SHELTON, Conn. – Senior forward Jacob Howell found the back of the net for Post University Men's Ice Hockey along with two other Eagles on Friday night, as for the first time this season, Post came out on top without needing a shutout, 3-1, against Southern New Hampshire. Entering the day, the Eagles were 0-17-1 when allowing at least one goal in a game. 

THE BASICS

Post University 3, Southern New Hampshire University 1

Post University (6-17-1, 5-11-1 NE10)

Southern New Hampshire University (8-14-1, 4-12-1 NE10) 

HOW IT HAPPENED
Scoring 10 minutes apart from each other, Howell put the Eagles on the board first with his seventh goal of the season near the midway point of the first. Taking the pass from senior forward Matteo Peca, Howell's first shot attempt on junior goalie Sean Guerin was stopped by his blocker before ricocheting back to him for the second chance shot and score.

On their second of two power plays in the first, freshman forward Zach Vickerman buried a shot under the crossbar on senior goalie Benjamin Cunneen with 42 seconds left from freshman forward Kenny Thurston and junior forward Stone Devlin off the offensive zone faceoff. Cunneen would close with seven saves against the Penmen while Guerin stopped 10 shots heading into the second.

Regaining the lead in the middle period with the only goal of the frame, it was sophomore forward Owen Atkinson scoring his second of the season on the redirected shot. Coming at nearly the same time as the first goal of the game for Post, senior defenseman Ryan O'Connell would hit Peca with a pass while falling to the ice. Peca's shot on Guerin would end up caroming off Atkinson on the left side, finding the back of the net to give the Eagles the lead back, 2-1.

Making 13 more saves in net, Cunneen kept Post ahead by one heading into the third, which the Penmen would carry a power play into after a late shot by Vickerman went just wide of the post and out of harm's way. The senior would go on to make 13 saves in the final 20 minutes of action, bringing his total for the game to 29 saves in his first non-shutout victory of the season. Freshman forward AJ Guzzardi tacked on his second goal of the season with a late empty-netter to secure the 3-1 win for the Eagles.

Between the two sides, there would be 10 total power plays, with each getting five apiece. For Post, they finished 1-for-5 with Howell's first-period score, while the Penmen went 0-for-5 on the day, and Guerin made 30 saves between the pipes for Southern New Hampshire.

BY THE NUMBERS 

• Jacob Howell now has goals in each of his last three goals for Post University, while having a three-game point streak as well -- Howell has seven goals and six assists on the season so far
• With the win over Southern New Hampshire University, this is only the second time in program history in which Post University has beaten the Penmen in two consecutive games -- The last time the Eagles did that was during the 2022-23 season 
• Picking up his first non-shutout win in net for Post University, Benjamin Cunneen had 29 saves on 30 total shots for the Eagles
• Post University earns their first win of the season when allowing at least one goal in a game -- The Eagles entered the game 0-17-1 in such situations this season

 
WHO'S NEXT 
Post University finishes up against Southern New Hampshire University tomorrow afternoon at 1:00 PM in the Sports Center of Connecticut.