Men’s Hockey Takes Down Williams, Middlebury

CAT MACLENNAN ’20
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
On Jan. 27 and 28 the men’s hockey team played back to back games at the Williams Rink in the Koeppel Community Sports Center against the Hamilton College Continentals and the Amherst College Mammoths. The game against the Continentals ended in a 3-1 victory for the Bantams, advancing to a 12-3-2 overall record and a 9-1-1 conference record, keeping them in the lead for the NESCAC rankings. This Trinity win was their sixth consecutive, while the Continentals had their fourth conference setback in a row.
The game started off with a score of 1-1 early in the first period, when forward Ryan Pfeffer ’19 was able to knock it into the net shortly after an attempted shot from captain Connor Hegarty ’18 was saved by the Continental goaltender. It wasn’t until late in the second period that forward Dylan Healey ’21 powered down the ice and snuck an unassisted goal past the Continental goalnation and has now won a fantastic nine games in a row. The Bantams high intensity has been key to continuing their winning streak and defeating their opponents at this crucial stage of the season. That grit and intensity certainly showed against the Ephs and Panthers. The Bantams will travel to Maine this upcoming weekend where they will take on the Colby College Mules and the Bowdoin College Polar Bears. tender. Hamilton stayed aggressive with 3 shots in the first 90 seconds of the second period. However, Bantam goaltender Alex Morin ’18 and the Trinity defense were on fire, thwarting all three Continental attempts. Despite a 12-8 shooting advantage in the second period, the Continentals could not put the puck in the net. Both teams struggled to find the back of the net in the third period until Forward Tyler Whitney ’18 made it 3-1 on an empty-net.

The Bantams ended with a 29-26 shooting advantage, had four penalties, and went scoreless on four power plays but were still able to edge out a win against Hamilton. On Sunday, Jan. 28 the Bantams scored a 5-2 win over the Amherst College Mammoths. Mark Knowlton ’19 and Barclay Gammill ’20 both had two goals apiece while Adam Anderson ’20 notched his first goal of the year. The smooth Bantam win over Amherst was a great way to cap off a tough home weekend in front of an enthusiastic crowd.
The following weekend, the Bantams came in strong against the Williams College Ephs, garnering their eighth consecutive win. Tyler Whitney ’18 was the star of the night for Trinity as he racked up two assists in the 4-3 victory, enough to reach his 100th career point as a Bantam. The first period was scoreless on both ends and only 16 shots were shared between the two teams. Trinity’s Mark Knowlton ’19 got the Bantams on the board late in the second period, but the Ephs responded shortly after, keeping the action Intense on the ice. After a controversial penalty against a Bantam defenseman, the Ephs took advantage and put their second goal on the board. Trinity would not let down, and responded with two important goals to put them back in the lead. The Bantams added their fourth goal early in the third, but the Ephs made it interesting until the end when the Bantams were whistled for a penalty, allowing the Ephs to have several opportunities to tie the game in the last minute. The Bantams held strong and crucial saves by Morin sealed the win for Trinity.
Another NESCAC matchup came the next day against the Middlebury College Panthers. Defender Michael Grande ’21 scored his first goal on the year while Pfeffer and Nick Polsinelli ’21 each added a goal. Alex Morin had his fifth shutout of the season in this 3-0 Bantam victory. Trinity is still ranked No.5 in the nation and has now won a fantastic nine games in a row. The Bantams high intensity has been key to continuing their winning streak and defeating their opponents at this crucial stage of the season. That grit and intensity certainly showed against the Ephs and Panthers.
The Bantams will travel to Maine this upcoming weekend where they will take on the Colby College Mules and the Bowdoin College Polar Bears.