Can Hamilton lead men's hockey to the ECACs?

All-American Jeff Hamilton, SM '01, has been there and done that. This year's roller-coaster season seems the only fitting way to cap off Hamilton's five-year career, littered with goals and assists, captainships and injuries, agonizing losses and sweet, sweet victories. With two regular-season games remaining, the Bulldogs have fought their way out of elimination danger and now find themselves serious contenders for the Ivy League championship and for home ice in the upcoming ECAC playoffs.

JULIA TIERNAN/YH

Not one to dwell on individual achievements, Hamilton claimed last weekend's clutch team performances were among his proudest moments in hockey. "We had our backs to the wall, facing elimination, and we won both games in front of a home crowd on alumni weekend," he said. However, Hamilton humbly neglected to mention the fact that he also found personal success, becoming Yale's all-time leading point scorer with 162, surpassing Mark Kaufmann '93.

Nice achievements make nice stories, but Hamilton's impressive career is all the more striking for the hardship he has endured. His success is a story of challenges faced and hurdles overcome, not flashy statistics or records. Hamilton began his career struggling for ice time with the rest of the freshmen in '97-'98, but he worked his way into a regular spot by building a reputation for making big plays. That year he set a Yale record for most game-winning goals in a season (seven) and helped the Bulldogs win a berth at the NCAA tournament. But there was no fairy-tale ending to his fairy-tale start. Hamilton was injured in the ECAC semifinals and had to watch from the bench as the Elis crumbled in disappointing losses in the ECAC consolation game and the first round at Lake Placid.

JULIA TIERNAN/YH

After the heartbreak, he returned from injury with a stronger commitment to training and a renewed determination in his game. Hamilton hit the ice with more vigor than ever, and gained All-American, Ivy League Player of the Year, and ECAC scoring honors over the next two seasons. His stats seemed to look after themselves as he focused his energy on winning games and trying to get the Elis back to Lake Placid.

Sitting on top of Yale hockey in the fall of 1999, Hamilton was excited about a new season. He was confident that his team had the talent to return to the top and proud to be its new captain. Unfortunately, he suffered a serious abdominal injury in his very first shift of the year; his season was over almost before it had begun. With a heavy heart, he decided to apply for a medical red-shirt and withdrew from Yale, handing the captaincy over to Cory Shea, BR '00.

Critics agree that Hamilton should feel cheated if he doesn't get Ivy League Player of the Year, and he has a strong case for ECAC Player of the Year as well. He would be only the second Yale player in history to achieve the feat, after his teammate Ray Giroux, BK '98. Not only has he set Yale's career points record (162), but he also leads the ECAC in points per game (1.70) and goals per game (0.78).

Keen to make their way to the NCAA tournament, the Bulldogs must now focus on securing home ice with another weekend sweep in order to firm up their chances in the ECAC postseason. The Elis are away at Harvard and Brown, and a win in Cambridge will also bring the Ivy title back to New Haven. Hamilton talks a simple game off the ice that belies his deep investment in the team. "We're taking it one game at a time, but we really want to sweep this weekend and take the Ivy crown," he said.

This hockey player has a point to prove and a talented team behind him for help. Hamilton and the Elis may be taking the rest of their season one game at a time, but they can't ignore the bigger prize. "We want to make it to the ECAC tournament and see how far we can get," he said. Photo of Jeff Hamilton, SM '00, by Julia Tiernan.

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