This Week: The Trinity College men's ice hockey team opened the 2015 calendar year with a pair of non-conference road wins at Plymouth State and Western New England last weekend. The Bantams potted 12 markers in the victories and are currently riding a four-game winning streak. This weekend, the team welcomes Middlebury and Williams to Williams Rink in the Koeppel Community Sports Center in New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) action.
Match-up:
Trinity (8-1-1, 3-0-1) vs. Middlebury (3-5-2, 2-2-2)
Friday, Jan. 9, 2015 at 7:30 p.m.
Williams Rink in the Koeppel Community Sports Center
Hartford, Conn.
Live Stats: Click Here (All links will become active at the start of the contest)
Live Video: Click Here
Last Year Versus the Panthers: Trinity swept the season series with Middlebury last winter, outscoring the Panthers, 11-6, in a pair of victories. Michael Hawkrigg was dominant in the two tilts, scoring four goals to go along with one assist, while Jackson Brewer potted one marker and recorded six assists for the Bantams.
Match-up:
Trinity (8-1-1, 3-0-1) vs. Williams (7-2-1, 4-1-1)
Saturday, Jan. 10, 2015 at 4:00 p.m.
Williams Rink in the Koeppel Community Sports Center
Hartford, Conn.
Live Stats: Click Here
Live Video: Click Here
Last Year Versus the Ephs: Trinity and Williams split their two meetings a year ago as each team won its home game. The Ephs won in an outdoor game at Fenway Park in Boston, 4-2, and the Bantams skated to a 2-1 victory in Hartford. In the two games, Sean Orlando scored three goals and an assist (factoring in on all three Trinity scores) for the Bantams and Brewer netted one tally to go along with a helper in the two tilts.
Game Notes:
- Trinity is ranked No. 10 in the latest D3hockey.com poll and No.10 in the most recent USCHO.com poll. Williams is receiving votes in the D3 hockey poll and is ranked No. 12 in the USCHO poll. Trinity's lone setback this season came to No. 8 UMass Boston earlier this season at home.
- Last time out, Orlando scored two goals and added one assist to lead Trinity to a 7-2 victory versus WNEU. He found the back of the net twice in the first period, including the game-winner, to help stake the Bantams to a 4-0 cushion. Sophomore forward Will Sleeper, who was making his season debut, tallied the first two goals of his two-game college career.
- Through 10 games, the Bantams have scored 51 goals to rank third in the nation in scoring offense (5.10 goals per game) after exploding for seven or more goals in five victories this winter. Trinity is fifth in the country in scoring margin at 2.90.
- First-year forward Tyler Whitney has had an impressive start to his collegiate career scoring nine goals, highlighted by a trio of two-tally games. Whitney also is tied for second in the nation with three game-winning goals.
- Sophomore and reigning NESCAC Rookie of the Year Ryan Cole has been on fire to open the season, scoring six goals and adding nine assists to tie Orlando with a team-high 15 points. Cole netted a hat trick and picked up an assist in the teams 7-2 victory against Amherst earlier in the season.
- Forwards Jackson Brewer and Michael Hawkrigg have picked up where they left off last season having registered 14 points and 12 points, repectively. Hawkrigg has four goals and eight assists, while Brewer has potted two tallies to go along with a team-high 12 helpers. Brewer is second in the country in assists per game.
- Between the pipes, junior Nathaniel Heilbron has played well this season, going 5-1-1 with a .924 save percentage and a 2.35 goals-against average. First-year goaltender Alex Morin has earned victories in each of his first three starts for the Bantams. In net, Morin has a 1.09 goals-against average to go with a .961 save percentage.
- Trinity's depth is shown in their third-period scoring margin. In the final 20 minutes this season, the Bantams have outscored their opponents, 18-5. Trinity has also done a good job scoring early, netting 18 goals and allowing just seven during the first period.
- The Bantams have converted 12-of-49 power-play opportunities and Trinity has killed 26-of-34 penalties this season.
