Hartford, Conn., Mar. 14 -- The Trinity College men’s ice hockey team, which has a 19-5-2 record and won its first New England Small College Athletic Conference Tournament (NESCAC) Championship title with a 4-2 win at Middlebury on Sunday, earned an automatic bid to the 2002-03 NCAA Division III Men’s Ice Hockey Championship Tournament.

The Bantams, coached by 2000-01 and 2002-03 NESCAC Coach of the Year John Dunham (29th season, 383-269-23), will visit the Norwich University Cadets on Saturday, Mar. 15 at 7 p.m. in the quarterfinal round of the NCAA Tournament. The game will be played at Kreitzberg Arena and will be broadcast live via the internet on www.sportsjuice.com. The winner will advance to the semifinal round next weekend against the winner of Wisc.-River Falls vs. St. Norbert at a site to be determined. Wisc.-River Falls downed St. John’s (Minn.), 2-0, in the only NCAA First Round game. Oswego State hosts Wentworth Tech and Middlebury hosts Elmira in the other quarterfinal games.

The Bantams ended Middlebury’s 20-game unbeaten streak to win the NESCAC title, behind 32 saves by sophomore goaltender Doug Kisielius (Park Ridge, Ill.) and a goal and an assist by both junior forward Dan Gyllstrom (Hudson, Mass.) and sophomore forward Joseph Ori (Niles, Ill.). Trinity, seeded No. 2 in the tournament, edged Colby and Williams, both in overtime by 3-2 scores, to reach the its second straight NESCAC final. The Bantams had lost a 3-2 game at Middlebury in the 2001-02 league finals.

Bantam sophomore forward Jeff Natale (Hamden, Conn.) scored the game-winner against Colby and added an assist, after recording two assists including one on the game-tying goal in the final minute against Williams. Trinity senior co-captain forward Andrew Halder (River Edge, N.J.) netted the game-winner against Williams after freshman defenseman Brendan Timmins (Arlington, Mass.) had knotted the game with 37 seconds remaining in regulation. Kisielius totaled 48 saves against Williams and 29 against Colby, as the Bantams were outshot, 115-70, in the three NESCAC Tournament contests.

Trinity, ranked No. 7 in the most recent United States College Hockey Online (USCHO.com) national poll, has won its last six games and eight out of its last nine. Four of Trinity’s five losses came against teams currently among the top 15 in the nation, and the Bantams posted 5-4 record against the top 17 teams in the nation. Trinity lost at Norwich in the finals of the Times Argus Invitational, 4-1, in a game that was tied at 1-1 with three minutes left on the clock. The Bantams exacted revenge on the Cadets, 5-3, in its league contest at home, as Kisielius stopped 36 shots and sophomore forward Ryan Stevens (Concord, N.H.) broke a 3-3 tie in the third period.

Ori leads the Trinity and is sixth in the NESCAC in scoring with 16 goals (9th in NESCAC) and 18 assists for 34 points, while Natale is close behind with 13 goals and 18 assists for 31 points (10th in NESCAC). Senior co-captain forward Greg O’Leary (Reading, Mass.) has six goals and a team-high, 23 assists (leads NESCAC) for 29 points, and Stevens boasts a team-high, 19 goals (3rd in NESCAC) and eight assists for 27 points. Eight Bantams have 20 or more points after 26 games. Ori was the NESCAC Player of the Week twice this season and earned first team All-NESCAC honors.

Kisielius is third in the NESCAC in save percentage (.915) and GAA (2.41), and has 647 saves, a 19-5-1 record, and five shutouts. Trinity blue-liners Timmins and junior Tim Joncas (Branford, Conn.) are offensive contributors as well. Timmins has seven goals and 13 assists and Joncas has four goals and 17 assists. A first team All-NESCAC selection, Kisielius was named the USCHO.com Defensive Player of the Week twice and the NESCAC Player of the Week twice this season.

Norwich, ranked No. 2 in the nation, enters the tournament with a 24-3 record, having won its second straight Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) East title last weekend. The Cadets won the NCAA Division III Championship title in 2000-01 and lost in the finals last season to Wisc.-Superior. Sophomore forward Kurt McLean (Kirkland Lake, Ontario) leads the team 24 goals and 20 assists, while junior forward Phil Aucoin (Chelmsford, Mass.) has 14 goals and a team-high, 28 assists. Three goaltenders have combined for a .905 save percentage and a 2.41 GAA, led by senior Randy Hevey (Chicopee, Mass.) who is 13-2 with a .910 percentage and a 2.32 GAA. Norwich is coached by Mike McShane (8th season, 171-52).