 Media Credit: Rob Kievit
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 Media Credit: Rob Kievit
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It was another successful weekend for the Colby men's ice hockey team, as they closed out their league season with two more resounding victories. On Friday, Feb. 9 at the Alfond rink, the Mules took on Wesleyan University, the first place team in the league. Colby won handily, beating the Cardinals 5-1, with two goals by Patrick Rutherford '07, and one each by Ryan Chrenek '08, Arthur Fritch '08, and Captain Greg Osborne '07. Then on Saturday, Feb. 10, the Mules annihilated Trinity College, building a 4-0 lead by the end of the first period and never looking back en route to a 8-2 victory. Two goals each were scored by Osborne and Fritch, and single goals were scored by Chrenek, Josh Reber '08, Jeffrey Jarnot '10 and T.J. Kelley '08. The two victories moved Colby into 24th in the nation in the United States College Hockey Online Division III poll. Goaltender Ben Grandjean '07 turned in a solid weekend, giving up only three goals on 52 shots, a save percentage of .942. Osborne's two goals and five assists during the weekend put him solidly in first place in the New England Small College Athletic Conference with 37 points, four behind his nearest competitor. He is currently ranked 14 nationally amongst Division III athletes. Fritch, Reber, Kelley, and Joe Rothwell '08 are all also in the top ten in points. On a historical note, congratulations to Osborne. His seven points scored this weekend made him only the thirteenth person in Colby men's ice hockey history to reach 100 total points in his career.
This weekend the men's hockey team is away, first facing the struggling St. Michael's College Purple Knights, then the streaking Norwich University Cadets, who have won four in a row and twelve out of fifteen. Both of these are not NESCAC games, and as Colby has now won three games in a row, will act as good tune-ups as the team tries to build momentum heading towards the NESCAC playoffs, beginning on Saturday Feb. 24, and hopefully the NCAA Division III tournament beyond that. Colby is currently tied for second in the league and looks to have a first round NESCAC playoff game at home. If the standings stay as they are right now, that game would be a chance for revenge against Williams College, who defeated Colby 6-3 earlier in the season. If all the standings remain the same, Bowdoin College will be the regular season champions, followed by Amherst College, Colby, and Wesleyan getting the remaining first-round home games. Middlebury College, ranked number one in the country before the start of the season, Williams, Connecticut College, and Trinity would get the last four spots and travel first round. Middlebury has won the last three, and six of the last seven NESCAC championships-the other seven teams will be looking to end that streak. Hamilton College and Tufts University would be the two teams not to make the playoffs. The winner of the NESCAC playoffs receives an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament, much more relaxing than waiting to see if you have been given one of the at-large bids.
2008 Woodie Awards
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