On the same day the Bulldogs reversed a six-game non-conference losing streak with a 6-2 upset victory over No. 13 Ohio State, the past of the men’s ice hockey team converged with its future.
Sunday, goaltender Peter Cohen ’05 was named ECAC goalie of the week for his 30-save performance against the Buckeyes Jan. 20, and former men’s ice hockey captain Ben Stafford ’01 was named to the East Coast Hockey League All-Star game as a member of the North squad. While the Ohio State contest was Cohen’s first start since Dec. 29 against Miami of Ohio, Stafford has 45 points in 43 games with the Trenton Titans, good for 20th in the league.
Cohen is the third Bulldog to earn ECAC honors for his efforts with the Elis. Wingers Chris Higgins ’05 and Denis Nam ’03 were named players of the week Jan. 13 and Nov. 25, respectively.
Goaltender Dan Lombard ’02, who leads the ECAC with over 730 minutes of playing time against conference opponents, did not play against the Buckeyes Sunday so he would be rested for the final 10 games of the season. The Buckeyes were a non-conference opponent. The last 10 games of the season are against conference opponents and will determine who gets to play at home during the playoffs.
Head coach Tim Taylor also wanted to give Cohen some experience for next season, when the Bulldogs will be without Lombard, who is graduating at the end of this semester.
Despite not starting for the Bulldogs in nearly a month, Cohen was up to the task of filling Lombard’s shoes.
“Peter’s play was inspirational,” assistant coach C.J. Marottolo said. “He made some big saves at some big moments.”
Next year, goalie Peter Dobrolowski ’03 and Cohen will compete for the starting slot in net for the Bulldogs. With Cohen’s performance Sunday, Marottolo is confident that the competition will be fierce.
“[Cohen] has got to continue to work hard,” Marottolo said. “They’re all going to push each other and play harder.”
While Cohen will compete next year for the starting position at Yale, Stafford is competing for the scoring title in the ECHL. Stafford leads the Trenton Titans with 19 goals, six short-handed. In the ECHL All-Star game, Stafford managed one assist for the North All-Stars as they dropped the contest, 7-6, to the South.
Last year, as a senior on the Bulldog squad, Stafford led the Elis in scoring.
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