February 20, 2010

Ephs Earn Home Ice With 4-1 Win Over Skidmore

SARATOGA, NY - The Williams men's hockey team earned a home postseason game for the second consecutive season, completing a weekend sweep by beating Skidmore 4-1 Saturday afternoon. Juniors Connor Olvany and Brian Malchoff each registered a goal and an assist, while Matty Masucci '11 and Alex Smigelski '10 each added a pair of assists. Sophomore Ryan Purdy played well in goal, turning aside 21 shots.

The teams skated to a scoreless first period in which Williams outshot Skidmore, 10-3. The Ephs scored the first goal of the game when Brian Malchoff pounded home a rebound on the power play at the 9:14 mark of the second. Less than three minutes later, Williams made it 2-0 on a wrist shot from Mike Brofft that beat Thoroughbred keeper Colin Bessey (Montclair, N.J./Trinity-Pawling).

Connor Olvany got the coring started early in the third when he found the back of the net 59 seconds into the period, giving the Ephs a three-goal lead. Freshman Brendan Cottam (Belmont, Mass./Lawrence Academy) got Skidmore on the board, making it a 3-1 game at 14:13 with his eighth goal of the season. Williams came right back as Ben Contini scored on a delayed penalty 24 seconds later to push the lead back to three goals.

The Ephs outshot the Thoroughbreds 35-22, including 29-8 over the first two periods. Bessey finished with 31 saves, while Ryan Purdy recorded 21 stops for Williams.

Each team committed three penalties for six minutes and Skidmore finished 0-for-3 on the power play, while the Ephs were 1-for-3 with the man-advantage.

Head Coach Bill Kangas was excited by the way his team played on the weekend: "This was a big weekend for us. We defended well and stayed out of the box. We played smart and I think we understand how we have to play going into the playoffs. It’s a great way to build going into next weekend." Kangas was happy with the way the Ephs rose to the occasion and secured home ice: "We knew we had to win 2 games going into the weekend. We beat a team today that was fighting for home ice and we were as well. We knew when we left the rink that we would play at home. It’s nice to have home ice, and we’re proud of what we accomplished but we know the second season starts now."

The win coupled with an Amherst tie against UMass-Boston guarantees the Ephs of at least 3rd place in the NESCAC. The Ephs could pass Middlebury if the Panthers lose tonight to finish second in the league. The win also ensures that the Ephs will play a home game next weekend in the NESCAC quarterfinals.