SHELTON, Conn. – Sophomore defenseman
Ryan O'Connell netted his first collegiate goal for Post University Men's Ice Hockey on Friday evening against Southern New Hampshire University, but a barrage of Penmen goals in the first two periods would sink the Eagles at the Sports Center of Connecticut, 6-1, in the first of two games against the Penmen this weekend.
THE BASICS
Post University 1, Southern New Hampshire University 6
Post University (1-9-1, 1-6-1 NE10)
Southern New Hampshire University (4-5-1, 2-4-1 NE10)
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Penmen would strike for two goals in the opening 20 minutes with the first coming from sophomore defenseman Jim Minnig with 7:20 left. A loose puck behind the net would find the stick of sophomore forward Kurt Watson who hit sophomore forward Brendan Lynch with the initial pass. Firing on junior goalie
Zach Richards from near the right circle, Minnig's shot would find its way into the top left corner of the net to put Southern New Hampshire on the board.
Sophomore forward Ryan Pomposelli would make the most of a power play for the Penmen in the closing two minutes of the first when a puck kept alive was wheeled around the offensive zone. First going to freshman defenseman Bryan McLachlan and then over to Watson who assisted on the first goal, Pomposelli would be ready for the quick strike into the bottom left against Richards as Southern New Hampshire took a 2-0 lead into the second period.
A three-goal second for the Penmen would be highlighted by Minnig's second goal of the affair only 2:14 into the period. Freshman forward Austin Hirschberger would find Minnig near the top left circle for the goal which put Southern New Hampshire ahead, 3-0. O'Connell would cut into that deficit with his first collegiate goal after sophomore forward
Jacob Howell's initial shot from freshman forward
Connor McCowell. The loose puck would bounce behind freshman goalie Collin Berke and find enough of O'Connell's stick to push it past the goal line.
A swift response would see senior forward Jackson Aldrich put one past Richards only 21 seconds later when a puck against the boards found Aldrich. The senior would wheel towards the center of the zone and fire it by Richards to help the Penmen regain their three-goal lead. Richards would be lifted for junior goalie
Drew Blodgett after the goal, finishing the game with 20 saves on 24 attempts.
During a 4-on-4 later on, freshman defenseman Nic Dallaire would capitalize on a neutral zone turnover and the retreating graduate forward
Jack Engdahl to beat Blodgett one-on-one from left to right as Southern New Hampshire opened up their largest lead of the game, 5-1, after two periods.
Freshman forward Anthony Marchant would tack on one more to the Penmen lead in the third as the initial shot by senior defenseman Derek Flynn was turned away by Blodgett. Off the pad of Blodgett, the puck would find the stick of Marchant who fired immediately on net and scored as Southern New Hampshire closed out the Eagles, 6-1, on Friday evening.
BY THE NUMBERS
- After going 0-for-5 on the power play, Post University is now 1-for-14 over the last three games on the man-up – the Eagles' penalty kill went a near-perfect 5-for-6 on the day
- A combined 41 penalty minutes were issued to both teams in the game with Post University accounting for 25 of those minutes compared to 16 minutes for Southern New Hampshire
- Ryan O'Connell's scored his first collegiate goal with 11:01 to go in the second – Entering the day, O'Connell had four career assists and points in 36 total games played
- The five-goal margin of defeat is the largest for Post University against Southern New Hampshire since they fell 5-0 on the road to the Penmen back on February 4th, 2020 – It is the largest home loss to them since November 16th, 2019 when they lost 10-4
WHO'S NEXT
Post University closes out the 2023 side of their season tomorrow afternoon with a 1:00 PM matchup at home against Southern New Hampshire University on the Lower Rink at the Sports Center of Connecticut in Shelton, Connecticut.
