A lot of excitement this weekend with overtime games, ranked teams winning close games and losing close games as well as some exciting conference play kicking off to delight fans across each battle in league play. Skidmore pulled the upset of the weekend downing No. 2 ranked Geneseo on the strength of four power play goals while Utica needed a pair of overtime goals to break into the win column against a very tough Stevenson squad. Lots of great stuff elsewhere including several teams beginning their season with successful results in conference play. Here is the summary of some of the best action from the weekend:
CCC
Salve Regina opened their CCC schedule with a pair off games against Suffolk and new coach, Shawn McEachern. On Friday night, three first period goals from Hoon Kim, Walter Baumann and Johnny Mulera would be all goaltender Kohl Reddy would need in a 31-save shutout win. On Saturday, all the scoring for the Seahawks shifted a period but the result was a win. Matthew Brunton and Damon Zimmer each chipped in with a goal and an assist in Salve Regina’s 3-1 win to move to 2-0 in the CCC.
The defending champions from the University of New England opened their season with a two-game series against Western New England. The Nor’easters delighted the home fans with a 10-0 rout of the Golden Bears led by two goals from Jake Fuss and a 23-save shutout for Billy Girard IV in goal. On Saturday, WNE played host and the game was much closer with Jared Christy and Daniel Winslow scoring in the third period to break a 3-3 tie and give the visitors a 5-3 win and weekend sweep.
Curry opened conference play with a sweep of Wentworth over the weekend. Tarak Paranica scored two power play goals as part of a four-goal first period that helped Curry cruise to a 5-2 win on Friday. Playing host on Saturday, the Colonels needed three third period goals to break open a 2-1 game. Austan Bellefeuille, Kevin Pitts and Killian Rowlee gave Curry some breathing room in a 5-1 win.
Independents
After a tough 2-1 loss to Westfield State on Thursday, Anna Maria returned home to face Plymouth State on Saturday and the AmCats found some late power play magic to earn a 4-3 win over the Panthers. Trailing 3-2 mid-way through the final period, Braeden McKinnon and Pearce Baker scored power play goals just 64 seconds apart that stood up for the win. Cole Johnston stopped 36 of 39 shots to earn his first win of the season.
Rivier picked up their first win of the season by downing Worcester State 5-1 on Saturday. After a scoreless first period, John Tavella gave Rivier a 2-1 lead going into the second intermission. In the third period the home team scored three unanswered goals including Milan Breczko’s goal just 54 seconds into the period to pick up the victory and move to 1-1-1 on the season.
MASCAC
The marquee matchup was on Thursday between conference favorites Plymouth State and Fitchburg State. As expected, the game was a physical affair with special teams accounting for seven of the nine goals scored in the game. Jeremy Rancourt scored the fifth power play goal of the night for the visiting Panthers with just over two minutes remaining in regulation time to break a 4-4 tie and give the Panthers a big road win, 5-4.
Framingham State opened MASCAC play with a 4-2 win over Salem State on Thursday night. The Rams broke open a 2-2 game with third period goals off the sticks of Cameron Lindsay and Sam Larkin who also assisted on each other’s goals. Goaltender Blake Carlson was outstanding making 36 saves in the conference opener for both teams.
NE-10
Franklin Pierce continued their hot start with a series opening 4-1 win at Assumption Friday night. The Ravens broke open a 1-1 game with three third period tallies from Ryan Bailey, Steven Jacobs and an empty-net goal from Trevor Lawler. On Saturday, the Greyhounds flipped the script and handed FPU their first loss of the season with a 7-4 win. Franklin Pierce entered the third period on Saturday with a 4-3 lead courtesy of a goal from Conor Foley in the final minute of play to close out the middle period. In the third period Assumption scored four goals including a pair of unassisted goals from Sean O’Connell to race away with the win and split of the weekend games.
NEHC
Hobart hosted a young but talented Babson squad on Friday night and special teams dominated the scoresheet. After a scoreless first period, the Statesmen used three second period goals to erase a 1-0 Babson lead. Power play goals from Zach Tyson and Luke Aquaro gave the home team a lead and Tristan Fassig’s shorthanded goal gave them some breathing room in a 4-1 win. On Saturday, things were even tighter against Southern Maine. Luke Aquaro gave the home team a 2-1 lead in the second period as the Statesmen had difficulty solving Huskie netminder Kyle Penton and his 38 saves. The 2-1 win moves Hobart to 4-0 on the season.
