The penultimate weekend of the Division 3 regular season featured a can-you-believe-this finish and delivered some clarity to the playoff picture in the region’s four leagues.
It couldn’t be any clearer in the NEHC, which is the first league on to the playoffs, which begin with a four-team play-in round on Wednesday.
Colby (NESCAC) and the University of New England (Commonwealth Coast) are in the pole positions for top seeds in their leagues, while Plymouth State and Fitchburg State have lapped the field in the MASCAC.
All four of those teams have work to do this week if they want to secure No. 1.
Let’s examine the biggest takeaways from the biggest weekend – to this point – of the Division 3 season, and see what lies ahead.
NEHC
A fifth of a second. That’s what remained in regulation time when Skidmore’s Mike Gelatt popped in a rebound to send Saturday’s game against UMass Boston to overtime, where the squads would ultimately settle for a 2-2 tie that cost UMB one spot in the final standings.
Offensively, it wasn’t a very productive weekend for the Beacons (14-7-4), who tied last-place Castleton, 2-2, on Friday. But the ties, backstopped by junior goalie Sam Best (Woburn, Mass.), were enough for them to finish in third place and avoid the dreaded No. 4 vs. No. 5 quarterfinal matchup.
That matchup will instead see Babson (16-5-2) hosting preseason favorite Norwich (12-5-5). UMB -- which is 9-2-3 since the holiday break and has exceeded preseason expectations -- will host No. 6 Skidmore in the quarterfinals.
Here is a look at the tournament schedule, with the winner receiving an auto-bid to the NCAA tournament.
First round (Wednesday)
#10 Johnson & Wales at #7 New England College, 7
#9 Castleton at #8 Southern Maine, 7
Quarterfinals (Saturday)
Lowest remaining seed at #1 Hobart, 7
Highest remaining seed at #2 Elmira, 7
#6 Skidmore at #3 UMass Boston, 7
#5 Norwich at #4 Babson, 4
Semifinals
Saturday, Feb. 26
Championship
Saturday, March 5
NESCAC
It was a rare winless weekend for Colby, but the Mules still control their destiny heading into the final weekend of the regular season.
Andy Beran gave them a chance to win both games, stopping 57 of 61 shots, but the results were a 2-2 tie at Wesleyan and a 2-1 loss at Trinity. The Mules (13-5-2, 10-4-2) still enter the final weekend with a half-point lead over Trinity (12-7-1, 10-5-1).
The schedule suits Colby, which hosts bottom-tier teams Tufts and Conn. College, while Trinity has to play a home-and-home against a good Wesleyan team (10-9-3, 8-5-3).
“These guys create tremendous joy and passing every day at the rink,” said Colby coach Blaise MacDonald (Billerica, Mass.). “When they show up at the rink they’re like, ‘Who’s luckier than us?’”
COMMONWEALTH COAST
The four-team race we’ve followed since November has become a three-team race, with the University of New England (15-3-1, 14-3-1), Salve Regina (16-5-2, 14-3-2) and Endicott (16-5-1, 13-4-1) still in the running for first place after Curry fell off the pace.
Salve helped Curry fall off the pace on Monday by rallying from two goals down in the third period, and beating the Colonels, 4-3, when senior captain George Sennott (North Andover, Mass.) scored in the final minute of OT.
Endicott and UNE play Tuesday night. Salve plays UNE on Friday and then plays Endicott on Saturday. So all three teams still have their fate in their hands.
The CCC pushed back the start of its tournament to allow all schools to complete their league schedules. The quarterfinals will be held Feb. 26, with the semifinals March 2 and the championship on March 2.
MASCAC
Plymouth State (15-4-2, 12-1-2) controls its destiny after winning its seventh straight game last week. Myles Abbate (Norwell, Mass.) and JR Barone continue to pace the offense with 14 goals apiece, while forward Ethan Stuckless has put together a terrific freshman season, leading the team in plus-minus (+13).
Fitchburg State (16-5, 13-3) has probably run out of time to catch the Bobcats in the standings, but the Falcons have enjoyed a terrific season and should be a formidable No. 2 seed.
Hunter Fortin has enjoyed a breakout junior season with 13 goals and 26 points, and senior goalie Brian McGrath of Worcester, Mass. (2.06 GAA, .938 save percentage) will give the Rams a chance against anyone they play in the postseason.
The first round of the tournament will be held Feb. 26, with the semifinals on March 1 and the championship on March 5.
@MikeZhe603
mzhe@hockeyjournal.com
