The Connecticut College men’s
hockey team played host to both
Colby and Bowdoin this weekend,
with a disappointing outcome.
On Friday night, Colby rolled in
on a two-game winning streak,
hoping to make a push out of last
place in the NESCAC. Colby
drew first blood, scoring halfway
through the first period. Entering
the second period down one, Conn
senior Chris Fogg tied it up with
a goal just three minutes in. Fogg
then assisted on sophomore Mike
Sinsigali’s goal to put the Camels
ahead. Colby battled back in the
third period, scoring a goal six
minutes in. With the momentum
on their side, Colby pushed ahead,
scoring with just four minutes left.
Sophomore goalie Mike Petchonka
finished with 26 saves on 29 shots.
Saturday’s game against Bowdoin
could’ve been more exciting:
not only did Connecticut College
just have to earn at least a tie or
a win to make the playoffs, but it
was also at home on Senior Night
against the second-place Polar
Bears who beat Conn 7-0 earlier
in the season. Bowdoin came out
fast, scoring just three minutes into
the game; however, senior co-captain
Sean Curran was able to even
up the score on a power play goal
from a bad angle shot that found
the back of the net. Bowdoin then
came back with a power play goal
of their own, as well as another
at even strength to take a 3-1 lead
going into the second period.
The Camels were not about to
give up their chance at a playoff
spot. They were lead by the senior
class, playing in what would be
their last game. Senior Julien
Boutet scored a short-handed goal
on a breakaway early in the second
period to bring the score within
one; however, thirty seconds later
on the same power play, Bowdoin
was able to slip one by senior net
minder Andrew Margolin and extend
their lead back to two. Again
the Camels came back, going shot
for shot with the fourteenth ranked
team in the country. J.J. McGregor
was the next senior to step up,
scoring midway through the period
on a four-on-four goal, again
bringing the tally to one.
For much of the late second and
third period Conn seemed to carry
the momentum. It was clear that
every single player in a Camel
jersey understood what was at
stake. After eight minutes when
it seemed like Conn’s tying goal
was always just around the corner,
Bowdoin scored to take a 5-3 lead.
Despite the deficit, the Camels
kept pushing and came away with
several strong scoring chances.
On a power play, with just under
two minutes left in the game, the
Camels pulled their goalie in an
attempt to score with the six on
four advantage. Instead, Bowdoin
was able to score an empty net
goal from 150 feet out to seal the
victory.
The seniors at Conn were not
yet done, and despite being down
by three with under a minute to
play, they were able to convert on
the six-on-four with Boutet and
Curran, connecting for Curran’s
second tally of the game. Head
coach Jim Ward let the seniors finish
off the season during the final
shift of play. With senior Andrew
Margolin on the bench after making
28 saves and keeping Conn
in the game, six senior skaters
finished off the last 20 seconds of
their college hockey career on the
ice together.
Conn finished the season with a
6-15-3 record overall, with a 4-12-
2 record in the NESCAC. While
Conn eventually finished in an
eighth place tie, they do not have
the tie breaker against Hamilton
and therefore will not be skating
in the quarterfinals this coming
weekend.
