After skating off the ice following practice on Wednesday night, coach Blaise MacDonald (Billerica, Mass.) was asked about his points of emphasis as his rolling Colby College hockey team charges into the last four weekends of the regular season.
“I’m trying,” he said, “to stay out of the way.
“This group has great leadership from its captains and seniors, and has all the variables that good teams have,” he added. “You always hope you have it but you’re not sure.”
Certainly in the NESCAC, and maybe even in the region, there’s been no bigger surprise than the Mules (10-3), who sit atop the league with a 7-2 record.
The last time there was a season in the NESCAC, in 2019-20, the Mules finished dead last, 10th out of 10 teams, winning just three league games.
Now, they carry a six-game win streak into Friday night’s game with rival Bowdoin. The Mules have won nine of their last 10 games, including victories against No. 14 Endicott, and against NESCAC contenders Trinity, Wesleyan and Williams.
In that stretch the team has allowed a total of eight goals. Playing behind a solid defensive corps, sophomore goalie Andy Beran is sporting a 1.37 goals-against average and .947 save percentage.
“Usually it starts and ends with the goaltending but there’s a lot more to it than that,” said MacDonald. “But we are lucky to have an elite goaltender. It’s allowed a lot of guys, and our team in general, to kind of push forward.”
The 5-foot-8 Beran, a Minnesota native, was a strong prep goalie at St. Paul’s and flashed promise as a Colby freshman in five games. He left to play in the NAHL last season but has returned in a big way and has pushed the Mules into first place, one point ahead of Williams in the league’s new format and with two games in hand.
“Very athletic,” noted MacDonald. “He does not like to be scored on in practice or games, and he’s willing to do the work.”
Another of Colby’s breakout performers has been sophomore defenseman Jack Sullivan, a left-handed shot who leads the team in goals (seven), assists (nine), points (16) and shots on goal.
“If you watched him skate, stickhandle, shoot, you’d think he’s like a lot of other players in this league,” said MacDonald. “But the refs show up, the puck drops at 7:05 on a Friday night and it’s something different.
“He’s a hockey player. He doesn’t complicate the game. He just plays the game the way it needs to be played that night.”
The Mules boast veterans like second-leading scorer Justin Grillo, who was a key part of the Frozen Four team in 2017-18, but there’s been contributions from all four classes. The team was deep enough to not just survive a stretch in January where it was down to 15 healthy players at times, but thrive during that stretch.
Goalies shining bright
Beran isn’t the only goalie in the NESCAC making waves this winter.
MacDonald saw it first-hand on opening night, when his team outshot visiting Williams 43-24 but couldn’t solve junior Evan Ruschil in a 1-0 loss. One night later, Ruschil and the Ephs went to Bowdoin and won another 1-0 game.
“Can you imagine scoring two goals on the road in a weekend and sweeping a weekend?” asked MacDonald.
Niagara transfer Patrick Pugliese (2.12 GAA, .923) has been strong for Trinity and newcomer Alex Kozic (2.01 GAA .936) has played every minute for Bowdoin.
Conn. College sophomore goalie Sean Dynan (Reading, Mass.) led his team’s charge out of the league cellar with three wins last week. The Kimball Union product made 102 saves as the Camels went on the road and beat Hamilton (2-1), Trinity (3-1) and Wesleyan (2-1), ascending to eighth place.
Looking ahead
Colby’s short trip to Bowdoin on Friday isn’t the only big game in the league this weekend.
The battle for the top four – and quarterfinal home ice – will be advanced by Trinity at Amherst and Wesleyan at Hamilton on Friday. Saturday features Trinity-Hamilton and Wesleyan-Amherst.
@MikeZhe603
mzhe@hockeyjournal.com
