Bear Lax Trax Fax 04.22.2023

BLTF 042224 by John Nichols P’09

D-I

BEARS vs BEARS

MICHIGAN (Hunter Taylor, Graham Hertzberg) 13

OHIO STATE (Cullen Brown) 12

After the teams traded goals to open the game, Michigan went on a four-goal run to take the lead.  They would hold onto the lead despite two comeback attempts by the Buckeyes.  The first occurred at the end of the first half when two late Ohio State goals trimmed the Wolverines’ lead to one at halftime.  In the second half, Michigan incrementally increased their lead and were up by 13-7 after scoring off of the fourth quarter faceoff.  As time ticked away, Ohio State then launched their second comeback attempt, scoring five unanswered goals (three of which were scored in just twenty-six seconds) to again pull within one of Michigan.  Ohio State won the final faceoff but Hunter stopped their scoring attempt and Michigan was able to run out the clock.

Hunter had eleven saves versus twelve goals allowed and picked up six ground balls.  Cullen had a busy day on defense, causing three turnovers and collecting four ground balls.

Next up for MICHIGAN (Hunter Taylor, Graham Hertzberg) and OHIO STATE (Cullen Brown) is a rematch in the first round of the Big Ten.

OTHER GAMES

DARTMOUTH (Will Cohen, Cameron Brown, Zak Oehlerking) 11

Brown 14

Dartmouth and Brown swapped leads throughout the first half with Big Green taking the halftime time lead by scoring four of the final five goals of the first half.  Brown and Dartmouth matched each other goal for goal until late in the third quarter when Brown put together a decisive scoring run.  With five straight goals, Brown flipped the scoreboard in their favor and took a four-goal lead.  Dartmouth scored off of the faceoff after Brown’s fifth straight score, but after that all of Big Green’s shots were wide of the market of handled by the Brown goalkeeper.

Will collected two ground balls, caused a Brown turnover and took a shot.  Cameron also played in the game.

#6 DENVER (Ryan Giles) 7

Providence 4

Denver won the second quarter 3-0 and that was enough as the teams matched each other score for score after that until the Pioneers got the only other instance of successive goals in the game’s closing minutes.

Ryan took one shot and covered one ground ball.

#19 HARVARD (Joey Graham) 8

#8 Cornell 15

Over the first three quarters of the game, Cornell limited Harvard to no more than one goal at a time.  While Cornell held Harvard at Bay, the Big Red attack had one run of four goals and two runs of three to take a seven-goal lead into the final quarter.  The Crimson started the final period with their only back-to-back scores, but Cornell turned around and quickly matched.  Each team scored once more before the game ended.

Joey put one shot on goal in the game.

HOBART (Jackson Galiani)10

High Point 11

High Point closed out the first half with three straight scores then matched that to start the second half.  That run of six goals in all put High Point up by four.  Hobart and High Point then traded goals in pairs as the game moved into the fourth quarter.  High Point scored once to take their lead to three, then Hobart pulled within one with a final set of two.  Hobart had a chance to tie the game in the final seconds, but that try sailed wide.

NAVY (JT Thomas III, Preston Lugar) 10

Loyola 12

Loyola had a three-goal run in the middle of the first quarter and managed to keep Navy at bay for the balance of the game.  Navy cut the Greyhounds’ lead to one in the middle of the second quarter, but were unable to overtake Loyola.  In the second half, the Greyhounds extended their lead by twice scoring back-to-back goals, with Loyola’s lead eventually stretching to four goals.  Two late goals for Navy pulled them within two, but they ran out of time to come back further.

Navy has clinched a spot in the Patriot League’s tournament.  Games to be played this coming Friday will settle the seeding.  Four of the six teams that have qualified have 5-2 records and the other two, including Navy, have 4-3 records, Friday’s games, and likely tie breaking procedures, will set the matchups.

#13 PENN (Stephen Bou) 10

#17 Princeton 15

With five unanswered goals in the second quarter, Princeton took over this Ivy League contest.  That run put the Tigers up by five and they managed to protect that lead, prohibiting any scoring runs for the Quakers until the fourth quarter.  Even then, Penn just managed two in a row and could get no closer than three before the game ended.

Penn wrapped up their Ivy League schedule and with a 4-2 record in league play are assured of a slot in the Ivy League tournament.  Their seeding will be determined by the League’s three games to be played on Friday of this week.

#9 YALE (Jake Cohen) 16

Hofstra 12

Yale took an early two goal lead with the game’s first scores, then Hofstra punched back with five straight first quarter scores.  Yale tied the game up in the middle of the second quarter with three goals in a row and the score remained tied as each team scored once more before the end of the half.  Yale inched out of ahead in the second half, first by scoring twice in response to each Hofstra goal, then by reeling off the final four scores of the game after Hofstra’s only back-to-back scores of the second half tied the game at twelve.

