SHELTON, Conn. – Junior transfer forward Joe Santoro lit the lamp twice for Post University Men's Ice Hockey as the Eagles were able to overcome Westfield State University pulling even twice and forcing overtime on Tuesday night at the Sports Center of Connecticut to pick up their first win of the 2024-25 season, 3-2, on Santoro's second goal of the evening. The win snapped a 12-game losing streak for Post which dated back to January 26th when they beat Saint Anselm College in overtime, 3-2. 

THE BASICS

Post University 3, Westfield State University 2 (OT)

Post University (1-3-0)

Westfield State University (2-2-0) 

HOW IT HAPPENED
Santoro's first goal of the evening came just three minutes into the affair in the first period as he beat junior goalie Duncan Nichols-Delay near the right post after an initial shot by freshman defenseman Michael Montague was blocked and redirected to junior forward Baxter Kimball who threw it in front for Santoro to finish the job on giving the Eagles the early 1-0 advantage. 

But sophomore forward Emile Pichette, who had both of Westfield State's goals tonight, answered back with the help of freshman forward Jesper Seeberg by beating junior goalie Benjamin Cunneen with the backhanded shot on his right side to even things up at one after 20 minutes played. Opening up the scoring in the second would be junior forward Jake Aloi after a dump in from senior defenseman Tanner Glasrud reached the stick of junior forward Jacob Howell in the corner. Howell's stick work around the defender on his tail helped locate Aloi in open space for the score, but the lead would not last long for Post.

Just over a minute later, Pichette would yet again beat Cunneen on the right side after getting a centering pass from sophomore forward Christopher Miraldo to tie things back up at two where they would stand after the end of the second and then third period leading to overtime. In the scoreless third, Cunneen would keep the Eagles alive but helping them kill off two penalty kills and making 16 stops, part of his 26 over the final 40 minutes of regulation while Nichols-Delay faced just 14 in that same span with seven in each period.

Exactly three minutes into the overtime, Santoro shut the door on the win for Post, streaking up the ice with passes from Kimball and junior defenseman Ryan O'Connell to catch Nichols-Delay in a one-on-one scenario to finish the job on the 3-2 overtime win for the Eagles who move to 1-3-0 on the young season.

BY THE NUMBERS   

• Benjamin Cunneen picked up his first win of the 2024-25 campaign in net for Post University after making 33 saves on 35 attempts from Westfield State University and making 17 saves between the third period and overtime 
• Post University was 0-for-1 on the power play today and is now 0-for-12 to start the year on the power play 
• This is the first win against Westfield State for Post University since the 2018-19 season when they won 5-4 on the road and the first-ever win against the Owls at home in program history 
• Post University snaps a 12-game losing streak dating back to last season when their last win came at home against Saint Anselm College also in overtime, 3-2, on January 26th

WHO'S NEXT 
Post University jumps back into conference play with a pair of home games over the weekend against Saint Anselm College at the Sports Center of Connecticut. The Eagles will face off against the Hawks at 4:00 PM on Friday before returning on Saturday for a 1:00 PM puck drop. In their last five head-to-head matchups, Post is 1-3-1 against Saint Anselm, netting an overtime winner last January at home in a 3-2 victory.