus, motivation, and preparation of younger players."
According to Meagher, the Bears' shot-save percentage-a number that was the object of specific effort-is finally improving. "It's ascending into the 90 range, and we need to be there if we're going to have success," Meagher said.
Papachristopoulos indicated that the men are prepped and ready for the weekend ahead.
"We've been practicing really well this week," he said. "The team can't wait to get out there against St. Mike's and Norwich."
Confidence is a key factor in the team's mental preparedness for the weekend, and Meagher indicated that the men are taking the matchups very seriously.
"[Norwich and St. Michael's] are well-coached teams.... Norwich is the defending national champion and the number one team right now," he said. "We have tremendous respect for them."
"Games like last weekend prepare you," he added. "That's what you train for. Now we've got the chance to get into the playoffs and move up the ladder. We're into the last third of the winter, and this weekend is a test for us. The big game players have to produce."
Seven games remain in the regular season. Though the upcoming playoffs will put them in the path of tough competition, the men remain focused on the immediate future. "We're looking to make NESCACs and take it from there," Papachristopoulos said. "I think we've matured as a team throughout the year, so we'll be ready for anything."
The puck drops in tonight's game against St. Michael's at 7:00 p.m., and the afternoon matchup with Norwich starts at 4:00 p.m. tomorrow.
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