MIDDLEBURY — The Middlebury College men’s hockey team dropped a pair of NESCAC home games this past weekend. The Panthers will carry a 3-9 record, including a 1-7 league mark, into a 7 p.m. Friday non-league home game vs. Plattsburgh.
On Sunday visiting Trinity (7-3-2, 4-1-1) scored all three of its goals in the third period in a 3-0 win over the Panthers. Middlebury senior goalie Stephen Klein stopped 39 of the 41 shots he faced to move into fourth place in the program’s all-time saves list.
Klein stopped 13 shots in the opening 20 minutes, including good chances from around the net during a Bantam power play. Trinity’s Alex Morin (18 saves) made a couple of key stops in the period, including denying Charlie Parsons directly off a faceoff win by Vincent Gisonti.
In the second period two of the best chances came on ensuing possessions in the 13th minute. Middlebury’s Mitchell Allen snuck behind the Bantam defense, but Morin turned aside his backhander from along the goal line. Trinity transitioned, and Klein made a nice blocker save on Bradley Buvinow’s shot from the right circle. Late in the period Panther Alex Heinritz’s attempt through traffic on the left side hit the post.
Trinity’s Dylan Healey netted a loose puck in the slot 28 seconds into the third period. Bantam Barclay Gammill made it 20 at 9:25 by redirecting a Liam Feeney pass, and Gammill added an empty-netter.
On Saturday night Wesleyan (6-2-3, 2-2-2) topped the Panthers, 6-1, scoring twice in each period. Klein finished with 32 saves in 42:40 of play, while and Brian Ketchabaw made three in 17:20. Cardinal goalie Tim Sestak had 28 saves.
Alex Heinritz’s first collegiate goal for Middlebury made it 2-1 in the second period; it came off a Danny Tighe rebound. Five Cardinals scored, led by Vincent Lima’s two goals, both in the second period.