Last season, Trinity ran rampant through the NESCAC, pausing only occasionally for a water break.
The Bantams lapped the field to win the regular-season title, winning 16 of the 18 league games they played. Then they won the conference tournament and pushed all the way into the championship game of the NCAA Division 3 tournament, losing to Hobart.
No question they’re still the team to beat. But early indications are that there won’t be so much separation this time around.
Let’s take a look at some early takeaways — and potential contenders — from the fledgling NESCAC season.
READ MORE: Division 3 power rankings: Who are the region’s Top 10 teams?
Statement win, Part 1: Conn. College over Trinity
Conn. College, which two seasons ago finished at the bottom of the NESCAC with a 1-16-1 record, won at Trinity on opening night to kick off a 4-2-1 start to its season.
Freshman Will Lawrence set up two goals in the 4-2 win and leads the team in scoring (2-4-6). Sophomore defenseman William Tripp (Lakeville, Mass.) added an assist and also scored late on Sunday to salvage a 3-3 tie with a good Salve Regina team.
Trinity (5-1-1) is not the same team that reached the NCAA final, especially on defense. But it still has star goalie Devon Bobak and good talent, and is unbeaten since that opening-night loss.
Statement win, Part 2: Amherst over Babson
When two programs with longtime, successful head coaches who pride themselves on defense produce a 7-0 score line, the first question is: How?
But that’s what Amherst (2-3-1) did in Sunday’s non-conference matchup, routing the Beavers, 7-0, in front of a friends and family crowd for its best win of the season.
Freshman defenseman Ben Cook (Concord, Mass.) set up three goals as the Mammoths finished with a 36-25 edge in shots. Senior forward Matt Toporowski added a goal and an assist to close out a personal six-point week.
It was the most goals allowed by a Babson team in more than five years, and closed out a busy stretch of five games in 10 days.
Statement win, Part 3: Colby over Bowdoin
The 152nd meeting featured Colby pinning a big win on its biggest rival, getting a pair of goals from both sophomore Jayden Grier (Needham, Mass.) and junior Reese Farrell (Auburn, Maine) in a 5-1 victory.
Farrell leads the Mules (5-1-1) with five goals and a plus-7 rating. His team is scoring 4.0 goals a game after averaging 2.72 a year ago en route to an eighth-place finish.
Next up for Colby: home games against Tufts and Conn. College this weekend.
Heinze takes the reins in Middlebury net
The Panthers are 4-2 after winning the LayerEight Shootout Title for the first time in 16 years over Thanksgiving weekend. Heinze stopped 31 shots in a 6-2 win over Marian, then made 28 saves as his team blanked Norwich, 2-0, to win the title.
Heinze ranks second in the NESCAC in both goals-against average (1.81) and save percentage (.941).
Middlebury returns to league action this weekend, hitting the road to play at Amherst and Hamilton.
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