#9 YALE (Jake Cohen) 17

Albany 10

Leads shifted back and forth into the third quarter before three straight scores for the Bulldogs put them ahead of the Great Danes.  Albany stopped that run with a single goal, then Yale locked up the game with six straight goals over a ten minute stretch in the middle of the second half.  Yale was outdone on faceoffs, but committed a mere seven turnovers in the game while Albany lost possession eighteen times.

Jake played in this game.

USILA TOP TWENTY (4/22)

1. Notre Dame

2. Duke

3. Johns Hopkins

4. Syracuse

5. Denver

6. Virginia

7. Maryland

8. Yale

9. Cornell

10. Penn State

11. Georgetown

12. Army

13. Saint Joseph’s

14. Richmond

15. Towson

16. Princeton

17. Penn

18. Delaware

19. Michigan

20. Loyola

THIS COMING WEEK

The last week of the regular season and part one of tournament time as the Big Ten Tournament kicks off their tournament with a Bears versus Bears match as MICHIGAN (Hunter Taylor, Graham Hertzberg) and OHIO STATE (Cullen Brown) square off again this week.

D-III

HIGHLIGHTS

BEARS vs BEARS

#12 BOWDOIN (Nico Schermer) 19

#15 AMHERST (Nicholas Kopp, Oscar Smink)8

Bowdoin led by four after two quarters as the Polar Bears scored several pairs of goals while the Mammoths were held a single goal between.  That four-goal lead held into the third quarter as the teams matched each other goal for goal, until Bowdoin hit on three straight to wrap up the third quarter.  Amherst broke that scoring run with the first goal of the fourth quarter, then Bowdoin closed out the game with five goals in a row.

Nicholas won fifteen of thirty-eight faceoffs and got to eight ground balls.

THIS WEEK’S GAMES

#15 AMHERST (Nicholas Kopp, Oscar Smink) 14

#3 RPI 12

Amherst knocked RPI from the ranks of the unbeaten by dominating in the first half and holding on in the second.  With a four-goal run to start the second quarter, the Mammoths extended their lead to five goals and, after RPI broke that string, scored twice more to lead by six at halftime.  RIT got the first two goals of the second half, but Amherst was able to limit the damage over the balance of the third quarter.  RIT started a comeback at the end of the third quarter then hit the gas in the fourth to pull within one with just over five minutes left in the game.  The teams chased the ball up and down the field with turnovers being more common that scoring chances until RPI got off several shots, including one while up a man, but none were on the mark.  Amherst got the ball back and clinched the win with the final goal of the game.

Nicholas scored his fourth goal of the season in the third quarter and at the faceoff dot won eleven of thirty faceoffs and picked up seven ground balls.

#15 AMHERST (Nicholas Kopp, Oscar Smink) 13

#4 Tufts 14

The Jumbos took an early lead the first three goals of the game.  Amherst matched that over the rest of the first quarter, then got their first lead with the first score of the second quarter.  Tufts took the lead back with a pair of goals, but Amherst replied with five straight goals to lead by four.  Tufts closed out the half’s scoring and Amherst led 9-6 at the break.  In the second half, it was Tufts that was able to cobble scoring runs together while the Mammoths’ attack was stifled.  The Jumbos retook the lead with the half’s second set of three in a row.  Amherst got the game tied again with a pair of scores.  The Mammoths won the faceoff after that goal, but the Jumbos saved a shot and took the lead back.  Amherst had chances in the final minutes of the game, but their best opportunity bounced off a post.

Nicholas won fourteen of thirty-one faceoffs, scooped up four ground balls and caused a Tufts turnover.  Oscar also played in this game.

#12 BOWDOIN (Nico Schermer) 12

#14 Wesleyan 16

Wesleyan scored the first four goals of the game and over the balance of the first half, Bowdoin embarked on comeback attempts, falling short by one each time.  The second half started with six straight scores by Wesleyan, extending their lead to eight goals.  Bowdoin stopped that run with a single goal and then, after Wesleyan put one in, the Polar Bears finished the game with four straight scores.

COLBY (Colin Flood)7

Williams 12

With a couple of back-to-back goals and one set of three straight, Williams edged out to a 10-5 lead at the end of the first half.  The pace of scoring dropped off steeply in the second half, each scoring just twice with Colby’s pair scored less than a minute apart in the third quarter and Williams’ pair coming in the closing seconds of the third and fourth quarters.

