The men’s hockey team was at home this past weekend, playing two games in front of a Wesleyan crowd back from break. In Friday’s contest, the team faced off against St. Michael’s College in a game that ended in a 2-2 tie. Saturday proved to be less rewarding, as Norwich University handed the Cardinals a 6-1 loss. David Layne ’10 had a very solid weekend, notching a goal and two assists, making him tied with Sam Robinson ’10 as the team leader, each with eight points. It has been a tough season so far, but the men still continue to battle every shift on the ice.

On Friday, Wesleyan took the lead twice against St. Michael’s but was unable to hold on for the win. Midway through the first period, Robinson scored a power play goal, but St. Michael’s tied it in the second, also on the power play. Just over a minute into the third period, Layne tallied an unassisted goal, but two minutes later St. Michael’s battled back and the game was knotted at two. Despite five power plays during the rest of the game, two for Wesleyan and three for St. Michael’s, neither team was able to go ahead. After a five-minute overtime, both teams skated off the ice as the game ended 2-2. One of the highlights of this contest was Wesleyan’s 33.3 percent power play success. The team’s overall power play sits at a meager 11.5 percent, and it is a definitely an area that the team is working on.

“Everyone needs to step up and be ready when called upon,” Layne said. “We will continue to work on puck movement, generating quality shots, and swarming the net, [and] eventually [the power play] will emerge into a well-oiled offensive machine.”

In Saturday’s game, Wesleyan played against the 12th-ranked Norwich Cadets. While Norwich’s Nikita Kashirsky scored the first two goals just a few minutes apart in the first period, the Cards were able to come back with a goal scored by A.J. Ferraro ’12 before the period ended. The Cadets ran away with the game in the second, scoring three goals, two by Kashirsky. Wesleyan could not get back on track and the game ended 6-1. One positive despite this loss was the men’s ability to stay out of the penalty box. Wesleyan gave Norwich only one power play opportunity and was able to kill off the two minutes, adding to a 79 percent season penalty kill.

Despite struggles on the ice, the group seems to have a lot of camaraderie in the locker room. The team keeps morale high by giving nicknames to players and insulting competition around the league. The goaltending trio of Tim Archibald ’10, Ryan Moses ’11, and Mike Pallandino ’09 might be referred to as the “Great Wall of Middletown” while the win against Amherst still provides motivation—both on the ice and in interviews.

“Our team speed is excellent and, as such, we should be able to exploit many of the slow, ogre-ish, defensemen on teams like Trinity, Amherst, and Conn. College,” Layne said.

It is clear that the team is aware of its strengths and is able to enjoy the positives that each player contributes, while still understanding what it needs to improve. The men also never hesitate to thank fans that come out and show support in the stands.

“As a team, we’d like to thank everyone who came to the games this past weekend,” said captain Dallas Bossort ’09. “Your support was much appreciated.”

This upcoming weekend, the men travel to Middlebury and Williams, teams that sit near the top of the NESCAC standings. Wesleyan Men’s hockey knows firsthand what it is like to beat one of the best, so look out for another upset or two.