Men’s hockey (6-8-2) lost to the Bowdoin Bears (7-9-1) in a shootout on Saturday following a 3-3 tie in regular play and a scoreless overtime period.
The Ephs found success early in the game, holding an advantage into the second period.
“I think our first period was one of our better periods of the year,” Jake McManus ’28 said. The Ephs maintained strong pressure in the period, scoring the first goal of the game with a shot from Logan Valkama ’27.
The Ephs then quickly responded to the Bears’ first goal with McManus assisting Rowan Heithoff ’28.
“We came out to a great start,” Grant Fuchsen ’28 said. “That’s something we’ve been really putting an emphasis on — maintaining pressure.”
But the Ephs soon lost momentum. “We didn’t maintain that pressure through a full 60 minutes and overtime, and we let them claw back, get back in the game, and that’s something we’ll have to work on,” Fuchsen said.
William Yee ’28 agreed that the Ephs’ effort started to wane in the second period. “We lost the aggressiveness we had in the first period,” he said.
As the game against the Bears drew on, the Ephs began to lose the energy and pressure that had helped them in the first period. “Fatigue definitely does play a role, especially with a short bench like that,” Yee said.
The Ephs’ game against the Bears directly followed a 0-3 loss against the Colby Mules the previous night.
In addition to this stress, the team was contending with multiple injuries. “We were a little short-handed,” Fuchsen said.
The Ephs were able to manage this difficulty. “We had a few guys step up who don’t play in normal situations like that, and that was huge,” Fuchsen said. “So, I think we played very well.”
“I’m proud of the team for dealing with some uncontrollable adversity we have faced,” co-captain Cal Sandquist ’25 said. “Injuries are part of the game and we have adapted well. Guys are chipping in through different ways and we need that.”
The team hopes that this persistence will translate into future success. “I think that looks great, coming up on our next eight games and then into playoffs,” Fuchsen said.
As the season progresses, the team will focus on accumulating wins. “Our [co]-captain, Owen Stadheim [’25], said before the game that, moving forward, every game has got to be a playoff game, because of the NESCAC standings and [our] trying to make the playoffs,” McManus said. “I think everyone treated it as such and we were ready to go from the get-go.”
“Every game is a battle, and from here on out, it’s playoff hockey in our minds,” Sandquist said.
“We’re in a position to control our destiny and it’s going to take every guy in the room to come together now.”
