After a week of twists and turns, 12 teams in Division 3 learned on Monday what their next steps would be in the NCAA tournament.
Nine conference champions (including Endicott of the Commonwealth Coast, Plymouth State of the MASCAC and Bowdoin – yes, Bowdoin! – of the NESCAC) earned auto-bids, and were joined by three Pool C (at-large) selections: Curry, Norwich and the University of New England.
Which of the region’s six teams are best positioned to reach the Frozen Four later this month?
Let’s take a closer look, from most likely to least.
1. ENDICOTT
Next game: Quarterfinals: Saturday, March 18, vs. Plattsburgh State/Norwich winner
Why they can advance: No team in New England – and maybe no team nationally – has put together a more complete season than RJ Tolan’s crew. After graduating Concannon Award-winning goalie Conor O’Brien, the Gulls have used sophomores Atticus Kelly (1.71 goals-against average, .933 save percentage) and Ryan Wilson of Shelton, Conn. (1.23, .949) as a terrific tandem. Only three teams in D-3 are scoring at a higher rate than their 4.35 per game.
What could trip them up: Norwich. That could be a tricky matchup if it comes about. It was very early in the season when the Gulls dropped a 3-0 decision to that team, the only time all year they’ve been held to fewer than two goals. A hot goaltender is on the short list of things that can cool them down.
2. PLYMOUTH STATE
Next game: First round: Saturday, March 11, vs. UNE
Why they can advance: Tons of offense, home cooking and revenge. Hanaway Rink should be electric Saturday night for this game, a rematch of last year’s first-round NCAA game hosted – and won – by UNE. The Panthers rank third nationally in scoring (4.92 per game) and Myles Abbate (Norwell, Mass.) is 10th in D-3 in scoring, with 15 goals and 36 points, during a terrific senior season.
What could trip them up: Strength of schedule. The Panthers cruised through the MASCAC, not losing or tying a single game. But they haven’t faced an out-of-league opponent since December and are just 3-3-1 in those games. Are they battle-tested enough to go far?
3. NORWICH
Record: 19-6-2 | How they got here: Pool C selection
Next game: First round: Saturday, March 11, at Plattsburgh State
Why they can advance: Defense, goaltending and history. Drennen Atherton (1.50 GAA, .943 save percentage) is one of the best in the game and he’s got an experienced unit in front of him, led by senior Callum Jones. The Cadets aren’t scoring as much as past editions, but their name in March still commands respect.
What could trip them up: A dearth of goals. No player on the roster has more than eight goals or has reached 20 points on the season, and the Cadets have just scored nine goals in their six losses. This is not a team that wants to concede first, especially against a formidable offensive squad like Plattsburgh.
4. CURRY
Record: 21-5-1 | How they got here: Pool C selection
Next game: First round: Saturday, March 11, vs. Bowdoin
Why they can advance: The Colonels have done a lot of things right under second-year coach Peter Roundy in reaching the NCAA tournament for the first time in more than a decade. They’re a top-10 team in Division 3 in both scoring offense (4.22 per game) and scoring defense (2.00).
What could trip them up: A long memory and a key loss. Curry played its one truly bad game of the season Saturday, falling 6-0 at Endicott in the CCC championship. It’s the first time the team was shut out all season. It also played the tournament without leading scorer Timmy Kent (15-19-34), a significant loss.
5. UNIVERSITY OF NEW ENGLAND
Next game: First round: Saturday, March 11, at Plymouth State
Why they can advance: There’s no stealthier team in the tournament, which is hard to believe seeing as UNE was a Frozen Four team last year. The Nor’easters fell off the CCC pace when they got swept by Endicott in January, but from there they crafted an 11-game unbeaten streak (with 10 wins) to play themselves into at-large consideration. They can also score (4.22 goals per game, fifth in D-3), with Ryan Kuzmich of Norton, Mass. (14-21-35) and Jake Fuss of Fairfield, Conn. (10-23-33) leading the way.
What could trip them up: Playing in a top-heavy league, they’ve collected the expected wins but haven’t fared well against the iron, going 2-4-1 against teams that are in the NCAA tournament field. They averaged less than two goals a game in those seven games while allowing an average of 3.6.
6. BOWDOIN
Next game: First round: Saturday, March 11, at Curry
Why they can advance: Fate. A team with a first-year head coach – former UMaine star Ben Guite – won its first conference title since 2014 when senior defenseman and Dexter Southfield product Bobby Pearl (Wakefield, Mass.) scored in overtime against Williams to cap an upside-down NESCAC tournament. In the semis, the Polar Bears beat rival Colby for the first time since 2014. This fan base will smile all offseason no matter what happens Saturday.
What could trip them up: Inconsistency. There was a reason six teams finished above the Polar Bears in the NESCAC. This is a team that struggles to score goals (currently 10 straight games of three or fewer) so it will need to be razor-sharp defensively and get another strong effort from junior goalie Alex Kozic, or have a long-awaited breakout game offensively.
@MikeZhe603
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