SHELTON, Conn. – Freshman defenseman Aidan Canady accounted for a team-high two points on Friday afternoon as Post University Men's Ice Hockey broke their three-game scoring drought to the tune of four goals against conference-leading Assumption University, snapping a four-game losing streak and 12-game winless streak against the Greyhounds with a 5-3 victory in the penultimate game before the break.

THE BASICS

Post University 5, Assumption University 3

Post University (3-7-0, 2-5-0 NE10)

Assumption University (7-5-0, 6-1-0 NE10)

HOW IT HAPPENED
Breaking a stretch of 228:42 without a goal which spanned 10 periods, Canady got the Eagles on the board first with exactly 5:30 left in the first period. Sophomore forward Connor McCowell shifted the puck in the defensive zone ahead to junior forward Matteo Peca who carried the puck near the right corner. Throwing the puck towards the middle, Canady managed to get a stick on it with a defender on him and fire it by graduate goalie Thomas McLarnon for the first goal of the affair.

Leading 1-0 after one, Post added another on some crafty passing from freshman forward Johnathan Meijer over to junior forward Joe Santoro near the right side of McLarnon only one minute into the second, doubling the Eagle lead to two. However, it would not be long before junior forward Jake Lavoie cut that deficit back in half, 2-1, as sophomore forward Leo Piandes fed him a pass in front of junior goalie Benjamin Cunneen for the one-timer following a Post turnover on the defensive end.

Winding down towards the end of the second, junior forward Conner Murray got that goal back for the Eagles, utilizing a perfect pass from Canady behind the net to beat McLarnon with the shot inside the left post before a scrum broke out in front of the goal mouth. That would lead to a pair of penalties for each team and a 3-on-3 situation in which Assumption recorded five shots against Cunneen which he stopped to help Post maintain a two-goal lead, 3-1, heading into the third.

Like in the second, it would be a quick strike this time for the Greyhounds that got them back to within one, 3-2, as junior forward Ryan Decker and sophomore defenseman Patrick McKiernan teamed up to help junior forward Jake DiNapoli score only 30 seconds into the frame. Getting that goal back from near the point was sophomore defenseman Wyatt Noble whose shot from the left point found its way by McLarnon with 15:02 left in regulation.

After pulling back within one with just over six minutes left on a goal by junior forward Jake Lavoie, Assumption nearly pulled even with 3:08 remaining when a shot from sophomore forward Jonathan Surrette trickled toward the goal line before senior defenseman Tanner Glasrud pushed the puck out before it went over which gave the Eagles the boost they needed. In the waning moments of the period, McCowell would rip a shot into the empty net, helping Post stave off the late push by the Greyhounds for the 5-3 win at home.

BY THE NUMBERS  

• With two more points on the season now, Aidan Canady has six points in 10 games and is second on the team behind only Jacob Howell with eight points for the team lead
• Connor McCowell recorded the first two-point game of his career having a goal and an assist in the win – McCowell has played in 20 games now in his two years at Post University
• The last time Post University scored five goals in a game against Assumption University was the last time they beat them on November 6th, 2021 in what was a 5-4 win on the road
• This is the first win since November 6th, 2021 for Post University against Assumption University in the all-time series and the first time since February 16th, 2019 in which the Eagles beat the Greyhounds at home

WHO'S NEXT
Post University will face off against Assumption University one more time before heading into the month-long break. The two teams will meet at the Sports Center of Connecticut tomorrow afternoon at 1:00 PM.