About a week after the rest of college hockey got underway, the New England Small College Athletic Conference kicked off its 2013-14 season this weekend, and I took in Williams College's home opener against the Mules of Colby College Saturday night, a rematch from last season's NESCAC playoffs.
I'd been waiting since early March for Saturday night. Sure, I've been to a few AHL games this season, and took in a Bruins preseason game, but this is different. My dad took me to a few games as a kid, but last season, having acquired a roommate and a girlfriend that love hockey, I went back for the first time in probably 15 years. In between, the college in my town gained and then lost a hockey team, as did my high school. We missed maybe 3 home games last year, including the conference final, a 2-1 loss to Bowdoin that kept the Ephs out of the D3 tournament (technically a home game, though it was played at Bowdoin).
Besides the fantastic ticket prices (free), what hooked me last year was that nothing had changed in those 15 years. Lansing Chapman Rink still has its massive curved roof, and a wall of windows at the far end. The timeless Bill Kangas still coaches the Ephs. Free coffee and cookies. The old creaky wooden bleachers are still in tact, and the rubber mat floor hasn't gone anywhere.
The crowd is the same as well. A mix of player family and friends from both teams, and a small student section that really only makes noise when archrival Amherst College (not to be confused with Division 1 UMass-Amherst) is in town. Add in assorted locals, and a few hundred people make it feel full, but not packed. Besides the turnover of a few graduating seniors, the only change this season is that the amazing pizza place up the street closed, so now we don't have a lunch spot before afternoon games.
After the first period, a friendly smile and handshakes greet our group. Last season we spent a lot of time watching games with father of Eph goalie Sean Dougherty, and he's on his way to the other end of the rink. Superstition keeps him on the other end of the rink from his son, so he's coming down to this end for the second period. The family rents out a place locally during the hockey season, and follow their son's games all around the northeast. He mentions they've brought up the family dogs this winter.
The game itself is a bit uneventful. Colby come out with the same physical game that troubled Williams in the playoffs, and Williams forward Nick Anderson finds a lucky bounce in for a 1-0 lead after 2. Late in the third, a bloodied Ray Zeek tied the game up, and a sloppy overtime ends in a tie. I have to open up the door to let the Colby players off the ice. It's an old barn, the fans have to pitch in sometimes. Outside, we run into Mr. Dougherty, and sure enough, he's got two golden retrievers with him. What better way to finish a tough night in goal than getting to see your dogs when you're four hours from home?