![\"Defenseman](\"http:\/\/www.uscho.com\/images\/colorscans\/20092010\/Conter.jpg\")
<\/p>\nBoth teams like playing on the Olympic-sized ice so expect this one to be a very up-tempo contest. Once again the biggest question here is not whether Alex Mykolenko and Matt Czerkowicz for the thoroughbreds or Chris Travis and Dan Rautenberg for the Huskies will get their chances.<\/p>\n
Instead the question is whether or not mason St. Hillaire for USM and either Colin Bessey or Andrew Ross for Skidmore can be the big stopper in the playoffs for their teams. Both teams have struggled with consistency in goal so the team that finds it this weekend will move on to the semis. <\/p>\n
Prediction: <\/b> Southern Maine proved it could play well when it needs to and St. Hillaire was solid last weekend in surrendering just two goals on 48 shots. The Huskies have the firepower and home ice.<\/p>\n
Score? <\/b>Southern Maine 4, Skidmore 1.<\/p>\nNESCAC<\/h4>\n
No. 8 Colby @ No. 1 Bowdoin <\/b><\/p>\n
Regular season results: <\/b>The tradition that has become such a big college hockey event in Maine went all Colby\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s way in December. The White Mules took both ends of the home-and-home series by 4-2 and 4-3 scores. <\/p>\n
Preview: <\/b> Throw out the records in this intrastate rivalry which has seen Colby hold the upper hand over the past couple of seasons. Bowdoin has not lost in February going 6-0-0 and outscoring opponents 32-13 along the way. For Colby, the end of the season was a challenge with just a 1-4-1 record to show but a key win on the last day to insure their place in the playoffs. <\/p>\n Bowdoin will be led by junior Kyle Shearer-Hardy and senior Colin MacCormack offensively while Michael Smigelski and Billy Crinnion will counter for Colby. A key for the Polar Bears may be the play of senior goaltender Chris Rossi who is 12-0-1 this season but did not play in either of the prior games between the two rivals. <\/p>\n Prediction: <\/b>Rossi is the difference for the home team who continues their high level of play and takes advantage of the opportunity to host the NESCAC championship weekend at the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Sid.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n Score? <\/b>Bowdoin 5, Colby 2. <\/p>\n No. 7 Tufts @ No. 2 Middlebury <\/b><\/p>\n Regular season result: <\/b> Back on the first night of the season, Tufts scored with 57 seconds left in regulation and took a 3-3 tie with the Panthers at home. <\/p>\n Preview: <\/b> \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I really would prefer not to go to Vermont,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d said Tufts coach Brian Murphy. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153We are happy to play anywhere but it is a challenge to play up there on the big rink.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d <\/p>\n Tufts may have some trepidation based on prior results against Middlebury where two prior playoff games finished at 7-1 for the home team. This year the Jumbos may hold the secret weapon in sophomore goalie Scott Barchard who stopped 43 against the Panthers on opening night and is among the nation\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s leading goaltenders with a .942 save percentage. <\/p>\n Middlebury is 7-1-0 in February and averaging over four goals per game while giving up just two per contest. Tufts finished with their best placing in NESCAC ever and enjoyed a strong finish to the season going 4-2-0 in February. Middlebury has home ice and a strong and balanced offensive attack led by Martin Drolet and John Sullivan but they will have to solve Barchard early in the ultimate game of offense versus defense. <\/p>\n Prediction: <\/b>A goalie can definitely steal a game for any team in a one-and-done format. Tufts has the right guy between the pipes to do it but Middlebury just has too much firepower and will get enough on the board to hang on and advance. <\/p>\n Score? <\/b>Middlebury 3, Tufts 1. <\/p>\n No. 6 Hamilton @ No. 3 Williams <\/b><\/p>\n Regular season result: <\/b> In the first league weekend following the break, Williams downed Hamilton 3-2 in overtime on a goal by Cody Skinner. <\/p>\n Preview: <\/b>All season long Williams has looked to the solid goaltending of Ryan Purdy, consistent scoring from Alex Smigelski and strong defensive zone play. For Hamilton, getting healthy has helped the Continentals regain some much needed scoring with Joe Buicko and Chris Lorenc leading the way. Prediction: <\/b> Purdy has been among the league\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s best goaltenders and has last year\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s playoff run to reference and build on in this year\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s playoffs. Williams has overall better depth and doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have to make the long bus trip. <\/p>\n Score? <\/b>Williams 5, Hamilton 2.