The men’s hockey team skated off the ice for the last time this past weekend, eliminated from the playoff race as the season ended with a loss and a tie.
The Cardinals still had a chance going into Friday night’s home match against Castleton State, needing to secure a win in order have a chance at the postseason. The Spartans scored early and never looked back, however, winning their second straight over Wesleyan, 3-2. The blow of this loss was only softened by Tufts’ win over UMass Boston, which clinched the last playoff berth for the Jumbos and made Wesleyan’s loss negligible. The men wrapped up the season with a Saturday matinee against Skidmore that ended in a 5-5 tie after an overtime period, putting the Cardinals’ final record at 4-17-2.
The rough season will only serve as motivation for next year’s team.
“Missing the postseason is disappointing, even embarrassing, but for the guys coming back next year it is a useful learning experience,” said David Layne ’10. “This league is always so tight, nothing is ever a given, and in a season like this one you quickly realize that if you don’t consistently bring your best effort you won’t be rewarded.”
In Friday’s contest, Castleton opened up the scoring four minutes into the first period before tallying another nine minutes later. Castleton’s Steven Miles went off for holding with less than two minutes to go in the period and Todd Keats ’11 capitalized with 11 seconds left to make it a 2-1 game going into the first intermission. Castleton scored what would be the game winner less than two minutes into the second, and Dallas Bossort ’09’s power play goal a few minutes later rounded out the scoring for the game. Goaltender Mike Palladino ’09 was pulled with a few minutes remaining for an extra attacker but Wesleyan was unable to make it count and left the ice knowing that Saturday’s game would be its last of the year.
Against Skidmore, the Cardinals again went down 2-0 in the first period but were able to recover in a high-scoring match that ended in a 5-5 deadlock. Sam Robinson ’10 had an excellent game with a goal and two assists and ended the year with a team-high 17 points.
The highlight of this season was undoubtedly Wesleyan’s win over Little Three rival Amherst. The 1-0 victory occurred during the first weekend of play, serving as inspiration for the entire season. Thanks to Amherst’s 6-0 victory over Williams Saturday, Wesleyan clinched a share of the Little Three title for the second time in three seasons.
The Cardinals were also able to beat Colby on the Mules’ own ice for Wesleyan’s first-ever win over the Maine team. In the last game of the year, the power play was a solid 42.9 percent, as the special team connected for three goals. The Cardinals also scored both of their goals against Castleton on the man advantage.
The team will have a new look next year as eight seniors depart. While they will be missed on the ice, they will leave an even bigger hole in the locker room. Layne has fond memories of the seniors, ones that began before he even started at Wesleyan.
“[It was on] my first recruiting visit to Wes where these guys first showed me their commitment to the school and its hockey program,” Layne said. “They [set] aside their personal plans one Tuesday night to take me and another recruit to a local concert, so that we might see what the larger, off-campus Wesleyan experience was like. We saw Journey in Wallingford and it is the reason I am at Wesleyan today.”
Next season, despite losing a core of the squad, the team will hold onto its top five scorers. The Wesleyan men will be something to watch in 2009 as they hone their skills and consistency in preparation for next winter.
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