MIDDLETOWN, CT.- The Wesleyan men's hockey team makes the NESCAC Tournament for the 6^th consecutive season where they will take on 8^th seeded Williams in the quarterfinals. The Cardinals earned their first-ever #1 seed in the NESCAC Tournament this year, defeating nationally ranked Trinity in the final two games of the season to do so. Wesleyan's journey to NESCAC Tournament Championship number two begins this weekend against the Ephs in the quarterfinals.

• LOCATION: Wesleyan University – Spurrier-Snyder Rink
• TIME: February 25^th at 3 pm
• LIVE STATS
• LIVE VIDEO

 
 WESLEYAN SCOUTING REPORT

• Wesleyan is competing in their 14^th NESCAC Tournament, looking for their 2^nd conference tournament title (2019-20)
• #4 Wesleyan was defeated in the NESCAC Quarterfinals last season by #5 Hamilton, 3-2
• The Cardinals have not lost a home game in regulation all season
• They bring back their top three goal-scorers and point-getters from 2021-22
• Wesleyan leads the NESCAC is goals scored with 83 in 24 games (3.46 goals per game)
• The Cardinals lead the conference in points per game with 9.42 (2^nd place is 7.88)

 
CARDINALS TO WATCH

• Wiggle Kerbrat '23 leads the NESCAC in goals with 15 in 24 games. He also leads the conference in goals per game (0.63) and points (27). The senior forward ranks in the top 15 of the NESCAC in a variety of other categories including: assists (t-8^th, 12), assists per game (t-13^th, 0.50), points per game (2^nd, 1.13), shot percentage (t-3^rd, 0.25), game-winning goals (t-3^rd, 3), face-off wins (5^th, 246), face-off winning percentage (11^th, .541), and plus/minus (t-2^nd)
• Jake Lachance '23 joined Kerbrat as semifinalists for the coveted Joe Concannon Award, while also claiming NESCAC Player of the Week Honors back in mid-January. Lachance currently leads the NESCAC in a trio of statistical categories which includes assists (19), assists per game (0.86), and points per game (1.14) while only trailing his teammate Kerbrat for total points (25). He has been one of the top defenseman in all of division III, blocking 28 shots in 22 games. He has netted six goals on the season, with half of which coming on the power play
• Mike Dunderdale '23 and Emmet Powell '23 have been important pieces for the Cards on the backline. Powell missed part of the season to compete for Team USA in the Winter World University Games, but has come back and been an integral part of Wesleyan's late season surge. He is currently 5^th in the conference in assists per game (0.67) and 12^th in points per game (0.83) while ranking t-8^th in total assist despite playing 5-6 less games than others on the list. Dunderdale has held down the backline all season while dishing out nine assists
• Go Uemura '23 has been one of the better goal-scorers in the conference this season, netting eight goals in 20 games which ranks as the 10^th best goals per game average (0.40) in the NESCAC. He is not just a goal scorer though, ranking in the top 10 in both points (5^th, 0.95) and assists (7^th, 0.55) per game. The senior forward also claims top 10 spots in shot percentage (8^th, 0.23) and game-winning goals (t-3^rd, 3), however his most important stat might be his plus/minus of +13 which is 2^nd in the conference.
• Owen Sweet '25 is the Cardinals 2^nd leading scorer, netting 10 goals in 24 games which is tied for 5^th best in the NESCAC. The sophomore has burst onto the scene in year two, netting four power play goals and two game-winning goals, both of which rank top 10 in the conference. Sweet also has the ability to create for others, producing seven assists for a total of 17 points (16^th in NESCAC)
•  Colin Cobb '23 has been one of the best distributors in all of the NESCAC this year, manufacturing 17 assists (2^nd in NESCAC) in 24 games (2^nd, 0.71 assists per game). Cobb has only scored four goals this season, however three of which have come on the power play. His precision in man-up situations ranks him t-6^th in the conference in power play goals. The senior forward also ranks top 10 in points (t-7^th, 21) and points per game (t-9^th, 0.88)
• Ethan Davidson '26 and D.J Dixon '24 have been important on both the attacking and defensive ends of the ice for the Cards. They both currently have eight goals and seven assists to their names heading into the NESCAC Tournament. Dixon is top 10 in the conference in face-off wins with 223, while also ranking 2^nd on the team in blocked shots with 19. Davidson is top 10 in the conference in both shot percentage (t-10^th, 0.21) and game-winning goals (t-7^th, 2)
• Juniors Erik Voloshin '23 and Marc Smith '23 have held in down in goal for the Cardinals throughout the 2022-23 season. Smith (6-2-2) has started 10 games for Wesleyan sporting a .913 save percentage with 251 saves. Voloshin was come up huge down the stretch for the Cards with back-to-back 30+ save performances against nationally ranked Trinity to give Wesleyan their first ever #1 seed in the NESCAC Tournament. He holds a record of 8-4-1 with 375 saves for a save percentage of .938.

