Box
Score
BRUNSWICK, Maine - The Williams College men's hockey team
battled Bowdoin step for step through two periods, but the Polar
Bears took over in the third as they netted four scores and blew
open a tight game to capture the 8-3 victory Sunday.
The loss snaps a five game undefeated streak for the Ephs, and
drops their overall record to 7-4-2 (3-1-1 NESCAC). Bowdoin, on the
other hand, snaps a four game losing streak with the win and
improves to 7-5-1.
On a day where the Polar Bears desperately needed a win and had
the extra incentive of playing in the christening game for their
new Sidney J. Watson Ice Arena in front of a large raucous crowd,
the Ephs simply didn't bring their brand of hockey to match.
Williams committed twelve penalties for a total of thirty two
penalty minutes and surrendered three power play goals and a total
of eight scores -- all season highs -- in the sloppy defeat.
"In any game there are going to be penalties but we definitely
had some ill advised mistakes, and when you don't play as well as
usual, especially on the defensive end, you get a game like this."
Remarked Eph Coach Bill Kangas, "We just weren't as sharp, and we
need to learn from this."
It wasn't all bad for the Ephs, as they were able to produce two
power play scores of their own and even a short handed score in the
loss. In addition, Marc Pulde turned away 26 shots in the net for
the Ephs with inconsistent defensive support.
After the Polar Bears built a two goal advantage through fifteen
minutes of play, the Ephs battled back with their first power play
score off of the stick of Brian Malchoff to send the game into the
first intermission at 2-1.
Aaron O'Callahan would restore the Bowdoin advantage to two
scores just two minutes into the second period, but the Ephs would
respond again with the short handed goal of Matt Dreiheim midway
through the period to bring the score to 3-2.
The two teams would trade scores again before the period was
through, with Williams notching their mark off of the power play
goal of Matt Masucci to end the second period with the score at 4-3
Bowdoin.
However, feeding off of the environment, the Polar Bears swarmed
into and through the final period - notching four scores off of
thirteen shots while simultaneously limiting the Ephs to just four
shots - before coming away with the 8-3 victory.
The Ephs look to bounce back this Friday, January
23rd, when they host New England College. That game is
scheduled to start at 7:00 PM.