Colin played in this game.

DENISON (Anthony Savoy) 16

Oberlin 9

Denison did not allow any back-to-back goals in the first half and was able to take a slim two-goal lead at the break with a man-down score.  Oberlin closed to within one early in the second half, but Denison got their first substantial lead of the day with four goals in four minutes in the middle of the third quarter.  Oberlin responded with a three-goal run that wrapped up the third quarter and kicked off the fourth.  Oberlin’s rally cut the Denison lead to two, but Denison finished out the game with a run of five in a row.

DENISON (Anthony Savoy) 23

Wooster 6

Denison employed two huge scoring runs to ensure this win.  The first run saw nine straight goals by Denison after Wooster got the game’s first two goals.  After Wooster scored once late in the second quarter, Denison ran off twelve straight scores to put the game far out of reach. 

Anthony played in this game.

#7 DICKINSON (Will Single, Andrew Atkins) 12

#19 Gettysburg 8

The Red Devils took an early lead with a run of five goals in five minutes in the middle of the first quarter.  The Bullets responded and Dickinson’s lead was just a single goal at the break for halftime.  Gettysburg scored first to start the second half, tying the game at six all.  Dickinson responded with four straight goals.  That run was sufficient as the teams traded single goals over the balance of the game.

Will scooped up three ground balls and caused a turnover.

#7 DICKINSON (Will Single, Andrew Atkins) 12

Haverford 11

Dickinson jumped out to a six-goal lead and were able to maintain that margin late into the third quarter.  Haverford closed out the third quarter with a goal than added two more early in the fourth to cut the Red Devils lead to three.  Dickinson responded with a pair of goals then Haverford ran off four straight scores to pull within one.  That last Haverford goal came with just nine seconds left in the game.

Will picked up one ground ball for Dickinson.

HAMPDEN-SYDNEY (Owen Hegadorn) 6

#16 Lynchburg 14

Hampden-Sydney scored the first goal of the first half and the last two, but Lynchburg netted seven goals in between.  Lynchburg started the scoring in the second half with a four-goal run, extending their lead to eight.  Hampden-Sydney stopped that run with a pair of goals, but Lynchburg controlled the balance of the game.

OHIO WESLEYAN (Quinn Coughlan) 12

Wooster 3

Ohio Wesleyan remained undefeated in North Coast play and handed Wooster their first conference loss.  After Ohio Wesleyan scored first, Wooster took the lead with a pair of goals.  The Bishop then took over the game scoring ten straight goals in a run that started late in the first quarter and carried on through the end of the third quarter.  Wooster finally scored again at the start of the fourth and the Bishops matched that a minute later.

Quinn played in this game.

OHIO WESLEYAN (Quinn Coughlan) 15

Albion 8

Ohio Wesleyan slowly built their lead over the first three quarters of the game.  The Battlin’ Bishops kept Albion at bay until the third quarter when Albion scored three goals in less than two minutes to trim Ohio Wesleyan’s lead to a single goal.  Albion never closed that gap as OWU closed out the game with a six-goal run.

#10 WASHINGTON & LEE (Will Bou, Will Abramson) 31

Randolph 5

The Generals came out firing and scored better than a goal a minute in the first quarter which resulted in a 16-2 lead for Washington and Lee at the quarter break.  That frenetic first quarter gave way to calmer times in the second which the Generals won 3-0.  In the second half, W&L scored four straight, then one for Randolph.  After another four straight for the Generals, Randolph got their only back-go-back scores, then W&L closed out the game with one last set of four.

Will Bou won six of seven faceoffs, put a shot on goal, and scooped up four ground balls.  Will Abramson caused three turnovers and collected three ground balls.

D-III USILA POLL (4/22)

1. Salisbury

2. RIT

3. Tufts

4. RPI

5. Saint Lawrence

6. Swarthmore

7. Christopher Newport

8. Dickinson

9. Union

10. Washington & Lee

11. Babson

12. Wesleyan

13. Amherst

14. Stevens

15. Bowdoin

16. Lynchburg

17. Endicott

18. Middlebury

19. Roanoke

20. Gettysburg

THIS COMING WEEK

DENISON (Anthony Savoy) and OHIO WESLEYAN (Quinn Coughlan) have their regular season match and both teams are undefeated in league play. The Old Dominion Athletic Conference (WASHINGTON & LEE (Will Bou, Will Abramson) and HAMPDEN-SYDNEY (Owen Hegadorn)) and the NESCAC (AMHERST (Nicholas Kopp, Oscar Smink),BOWDOIN (Nico Schermer), COLBY (Colin Flood)) have the first round games for their tournaments this coming weekend.