Men's Hockey Wins Thriller to Advance to Frozen Four

CAM CHOTTINER ’20 STAFF WRITER
After winning their second straight NESCAC title, men’s hockey earned a spot in the NCAA tournament. The Bantams went right back to work last weekend in a matchup against the Plattsburgh Cardinals, as most students were headed to warmer climates for spring break. Nonetheless the Trinity student section, comprised mostly of fellow athletes, was loud as ever as the Bantams cruised to a 4-1 victory. Sean Orlando ’17 got the scoring started for the Bantams early on to get the home crowd going. On the power play, Orlando received a pass from Ryan Cole ’17 before making an incredible move to get behind the Plattsburgh defender and roof a backhand over the opposing goalie. Tyler Whitney ’18 was credited with the second assist on the play. Orlando and the Bantams kept their foot on the gas as Orlando one-timed home the rebound of a shot taken by Whitney, extending the lead to 2 goals. Plattsburgh was able to claw back to within one as Joe Drabin banged home a shot from the slot. However, just 4 minutes later, Brandon Cole ’17 regained the 2-goal advantage with yet another power play marker for the Bantams. Ethan Holdaway ’17 earned the assist on Cole’s goal. The Bantams would continue to dominate as they held the strong Plattsburgh offense at bay for the remainder of the game, with Brandon Cole tallying another goal into the empty net with just 9 seconds to play. In the quarterfinals, the Bantams faced off against Endicott College at home in a game that would become an instant classic. On Saturday night the puck dropped in front a large crowd at the Koeppel Center as the Bantams played with a trip to the Frozen Four on the line. The two teams came out strong, both trading chances in the first frame. There were a combined 36 shots on goal, but to no avail. Both goalies stood strong, which would become a theme throughout the game. Early in the second period, Endicott drew first blood when Josh Bowes capitalized on a back door pass on the power play. However, the home team was not to be outdone, as the Bantams answered back with a late period power play goal of their own. Sean Orlando potted yet another playoff goal for the team as he finished a great pass by Anthony Sabitsky ’18. Liam Feeney ’20 recorded the secondary assist on the tying goal. The teams would head to the third period knotted at 1 goal apiece. Despite a multitude of chances for both sides in the third, the game headed to overtime still tied at 1. The first overtime was nothing short of crazy. In an extremely fast paced period, Endicott had couple grade A scoring opportunities, missing a few shots with half of the net open on the power play. The Bantams had their chances, but Trinity goalie Alex Morin ’18 was the star of the period, robbing the Endicott forwards on multiple occasions. The first overtime ended with the score still knotted at 1, despite a combined total of 111 shots for the two teams. The Bantams came out in the second extra period with a little something extra in their step. Despite a good chance in front of Morin, the Bantams quickly broke out of the zone sending Ryan Cole and Anthony Sabitsky on a partial 2 on 1 break. Cole elevated a pass to the front of the net and Sabitsky tipped it out of the air before the puck hit the post and went in behind the Endicott goalie, sending the Bantam bench and fans into a wild celebration. Trinity will face St. Norbert in the semifinal of the Frozen Four next Friday in Utica, New York.