Box Score

HARTFORD, Conn. – Head Coach Matthew Greason earned his 250th career win as the Trinity College men's ice hockey team downed visiting Middlebury College, 5–2, in a New England Small College Athletic Conference matchup Friday evening. With the victory, the Bantams earned their first conference win and moved to 7–4–0 overall and 1–4–0 in NESCAC play, while the Panthers dropped to 5–4–2 overall and 3–3–1 in conference action.

What Happened:

• After a high-intensity opening period, Trinity finally broke through in the final minute on a power-play tally by James Barbour. A cross-ice feed from Ian Spencer set up Barbour for a one-touch finish into an open net before Panther goaltender Andrew Heinze could slide across. Senior Spencer Korona collected the secondary assist.
• Early in the second frame, newcomer Nolan Hayes doubled the Bantams' advantage with an impressive individual effort. The defenseman pulled the puck inside to freeze a Middlebury defender and ripped a shot from just inside the attacking zone. Assists were awarded to Weston Turner and Ryan Panico for the 2–0 lead.
• Despite being outshot 15–7 in the second period—including a Middlebury power play—Trinity added to its cushion at 17:40. After a faceoff win by Ryan Friedman, the puck found the stick of Blake Cotton, who hammered home a shot from the top of the circle to make it 3–0.
• Just over three minutes into the final frame, Connor Sedlak made it 4–0 following a neutral-zone takeaway by Panico that sparked a 3-on-2 rush. With a three-man weave through the attacking zone, Ty Broad slid the puck toward the net, where Sedlak flicked it between the posts.
• Middlebury responded with a brief 40-second surge, scoring twice—first through Cole Semeniuk at 7:50 and then Reece Brednich at 8:30—to cut the deficit to 4–2 with under twelve minutes remaining.
• Following a 40-minute delay due to a shattered board with less than two minutes left, play resumed and the Panthers pulled their goalie for an extra skater. A turnover at the Trinity blue line sprung Sedlak the other way for an empty-netter to seal the 5–2 final.

Inside the Numbers:

• Shots: Trinity 32, Middlebury 30
• Faceoffs: Trinity 37, Middlebury 33
• Blocked Shots: Trinity 15, Middlebury 13
• Power Play: Trinity 1-for-7, Middlebury 0-for-4
• Saves: Devon Bobak (TRIN) 28, Andrew Heinze (MID) 27

Up Next:
The Bantams return to the ice Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m. for another NESCAC clash at Koeppel Community Sports Center, hosting Williams College.