Volume CXXXIII, Number 13 January 25, 2002 f

Undefeated men look to Trinity
ALISON L. McCONNELL
ORIENT STAFF

Several Bowdoin teams are making news with impressive records and rankings this week, and the men's hockey team is no exception. The only undefeated squad in Division III, the men are in a strong position heading into the last weeks of the regular season.

"We continue to play hard and compete in every game; that's been the key," head coach Terry Meagher said. "We've improved in a lot of areas. If you don't get better as the season unfolds, you're going to fall behind."
Currently holding second place in the NESCAC, the men are 8-0-3 on the season, behind Middlebury (9-0-1).

The Bears had several games over winter break, and a lot of them were played away from the Dayton ice. "We had a stretch of seven in a row on the road, and two more this weekend, so that's nine out of 11," Meagher said.

He indicated that the pressure was off during winter break, allowing the team to focus. "The pressure of exams sometimes makes it hard to keep things balanced," Meagher said. "[Break was] two or three weeks to just play hockey, to concentrate, and that's paid dividends."

Only a few days after the holidays, the men were back in action. On December 27 and 28, they took the title in the Salem State Tournament with wins over Worcester State and Salem State. Eleven Bowdoin players scored in the 13-1 drubbing of Worcester, and the team followed that win up with a strong performance the next day.

"The Salem State game was one of those games where everything went well for us, from top to bottom," Meagher said. "We got to play in front of a lot of our North Shore alums and families, so it felt like a home game."

The Bears dealt Salem a 7-0 loss, and sophomore goaltender Mike Healey was named the tournament's most valuable player for his efforts over the weekend.

Over the two weeks following the tournament, the Bears handed defeats to UMass, Babson, Williams, Tufts, Connecticut College, and Middlebury.
"Williams was just a good road win," Meagher said. "We kept it simple, played smart, and didn't beat ourselves."

The victory over UMass didn't come as easily as some of the other wins, however. "We came upon a little bit of adversity in that game," Meagher said. "We were down, the puck just wasn't going for us.

"We weathered it, though; played hard, and were able to get through it," he continued.

The only slight blemish in the Bear's winter winning streak came at Middlebury on January 12. After overtime, the game finished with a 1-1 score. Junior Sean Starke scored the only Bowdoin goal in the matchup.

Meagher said that he was pleased with his team's efforts. "That was a very well-played, entertaining hockey game," he said.

He indicated that the men are playing as a coherent, dedicated unit this season. "We haven't had a bad practice all year, which is unusual," he said. "The guys have mantained a high energy level and their passion for the sport, which really makes you reflect back to your leaders."

He cited several specific contributors when asked about consistency over recent matchups. "Mike Healey gets stronger every game," Meagher said. "Sean Starke and Mike Carosi ('02) have been very strong, and are among the league leaders in production. And Nathan Riddle ('05) has played well beyond his years."

The men hope to carry their momentum into the weekend, when they hit the road yet again.

Tonight's game may offer a battle of sorts when the Bears pay Trinity's Bantams (7-3-1) a visit. "Trinity was one of the preseason favorites to win," Meagher said. "They beat (#1 DIII team) Norwich 4-1 last weekend. It's a very important game.

Strategy-wise, it appears that the men are taking a pragmatic approach. "We're taking it one period, one game at the time, and not getting ahead of ourselves," Meagher said.

He added that Wesleyan (4-7-0) might not be a picnic, either. "We've got a lot of respect for Wesleyan; it's a very tough home team," he said. "We're getting into the last three or four weeks of the season. This is where points can determine a lot; this is why you play sports-to be in the hunt going down the stretch."