 
WILLIAMS SCOUTING REPORT

• The Ephs have qualified for every NESCAC Tournament since it's inception in 2000, squeaking in as a 8^th seed in 2022-23
• Williams has never won the NESCAC title, however they have reached the championship four different times (2000, 2011, 2013, 2015)
• They rank 1^st in the NESCAC in blocked shots (269) and 5^th best in save percentage (.919)
• They finished 2022-23 with a record of 7-15-2 (5-11-2 NESCAC)

 
EPHS TO WATCH

• Jonah Gold is a dangerous goal-scorer for the Ephs, ranking 3^rd in the NESCAC in that category with 12. His 12 goals in 23 games is good for 4^th in the conference in goals per game (0.52). Gold shoots in volume, recording 3.13 shots per game to rank top 10 in the NESCAC. He has also earned the Ephs the puck when he is on the ice, ranking top five in the conference in both face-off wins (250) and face-off winning percentage (.573)
• Gold has a goal-scoring teammate in Mac Carso. Like Gold, Carso likes to get shots up in volume to score his goals. The senior forward is 5^th in the conference in both shots (75) and shots per game (3.41). His shots have translated to goals, scoring nine goals in 22 games which is the 9^th best mark in the conference. He is especially dangerous on the power play, netting three of his nine goals in man-up situations (t-6^th best in the NESCAC)
• Two junior forwards are the benefactors of Gold and Carso's goals. Sean Clarke and Henry Muller lead the way for Williams with nine assists apiece. Both are willing scorers and defenders when needed as well with Clarke netting four goals and blocking 19 shots and Muller scoring three goals and stepping in front of 12 shots
• As mentioned earlier the Ephs are the best shot-blocking team in the conference, they have four players ranked in the top eight in the category. Ethan Prout leads the way for the 8^th seeded Ephs with 33 blocked shots in 24 games which is good for 2^nd in the conference
• Evan Ruschil is the goalie for the Ephs, starting 16 of 24 games. He is currently ranked 2^nd in the NESCAC in saves with 526, with a save percentage of .934. He holds a record of 6-9-1

 
SERIES HISTORY

• This will be the 70^th all-time meeting between these two NESCAC schools with Wesleyan holding a 14-47-8 record against their counterparts
• Wesleyan is 7-23-4 against Williams in Spurrier-Snyder Rink
• The Cardinals have met the Ephs twice in the NESCAC Tournament, with each team taking one game. (Wesleyan won 3-2 OT in the 2019-20 semifinals, Williams won 3-2 OT in the 2010-11 semifinals)

 
2022-23 REGULAR SEASON MEETINGS 
January 7^th: (Wesleyan 3, Williams 3 OT  -  Williamstown, MA l Box Score l Recap)
February 4^th: (Wesleyan 4, Williams 2  -  Middletown, CT l Box Score l Recap)
 
NESCAC TOURNAMENT INFO

• Quarterfinal games will be conducted on Saturday, February 25 with the semifinals and championship games conducted on Saturday, March 4 and Sunday, March 5, respectively. The tournament champion will receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Championship.
• Visit the NESCAC website for Tournament Central and the NESCAC Seeding Announcement