The early returns from the NESCAC show an eclectic group of teams in the top tier — some surprising, some not.
At Williams, the question was how a team that’s typically strong defensively would play with longtime coach Bill Kangas (South Burlington, Vt.) on sabbatical and assistant Mike Monti running the show.
The Ephs (5-2) dispelled those questions by winning their first five games, playing well in front of goalies Stephen Morrissey (2.02 GAA, .931 save percentage) and Michael Pinios (2.04, .928). Special teams, too, have been good; the team ranks fifth nationally in power play and 13th in penalty kill.
"Coach Monti has done an excellent job so far assuming the role as the head coach," said senior forward and captain Colby Cretella (Guilford, Conn.) in the preseason. "He brings a ton of energy to the rink each day and is a great motivator. It has been a very smooth transition because of the familiarity the guys have developed with him over the years."
Williams did not lose until it was swept on a road trip to Amherst (1-0) and Hamilton (3-2) in its last action before the holiday break.
Trinity, last year’s Division 3 runner-up to Norwich, got off to a predictably strong start, winning its first six games, though its schedule gets much stiffer once the calendar page flips, including a Jan. 2 matchup against No. 2 Adrian (Mich.).
Amherst (4-1-3) closed the semester on a fourgame unbeaten streak and Colby (6-2), one of the teams hit heaviest by graduation, has charged out of the gate offensively, scoring 4.50 goals a game. Cam MacDonald (Westford, Mass.), Nick O’Connor (Canton, Mass.) and Kienan Scott all have scored at least 11 points to set the early league pace.
THE NOTEBOOK
Endicott (12-1) continued to roll through the first half of its season with little resistance.
The Gulls closed out their first half by blasting neighbor Salem State, 8-2. Juniors Ross Olsson of Billerica, Mass., (6-16-22) and Daniel Kucerovy (14-7-21) were among just 11 players in Division 3 who’d racked up at least 20 points before Christmas, and the Gulls led all of Division 3 with a whopping 6.46 goals per game, a full goal-and-a-half ahead of Utica, its closest pursuer.
Endicott was slated to return to action with a nonconference game on New Year’s Eve at Amherst, the third-ranked defensive team in the nation. …
Worcester State’s perfect start to the season was ended by MASCAC rival Fitchburg State, which on Dec. 2 handed the Lancers their first loss after nine straight wins. Josh Reinstein leads all Division 3 goalies with a 1.22 goals-against average. The nine wins matched WSU’s total from all of last season. …
Senior Casey Shea (Woburn, Mass.) of UMass-Dartmouth shared the national lead with 16 assists in mid-December. Three of those came in a 5-4 overtime win against nationally ranked UMass-Boston on Dec, 9, with Jerry Laakso completing his hat trick by scoring the game-winner in OT. …
The last weekend in December brought a strong four-team field to UMass-Boston for the annual Codfish Bowl. UMB (10-3) was slated to play Williams on Dec. 29, with No. 2 Adrian (Mich.) facing off with Salve Regina. The winners and losers would play the next day.
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Casey Shea, sr., F, UMass-Dartmouth
Through Christmas, the Woburn, Mass., native shared the national lead in assists with 16. That early season production was enough to push him over 100 points for his career and help the Corsairs start 6-6-1.
Sean Lawrence, sr., G, Colby
After transferring from Division 1 Quinnipiac last year at midseason, Lawrence has solidified the netminding for the surprising Mules. His 1.57 GAA and .951 have helped firstplace Colby get off to a 6-2 start.
Adam Valadao, sr., F, Curry
After a sluggish start, the Colonels (6-5-1) have climbed back over the .500 mark, and their first-line center is a big reason. A North York, Ontario, product, Valadao scored six goals and set up 13 others.
THE CLASH
Trinity at Williams, Jan. 6, 3 p.m.
Among the four New England-based leagues in Division 3, the race in the NESCAC starts the latest and takes the longest to get going. This will be one of the first games to watch in 2018, as the Ephs (5-2) try to slow down the vaunted attack of Tyler Whitney (Wakefield, Mass.), Anthony Sabitsky and Trinity. Williams entered the break 5-2 overall, with wins against Bowdoin and Colby on its résumé, while Trinity got out of the gates at 6-1-2. The Bantams earned impressive wins against Tufts and Hamilton in the early going of the season.
