COOPER HAT TRICK LEADS MIDDLEBURY TO WIN OVER TRINITY IN NESCAC MEN'S ICE HOCKEY FINALS

Middlebury, Vt.- Sophomore forward Kevin Cooper (Mississauga, Ontario) scored three goals to lead the Middlebury College Panthers to a 3-2 win over the visiting Trinity College Bantams in the finals of the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Men's Ice Hockey Championship this afternoon at Kenyon Arena.

Cooper's hat-trick including the shorthanded game-winner 7:03 into the third period from what seemed to be an impossible angle down low. The Panthers, ranked No. 1 in the nation with a 24-1-1 record, will receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament when the pairings are announced on Sunday night. Trinity, which dips to 17-8-1, will hope for an at-large bid.

Middlebury was controlling much of the first period play until Trinity got on the board first at the 15:52 mark. Freshman forward Joseph Ori (Niles, Ill.) had some space behind the net and found Jeffrey Natale (Hamden, Conn.) just outside the crease for the quick redirect into the net. The duo connected again just 2:21 later as Natale broke in with some room after a feed from Ori and slide it across the crease and into the net. The Panthers faced a tough Geoffrey Faulkner (Westerville, Ohio) in goal, as he stopped all 16 shots as the Panthers outshot Trinity 16-5 in the period.

The Panthers got on the board just 18 seconds into the second period on the power play as Matt Dunn (Kent, Conn.) streaked down the right wing and hit Cooper with a crossing pass for the one-time goal. With just 1:07 left in the period, Cooper picked up a rebound after a Dunn shot and jammed it through the pads of Faulkner to even the game at two. The Panthers held a 27-12 shot advantage after two periods. Trinity threatened with their goaltender pulled late, but could net get the equalizer. Christian Carlsson made 12 saves in goal for Middlebury, while Faulkner made 35 saves for Trinity.

Trinity, Conn. (17-8-1) 2 0 0 -- 2

Middlebury (24-1-1) 0 2 1 -- 3

1. TC- Jeff Natale (Joe Ori) 15:52, TC- Natale (Ori) 18:13.

2. M- Kevin Cooper (Matt Dunn, Ryan Constantine) pp :18, M- Cooper (Dunn, Brian Phinney) 18:53.

3. M- Cooper (Grayson Ferttig) 7:03

TC- Geoff Faulkner 35

M- Christian Carlsson 12