<\/p>\n No. 5 Trinity @ No. 4 Amherst <\/b><\/p>\n Regular season result: <\/b> Back in the second game of the season, Trinity knocked off Amherst 2-0 behind the goaltending of Wes Vesprini. <\/p>\n Preview: <\/b> This is a heavyweight fight between the pipes so don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t think high-scoring contest here. Wes Vesprini has proven all year that he is one of the conference\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s best and Cole Anderson has built on last year\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s outstanding season to play virtually every game this year as Amherst looks to retain the title they earned for the first time last season. <\/p>\n Special teams are likely to be a big factor here and that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s where the Lord Jeffs excel. They led the country in penalty killing and were among the leaders on the power play. There is a lot of experience on the roster that knows what it takes to succeed at this time of the season so look for Keith Nelson, Matthew Rhone and Mike Baran to keep their focus on avenging the earlier loss this season. <\/p>\n Prediction: <\/b>This one is a game that will be decided by someone taking advantage of just that one great opportunity or cashing in on a mistake. Both teams play great hockey in their defensive end and have a guy waiting in the crease that will cover up for a lot of mistakes. This is a one goal game, maybe an empty net goal to close out the scoring, but it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s close to the end with Anderson stealing the spotlight from Vesprini. <\/p>\n Score? <\/b>Amherst 2, Trinity 0. <\/p>\n For the two D-II teams in the ECAC East that are not eligible for the conference playoffs, their season comes down to a chance to be one of just three teams in the country that can win their final game of the season. St. Anselm heads into the NE-10 tournament as the top seed again but has only been able to skate off with the D-II title just two times. <\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153It was a great season for us to finish in second place overall in the ECAC East,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d said hawks head coach Ed Seney. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153We are very proud of how we played this season against many of the best D-III teams in the country and while we didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t finish as strong as we would have liked, we still have chance to win a championship. <\/p>\n That has been one of our goals all season so we are focused on playing whichever opponent comes through the first round paying attention to controlling our abilities and our game. I feel like we always play in this tournament with a target on our backs — everyone brings their best to play us.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d <\/p>\n Leading the way for the Hawks is the leading scorer from the ECAC East, Coleman Noonan. Noonan has 17 goals and 20 assists for 37 points and also has eight power-play goals to spark the St. A\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s offense. <\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Coleman is a great kid,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d said Seney. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153He is a junior captain and a very talented offensive player who has really improved his overall game this year in all three zones. He is a leader on the ice and makes big contributions for this team. We will need him to keep it going if we want to be one of those teams that has a chance to its final game of the season.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d <\/p>\n Of equal importance, the back end will need the Hawks to continue to see strong play from goalie Alex Wyse. Wyse will be expected to shoulder the load in the playoff run and snap the current three game losing streak that the Hawks finished the regular season with in the ECAC East. <\/p>\n The defending NE-10 champions from St Michael\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s are the number three seed in the tournament that also includes Stonehill, Assumption, Franklin Pierce and Southern New Hampshire University. Assumption and St. Anselm have earned first round byes and will face the winners of the quarterfinal match-ups to be played this weekend. <\/p>\n There is playoff hockey everywhere this weekend and for some it may not only be the end of the season, but for most seniors, the end of their hockey careers. To all the seniors who have enjoyed so much from the game of hockey and life as a college student, congratulations and best wishes in all of your future endeavors. The time is now. Win today to play another day! <\/p>\n Drop the puck.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The second season has arrived. Not that the stress of the past few weeks has not created its own playoff like atmosphere, but now it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s for real. One and done. The reality now hits home that after 60 minutes of hockey — or sometimes more — your season could be over and you put away […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":140328,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"coauthors":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n![\"Unbeaten](\"http:\/\/www.uscho.com\/images\/colorscans\/20092010\/IMG_0579.JPG.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
\nWilliams has been strong all season and has earned their national ranking with their consistent level of play in all three facets of the game. Home ice will matter here and Williams\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 overall team speed will be a difference maker. <\/p>\nNE-10 Conference Tournament<\/h4>\n
![\"Captain](\"http:\/\/www.uscho.com\/images\/colorscans\/20092010\/Noonan.jpg\")
<\/p>\n