After a Tuesday win over Canton, Skidmore recorded the upset of the week taking down Geneseo 4-3 on Saturday night. Goaltender Tate Brandon made 36 saves and the Thoroughbreds scored all their goals – I sense a theme this weekend – to beat Geneseo. Devan Mussio was the offensive leader for Skidmore scoring one goal and adding a pair of assists including one on Zach Lindewirth’s game winner in the third period.
After Friday’s loss to Hobart, Babson rebounded with a 3-1 win over No. 11 Elmira to earn a weekend split of their NEHC games. Andrew Holland, Maz Torrez and Wyatt George erased an Elmira 1-0 lead and Nolan Hildebrand stopped 36-37 shots in the Beavers 3-1 road win.
Norwich quietly has opened the season 3-0 and once again showed they are comfortable playing one-goal games. On Friday, Clark Kerner’s second goal of the game in the final three minutes of regulation proved to be the game winner in a 3-2 decision over Johnson & Wales. On Saturday, it was Kerner again who scored twice in the third period to erase a 1-0 Massachusetts-Boston lead and give the Cadets a big 2-1 road win.
SUNYAC
After a 5-1 loss to Oswego on Friday, Plattsburgh rebounded nicely on Saturday scoring a decisive 7-2 win over Cortland. Paul Fryer scored a pair of goals and added an assist for the Cardinals who saw five other players score goals while Riley Sutherland, Adam Tretowicz and Jack Ring also recorded two-point games.
Six different players scored goals and Nolan Egbert made 38 saves in a 6-3 win for Brockport over Morrisville to open SUNYAC play. Andrew Harley led the offense with three points on a goal and two assists for the Golden Eagles.
Fredonia overcame a 3-1 Buffalo State lead with four unanswered goals to open conference play with a 5-3 win over the Bengals. Logan Dyck stopped 28 shots and Ryan Bailey and Jake Blackwell each had a goal and assist in the win.
UCHC
After dropping their opening two games to Adrian on the road last weekend, Utica’s schedule didn’t get any easier when they faced Stevenson on the road to open their UCHC schedule. As expected both games were physical, penalty-filled and decided in overtime by identical 4-3 scores as the Pioneers leveled their record at 2-2. Jayson Dobay was the hero in Friday night’s game netting the overtime winner with a top shelf rocket after faking his defender to the ice. Regen Cavanaugh took his turn as the Utica star on Saturday when Brandon Osmundson set him up to beat the Mustangs just over 90 seconds into the extra session.
Nazareth took a pair of wins to open UCHC play against Lebanon Valley. On Friday, the Golden Flyers needed two goals in the final three minutes of regulation to erase a two-goal deficit before wining the game in the first minute of overtime. Goals from Liam Beaudoin and Jake Frost tied the game at 2-2 before Joshua Dressler won the game in the extra session. On Saturday, Nazareth again fell behind by a pair of goals and rallied to tie the game 2-2 in the second period. Nicholas Charron’s power play goal proved to be the game winner in the third period but Liam Quinlivan added insurance with a goal in the final minute of play for a 4-2 win and weekend sweep of the Flying Dutchmen.
The new kids in the league are off to an impressive start as Alvernia opened UCHC play with a weekend sweep of Neumann. On Friday, the Wolves trailed after the opening twenty minutes, 2-0. They tied the game in the second period and used goals from Andrew Bechard and Isaac Chapman to win it in the third period, 4-2. On Saturday, Frazer Dodd scored a pair of goals including the game winning goal in the third period of a 4-3 win over the Black Knights. Goaltender Ian Graiff made 33 saves in the win that moved Alvernia to 3-0-1 on the season and 2-0-0 in the UCHC.
Three Biscuits
Jason Dobay & Regen Cavanaugh – Utica – scored the overtime winners in the pair of 4-3 wins over Stevenson in UCHC play getting the Pioneers to 2-2 on the season.
Clark Kerner – Norwich – scored tow game winning goals for the Cadets in one-goal wins over Johnson & Wales and Massachusetts-Boston to open NEHC play on the road.
Kohl Reddy – Salve Regina – made 31 saves in the Seahawks 3-0 shutout win to open the season against Suffolk on CCC action.
Week two clearly showed the importance of special teams play with several games decided by power play goals in bunches – see Skidmore and Plymouth State. No doubt the action has been spectacular, and teams need to be ready to play the full sixty minutes or more to find a successful result.
