Sports
Men’s ice hockey has more downs than ups, ousted by Amherst in NESCAC playoffs
By by Dave Meisel '13, Sports Staff Writer
March 1, 2012
The Continentals’ season met a bitter end Saturday, Feb. 25 when Amherst (21-3-1) clobbered them 6-0. It was Hamilton’s third loss to the Lord Jeffs this season.
The 2011-2012 season was mired with disappointment for the Hamilton. They finished the season with one win in their final 12 games. After a 2010-2011 campaign that saw the Continentals finish with a conference-best 11-4-4 record in the NESCAC, they went just 4-13-3 in the NESCAC and 8-14-3 overall.
This season, like last season, ended with a NESCAC quarterfinal loss. This time, though, Hamilton was a clear underdog, and Amherst took care of business against the lesser Continentals.
Hamilton put just 19 shots on Amherst netminder Jonathan La Rose. Amherst nearly doubled the Continentals’ shot count, scoring on six of their 35 attempts on Joe Quattrochi ’14.
Amherst scored a pair of goals in each period and clearly overmatched the Continentals. Hamilton had shown signs that they could keep up with Amherst in their first game of the season, a 2-0 loss, but Amherst thrashed them in their final two matchups by an aggregate 12-1 margin.
The Continentals’ roster proved to be too top-heavy this season. They couldn’t provide star forwards Michael DiMare ’14 and Anthony Scarpino ’12 with enough backup. DiMare and Scarpino finished second and third in the NESCAC in points, with 33 and 31 respectively, and they finished third and fourth in goals with 16 and 15. They were the only Hamilton players who scored more than seven goals or 16 points.
Fortunately, the Continentals look to be in position to succeed next season. Key players DiMare, Pat Curtis ’15 and Evan Haney ’14 will be a year older. Curtis finished third on the team in scoring with 16 points (seven goals and nine assists) and Haney was heralded by Haberbusch early in the season as a promising young player.
Scarpino, Bryan Kelly ’12, B.J. Lalonde ’12 and Sam Choate ’12 will be gone next season after they graduate. Scarpino, Kelly and Lalonde in particular leave large shoes to fill. Someone will need to step up and match Scarpino’s production. Kelly, the team’s captain, provided crucial leadership the last two seasons, and Hamilton will have to find a new team leader. Lalonde was never a big scorer for the Continentals, but was rock-solid on defense for four seasons.
The Continentals will have nine seniors next year, a much larger senior class than they did this season. Andrew White ’13 will be an important facilitator. Though he didn’t score a goal this season, he was third on the team with 12 assists. Anthony Ruberto ’13, who scored six goals this season (fifth on the team), will look to step up his scoring load. Phil DiDonato ’13 switched from forward to defense this season and played very well in stretches. He could replace Lalonde as the team’s best defender. Junior forwards Drew Jelinek and Brian Infante and goalie Cam Gibbar will round out the senior class.