The men’s hockey team suffered a disappointing first-round loss in the NESCAC Tournament to top-seeded Middlebury College 7-0 on Saturday. It was the team’s first trip to the NESCAC postseason tournament since the 1999-2000 season. The Panthers used a five-goal second period to put the game out of reach and end the Cardinals’ Cinderella season.

“I thought we played well in the first [period] sticking to the game plan,” said head coach Chris Potter. “In the second we let our guard down. We regrouped, but when you play the best team in the league in the playoffs it does not take long for them to make you pay when your guard is down.”

After a shaky start to the season, most believed this year would be like most others for the hockey team, as the squad has failed to make the post season for the past several years. However, the Cards stayed competitive with their opponents and managed to finish the regular season with a surge, winning six of their last seven games. In the process, the hockey team surpassed two NESCAC foes in their path to clinch the final playoff berth.

“The ending does not sit well, but I was extremely proud of our team and its resolve throughout the year,” Potter said. “We had our backs against the wall in the middle of the season and we did not back down. We won some big games on the road down the stretch and tied some games in the third to gain valuable points throughout the year. [This was] a step in the right direction for our program.”

The season turned around when Dave Scardella ’07 returned from injury and replaced freshman goaltender Mike Palladino. By the end of the season, Scardella was the top goalie in the NESCAC, posting impressive statistics with a 1.34 goals against average .957 save percentage, leading the conference.

Despite the team’s loss to Middlebury, Scardella and the rest of the Cards remain optimistic for their prospects for next season.

“Obviously, the loss to Middlebury was disappointing,” Scardella said. “We had one bad period and that’s all it takes to lose to a good team like Middlebury. Making the playoffs was a big step for Wesleyan hockey. It was exciting to get the chance to play in the post season. We’re a young team and I’m confident we’ll make it back next year and in the years to come.”

On the season, the offense was led by another veteran player, Will Bennett ’07, who posted 10 goals and 11 assists. Second on the team in scoring was Dallas Bossort ’09 with nine goals and eight assists. With such a young team, the Cardinals have great reason to be optimistic for next season.

“We do return 90 percent of the team and we had a young team for the past two seasons,” Porter said. “[It is] very good to have this team taste the post-season, the question is what will they do with it in the off-season. We have a solid group that needs to continue to work to get better.”