Trinity Men’s Hockey Navigates NESCAC Play as Coach Greason Reaches Milestone Victory

Annika Haley ’26

Sports Editor

The Trinity College men’s ice hockey team has built steady momentum during the 2025–26 season, combining balanced scoring with disciplined play as they continue to compete in the challenging NESCAC schedule. Several strong performances, including dominant non-conference wins and competitive in-conference victories has highlighted the team’s development and unity.

The Bantams earned their first victory of the season on Tuesday Nov. 25 with a 6–1 victory over Plymouth State University at the Koeppel Community Sports Center. Trinity controlled the game early by scoring just over three minutes into the first period. Forward Blake Cotton ’29 led the Bantam offense and recorded the first hat trick of his collegiate career, while goaltender Devon Bobak ’26 made an impressive 31 saves. The victory showcased Trinity’s strong offense and defensive structure.

That confidence carried into the new year with a 8–0 shutout against Western Connecticut State University on Sunday Jan. 4 at the Koeppel Community Sports Center. Trinity posted season highs in goals, assists, points, and shots, demonstrating offensive power throughout the lineup. Goaltender Jack Fialkoff ’29 earned his first career victory and shutout, stopping all 17 shots he faced, as the Bantams controlled all three periods of the game.

A defining moment of the season came on Friday Jan. 9, when the Bantams defeated Middlebury College, 5–2, in a NESCAC matchup that marked Head Coach Matthew Greason’s 250th career victory. The Bantams scored late in the first period on the power play and then built their lead by staying composed and capitalizing on transition opportunities. Despite a brief Middlebury rally in the third period, Trinity closed out the game and sealed both the win and a milestone achievement for the program.

Following the victory, Greason reflected on the significance of reaching the 250-win mark after 14 seasons at Trinity. Greason said, “I have a little different view on milestones. Some people like to brush it aside and keep moving on, and to an extent, I do too. But milestones allow me to pause, albeit briefly this time of year, and think about all the players and coaches who worked hard and sacrificed so much to help our program find the win column.”

Building on that perspective, Greason emphasized how the current team embodies the values and expectations that have defined Trinity men’s hockey during his tenure. Greason said, “winning matters. Working hard and finding success is an important development tool for our athletes. Adversity always happens, and we need to deal with that as it comes, but we also need to strive for greatness and find happiness in that when we accomplish what we set out to do. Guys come to our program to win. That’s a huge responsibility for me and for those who wear the jersey.”

Looking beyond individual seasons and results, Greason pointed to the long-term impact of the program as the true measure of sustained success. Greason said, “there is nobody who believes in Trinity College and the life lessons taught through Trinity Hockey more than me. We attack each day trying to maximize our potential on and off the ice. That mindset should lead to wins, but it should lead to long term success long after the final buzzer sounds on their final games. I’ve been fortunate to coach long enough to see the high achievement of our players in their professional life. We have an alumni group filled with driven professionals who carry the lessons learned in the program onto success after. That means more than the wins. Trust me.”

Following Greason’s milestone, the Bantams have continued to fight within the NESCAC, with an overtime win against Colby College on Saturday Jan. 17 and a shootout victory over Middlebury College on Friday Feb. 6.