There will not be an undefeated mens college hockey team in 2009-2010. That was assured Saturday afternoon in Williamstown, Massachusetts when the Norwich Cadets, the only unbeaten team left in the nation, suffered their first loss of the year, falling to the Willliams Ephs 2-1.
Chapman Rink in Williamstown has been the house of horrors for the Cadets over the past several years. Yesterday marked the third time in their last three visits to the Chapman Rink that the Cadets have been beaten by the Ephs.Over the past five seasons Norwich is 2-0 against Williams at Kreitzberg Arena in Northfield, outscoring them 11-0. But at Chapman Rink they are 0-3, and have been outscored 11-5.
To add insult to injury, each of those road losses came following a win over arch-rival Middlebury the day before.
Yesterday the Cadets did not appear to have the “day after a win over Middlebury let-down”. They carried the play to a very good Williams team, outshooting the Ephs 43-16. But the Cadets went 0 for 6 on the powerplay … the Ephs by contrast went 1 for 1. That one came in the third period and broke a 1-1 tie and gave Williams the win.
Babson won yesterday at St. Anselm, so the Cadets still need one more win or one more Beaver loss to clinch the ECAC East regular season crown, but in the grand scheme of things the loss yesterday may not have been a bad thing. The undefeated “monkey” is now off their back. They need to get healthy (three top forwards, Scott Schroeder, Emmond Bell and Tory Allen sat out yet another weekend), but if they can do that they should be in great shape the rest of the way.
They can’t relax though … not with suddenly red hot Castleton State coming to town. The Spartans, who outscored Southern Maine and the University of New England by a combined 17-1 in the two games this weekend, will be at Kreitzberg on Friday night.
Meanwhile in Division One, UVM got three points on the weekend … but four would have been so much better. After a 5-1 win over Providence on Friday night the Cats had a shot at four, but settled for a 1-1 tie with the last place Friars last night in Rhode Island. Vermont does move into a three way tie with UMass-Lowell and BU for fifth place in Hockey East, but they may regret that one more point they did not get at PC.

As high school hockey comes down to the final week of the regular season it is looking more and more like the Essex Hornets are the team to beat. Essex Coach Bill O’Neil has gone to a two goaltender rotation and the duo … Evan Russell and Chase Congreves … are both pllaying very well. Last night it was Russell, putting up 22 saves in a 1-0 win at BFA-St.Albans.

Finally congratulations to Coach Tom O’Shea and the St. Michael’s basketball team. The Purple Knights topped 10th ranked Bentley 60-51 on Saturday afternoon at the Ross Sports Center. O’Shea is in his final season in Winooski Park and it would be very special if his team could go on a late season roll and give him a playoff run to remember.