The action of the first-round games in the NCAA tournament did not disappoint in any way shape or form in the first D-III national tournament played in three years. If you were a wise predictor, and went with all of the home teams, you went 4-0 on the weekend as the higher seeds managed to get it done but not without a pair of dramatic overtime games, including one double overtime game to add even more electricity to the first round. Here is the wrap-up of Round One of the NCAA D-III Men’s’ Hockey Tournament:
Trinity (14) v. Babson (5)
As expected, this game was very tight with both teams showing off their speed and solid team defense in front of two battle-tested goaltenders. The first period was scoreless with chances coming at a premium with each team only finding seven shots on goal. Early in the second, and in typical Babson fashion, an unexpected name broke the scoreless tie as Ryan Campbell picked up his first goal of the season for a 1-0 lead less than two minutes into the middle frame. Trinity came back strong after surrendering the first goal, but goaltender Brad Arvanitis was very sharp making a number of key saves and limiting rebound opportunities for the Bantams. In the third period, Ryan Black gave the Beavers a little more cushion beating JP Mella from the top of the crease while Arvanitis continued to stonewall Trinity’s chances down the other end. With 1:06 remaining and Mella pulled for the extra attacker, John Corrigan rifled home a 200-foot dart into the empty-net and Babson could celebrate their first NCAA tournament victory since 2013. Arvanitis stopped all 27 shots he faced in the 3-0 win that advances the Beavers to the quarterfinals against Geneseo next Saturday.
When asked about the game, Babson coach Jamie Rice noted “it was a T-E-A-M win!”
Elmira (10) v. Hobart (7)
The two NEHC rivals were both playing for the first time since losing in the semifinals of their conference tournament. It was the Statesmen who had the jump and broke the ice in the first period on goals from Blake Coffey and Zach Tyson with Coffey assisting for a 2-0 lead after 20 minutes of action. Before either team was even settled on their respective benches, Luke Aquaro shot through the Elmira defense on a breakaway and scored to give Hobart a 3-0 lead just 22 seconds into the second period. Christian Abrams breathed some life into Elmira’s hopes with a shorthanded goal at the seven minute mark, but Hobart answered back quickly on a goal from Artem Buzoverya to restore their three-goal advantage. Elmira kept pushing and again cut the deficit to just two goals when Shawn Kennedy beat Liam Lascelle but that is as close as the Soaring Eagles would get as neither team scored in the final period. Hobart outshot Elmira 41-27 for the game with Lascelle making 25 saves and recording an assist in the win that advanced the Statesmen to the quarterfinals and a date with Adrian.
“The atmosphere was awesome and that set the tone,” noted Hobart coach Mark Taylor. I was really excited the way the guys came out and played. We knew it was going to be a 60-minute hockey game, Elmira plays a great brand of hockey, we know it was going to be 60 minutes to do it. I am pumped with how our guys played and I am pumped with how the game turned out for the loyal group of fans we had here. I am very glad we are still playing.”
Plymouth State (15) v. University of New England (8)
It should come as no surprise that the matchup between these two teams would come down to a one-goal game. It was the visitors from Plymouth State that got off to the fast start with Mike McPherson and Jacob Laurin scoring less than two minutes apart for a 2-0 lead after the first period. Aaron Aragon would score a power play goal for the Nor’easters to cut the deficit in half and that set-up a dramatic finish in Biddeford. Defenseman Chris Jones took a major penalty and game misconduct to open the third period, but goaltender Billy Girard held the Panthers at bay making a number of key stops to keep the game at 2-1. Back at even-strength, Collin Heinold finally solved Kalle Andersson to tie the game at 2-2 and both goalies were outstanding in keeping the game tied through regulation. Overtime started with immense pressure from the home team but again it was Andersson coming up with big save after big save including an incredible glove save diving across the crease to his right to rob Jared Christy. Neither team could score in the first overtime so on to extra period number two and that is where Austin Morgan sent UNE on to the next round with the game winner just over four minutes into the second overtime. Morgan picked up the puck in neutral ice and flew down the right side past the defense and in on Andersson where his five-hole shot found the mark for a 3-2 2OT win. Andersson stopped 44 of 47 shots for Plymouth State while Girard made 34 of 36 saves to earn the win.
After the double overtime thriller, UNE head coach Kevin Swallow noted “I don’t have any hair left after that one. It’s definitely not how we drew up the game plan – down 0-2 in the first and then give them a five minute power play in the third period. But we found a way to win.”
St. Olaf v. St Norbert (6)
The Oles entered Saturday night’s game with a lot of confidence after winning their conference title in surprising fashion while the host team was anxious to shake-off a 12-3 rout in their conference title game the prior week. Early on it was the Oles who got the jump on the Green Knights with Tyler Cooper scoring less than two minutes after the opening face-off. Later in the period, Parker Casey doubled the advantage to 2-0 for the visitors before Evan Cholak found the back of the net to get the Green Knights on the board. St. Norbert ramped up the pressure in the second period, but it was the Oles who score in the final five minutes off the stick of Jonathan Young for a 3-1 lead after two periods of play. Trailing by two goals, St. Norbert hounded St. Olaf in the third period looking to rally back from a two-goal deficit. At 4:14, Peter Bates set up Liam Fraser for a goal that cut the deficit to 3-2. Later in the period, a too-many-men-on-the-ice minor penalty gave the host team a power play and they took just eight seconds to cash-in on a goal from Brendan Mark to tie the game at 3-3 through regulation. It didn’t take long in the extra session for St. Norbert to end the game. Less than one minute into overtime, Michael Spethmann took a beautiful kick-pass from Peter Bates and raced in alone on goal where he buried the game winner past goaltender Lukas Haugen and ended St. Olaf’s magical post-season run. For the game, St. Norbert outshot St. Olaf by a 47-23 margin but rallied from two-goal deficits twice to eke out the 4-3 win that advances them to a quarterfinal date with Augsburg.
“The improbable run St. Olaf was on was very probable,” said St. Norbert head coach Tim Coughlin. “They stuck to their game plan. It took everything we had in the tank to come back and find a way to win it in overtime.”
Three Biscuits
Austin Morgan – University of New England – completed UNE’s comeback from a 2-0 deficit by scoring the overtime winner in the second overtime period for a 3-2 first round victory.
Blake Coffey – Hobart – picked up a goal and an assist in the first period to jump start the Statesmen to a 2-0 lead on their way to a 4-2 first round win.
Brad Arvanitis – Babson – the graduate student netminder made 27 saves to pick up the 3-0 shutout win over Trinity in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
Overtime Biscuit
Michael Spethmann – St. Norbert – scored in the first minute of overtime to give the Green Knights the first round win over St. Olaf by a 4-3 score. The Green Knights moved to 4-0 in overtime games this season.
The quarterfinal matchups are set for next Saturday with Hobart traveling to No. 1 Adrian; St. Norbert facing Augsburg; Babson taking on Geneseo and UNE taking on Utica. The winners advance to the Frozen Four in Lake Placid scheduled for March 25-26.
Special thanks to Mr. SUNYAC, Russell Jaslow for the post game presser quotes from the Elmira v. Hobart game and to Murray Gleffe on the quote from the St Olaf v. St. Norbert game.
