SHELTON, Conn. – Sophomore forward Bradley McMains and senior forward Hugh McGuigan each scored in the third period for Post University Men's Ice Hockey on Friday afternoon at home, but two goals from senior forward Quinn McCarthy from Saint Michael's College would force the game into the first-ever shootout in program history for the Eagles, who fell in the fifth round, 1-0, to the Purple Knights, although the game will go down as a 2-2 tie on Post's official record.

THE BASICS

Post University 2, Saint Michael's College 2 (1-0 SO)

Post University (1-3-1, 0-3-1 NE10)

Saint Michael's College (3-1-3, 2-1-2 NE10) 

HOW IT HAPPENED
Neither side would have any luck finding the back of the net through two periods as senior goalie Benjamin Cunneen made 19 saves in that stretch for Post, while being matched by senior goalie Cole Manahan's 27-save effort as the Eagles controlled the offensive zone for a majority of the first 40 minutes. Both teams would only have one power play throughout that same timeframe and eventually the entirety of the game. Three roughing penalties called with 2.8 seconds remaining in the first period saw the Purple Knights go on power play first, but only 2.8 seconds later, when time expired on the period, junior forward Ty Bloom launched an Eagle into the boards, drawing a boarding penalty to even things at 4-on-4 entering the second.

Despite the official statistics going down as Post being 0-for-1 on the power play, their chance, like Saint Michael's, would last only 2.8 seconds due to the overlap in penalties from the first to the second. It would not be until around 14 1/2 minutes remained in regulation when the Eagles got on the board as McMains took the puck down the right side of the ice from senior forward Baxter Kimball for the score and then seven minutes later it would be McGuigan's turn on an odd-man rush from senior forward Nathan McDevitt and sophomore forward Matthew Pacheco to extend the lead to two goals for Post.

However, closing in on five minutes remaining in regulation, McCarthy netted his first of two goals on a tip in front of Cunneen to redirect sophomore defenseman Cole Douglas' shot into the back of the net, cutting the Purple Knight deficit in half, 2-1. Following an icing for Post, Manahan would be pulled for the extra attacker following a Saint Michael's timeout with 1:16 left, and yet again it was McCarthy with the tip into the net, this time on a shot from junior forward Hans Forselius to force a five-minute, 3-on-3 overtime session.

While the Eagles would hold a 6-3 edge in shots on goal in that overtime frame, neither side broke through, leading to the first shootout in program history for Post, which would last five rounds. After both goalies stonewalled their opposition's shooters for four rounds, sophomore forward SJ LeComte finally broke through against Cunneen while Manahan stopped senior forward Joe Santoro on the other end of the ice, securing the shootout win for Saint Michael's, 1-0, in the 2-2 tie. 

BY THE NUMBERS   

• Quinn McCarthy finished with both goals on the evening for Saint Michael's College, bringing him to four goals on the season, which leads the team
• On the power play this season, Post University is now 4-for-21 overall, but just one for their last 15 in the last three games -- The Eagles went 0-for-1 on the power play in tonight's game, but that chance lasted only two seconds
• Joe Santoro dominated again in the faceoff circle, winning 14-of-26 faceoffs against Saint Michael's College today -- Santoro has won 59 faceoffs so far this season, with a positive win-loss ratio in four of five games 
• Since shootouts were implemented in collegiate hockey, this is the first time in program history that Post University has been part of one in a regular-season game

WHO'S NEXT 
Post University closes its home weekend against Saint Michael's College tomorrow afternoon inside the Sports Center of Connecticut in Shelton, Connecticut, at 2:30 PM.