SHELTON, Conn. – For the second consecutive day, Post University Men's Ice Hockey shocked Assumption University at the Sports Center of Connecticut as another goal from sophomore forward Connor McCowell, a third-period game-winner for freshman forward Scotty Swain, and 43 saves from junior goalie Benjamin Cunneen helped give the Eagles their first-ever weekend sweep of the Greyhounds, 2-1, on Saturday afternoon.

THE BASICS

Post University 2, Assumption University 1

Post University (4-7-0, 3-5-0 NE10)

Assumption University (7-6-0, 6-2-0 NE10)

HOW IT HAPPENED
For the second straight day, it would be the Eagles getting on the scoreboard first, this time with McCowell scoring for the second time in as many days just 2:50 into the contest. Off an initial shot from freshman defenseman Aidan Canady, McCowell cleaned up the puck in front of the net, firing it past sophomore goalie Callum Welch to put Post ahead 1-0 which is where it would stand after 20 minutes.

Making his second straight of the weekend, Cunneen faced just seven shots in the first period, making all seven stops while the defense blocked seven shots in front of him. As for Welch, he would go 13-for-14 on shot attempts that he faced as the Eagles held a 22-19 edge in overall shots and neither team had a power-play opportunity.

Coming out more aggressively in the second, it was the Greyhounds taking control of the game, holding a massive 20-9 edge in shots on goal which would allow them to eventually tie things up at one all just over four minutes into the frame. From the defensive end of the ice, junior forward Ryan Decker threw the puck around the glass to junior forward Jake Lavoie who found a streaking sophomore defenseman Jake DiNapoli on the right side of the ice.

Wasting no time hurrying into the zone, DiNapoli rifled a shot over the left shoulder of Cunneen to tie the game up which is where it would stand going into the final 20 minutes of regulation. Assumption would also have a power-play chance just before the midway point of the second on a slash by junior forward Connor Murray but would be unable to cash in while the Eagles took a power play into the third period following a call against sophomore forward Luke Evers with around 43 seconds remaining.

While the Eagles would be unable to capitalize on that initial power play in the third, Swain would capitalize on a loose puck in front of the crease that was worked that way from senior defenseman Trey Deloury and junior forward Hugh McGuigan. Swain found a way to get a stick on the puck after falling down and beat Welch with what would end up being the game-winning goal for Post.

Over the final 20 minutes, Cunneen would make 17 saves and help stop three power plays, including a 6-on-4 stretch for the final 19.4 seconds after sophomore forward Parker Norling drew a boarding call to help the Eagles cap off the weekend sweep with a 2-1 win over the Greyhounds.

BY THE NUMBERS  

• Aidan Canady has seven points in 11 games this season and is now on a two-game point streak for the second time this season after being credited with an assist on Post University's first goal of the game – Canady is second on the team behind only Jacob Howell with eight points for the team lead in points
• Benjamin Cunneen picked up his second win of the weekend in goal for Post University making 43 saves on 44 attempts from Assumption University – Cunneen made 94 saves in total this week and has won four of his last five starts
• Across the entire weekend, Post University's penalty kill went a perfect 9-for-9 despite Assumption University totaling 16 shots in that span
• With the weekend series sweep, this is the first time in program history in which Post University has swept Assumption University during a two-game weekend

WHO'S NEXT
Post University will return to action after the new year on January 3rd, 2025 when they take on SUNY Morrisville at 4:00 pm from the Sports Center of Connecticut. The two teams last squared off during the 2022-23 season in New York where the Eagles got their first win in the all-time series, 3-2.