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NESCAC Playoff Watch: Both hockey teams have shot at top seed

By Sports Staff

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The Hamilton women’s hockey team is currently locked in a tie for the top spot in the NESCAC with Middlebury, and has a chance to square off against the eighth seed in the playoffs next weekend. Hamilton has a tough road trip to New London, C.T. this weekend, where they will take on the Camels of Connecticut College, who currently sit in third place in the conference and are within striking distance of the first seed themselves. Clinching the first overall seed would guarantee home-ice advantage throughout the entire playoffs, although the Continentals have been dominant on the road this season, losing just one regulation contest away from Russell Sage Rink. Middlebury will have a tough opponent themselves in Williams in a home-away double header this weekend. The Continentals will hope to sustain momentum from this past weekend’s thrilling sweep of then-No. 9 Amherst at home. Katie Parkman ’17 had a stand-out weekend, earning NESCAC player of the week honors for her two goals in the last 1:46 to force overtime and an eventual victory on Friday night. 

The men’s hockey team similarly has a chance to claim the NESCAC’s top seed heading into the playoffs. Despite possessing the best overall record, Williams has one conference win in hand over the Continentals heading into the final weekend of regular season play. Hamilton will take on Middlebury, a team eliminated from playoff contention, on Friday as a warm-up for Saturday’s game against the NESAC-leading Ephs squad. With a win against Middlebury, Saturday’s game could prove the deciding match-up over the first seed and home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs. The two teams played to a 3-3 draw in early December. The men’s team has lost only one game at Sage Rink this season, so playing at home would provide a boost to the surging Continentals. Williams will play Amherst on Friday night. Hamilton has dominated defensively this season, and will look to continue its hard-nosed approach through the final two games and into the playoffs. If the Continentals clinch the first seed in the playoffs, they will take on Bowdoin in the opening round, a team that the Continentals swept in two games this season. 

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