COLCHESTER, Vt. – The recipe for success this season for Post University Men's Ice Hockey has been simple: allow no goals and win the game. While that would be the recipe for success for any team in any sport, for Post, it has been an exceptionally rare year for a team that entered the season with no shutout wins in program history. This season, senior goalie Benjamin Cunneen now has five wins and five shutouts for the Eagles after making 19 saves on Friday night against Saint Michael's College in a 2-0 win, as all of Post's wins this season have come via shutout.

Cunneen now sits alone at the top of the Northeast-10 Conference in shutout wins with five, three more than the next closest goalie, and is presumed to have tied the conference record for most shutouts in a single season by a goalie. 

THE BASICS

Post University 2, Saint Michael's College 0

Post University (5-16-1, 4-10-1 NE10)

Saint Michael's College (12-10-3, 7-6-2 NE10) 

HOW IT HAPPENED
It was a case of scoring early and being able to hold on the rest of the way as senior forward Jacob Howell scored less than a minute and a half into the affair, which would hold up as the game-winning goal when all was set and done. Howell's goal came off a faceoff in by himself, beating sophomore goalie Evan Plunkett off the draw with his shot for the unassisted goal, making it a 1-0 game in favor of the Eagles.

Cunneen would basically do the rest for Post, making those 19 saves in the net, while only needing to make a game-high seven saves in the first period, followed by six each in the second and third periods. The Purple Knights went on the power play four times in the first two frames, but only manufactured two shots against the senior, both of which came on the very first power play of the night. Saint Michael's third power play of the evening saw Post end up getting two shots on goal against Plunkett, as the home team would go 0-for-4 in the game on the man-up advantage.

Although the Eagles also went scoreless on the power play at 0-for-2, with both of those chances coming in the first period in which they only had one shot on goal, the Howell goal would be all they needed to steal their fifth shutout win of the year, second consecutive against Saint Michael's, and win their second straight game against the Purple Knights for the third time in program history, but first time via back-to-back shutouts. Earlier in the year at home, Post came out on top 3-0 on November 22nd against the Purple Knights, and would do so on Friday night following senior forward Baxter Kimball's empty net goal late to secure the 2-0 win.

BY THE NUMBERS 

• Baxter Kimball is now on a two-game point streak after recording the empty net goal in the third period for Post University -- Kimball finished the last game against Franklin Pierce University with an assist
• Benjamin Cunneen picked up his fifth win and fifth shutout of the season for Post University, making 19 saves in the game -- Cunneen continues to extend his record-breaking lead in the shutout category for the Eagles, who entered the year with no shutouts in program history
• All five of Post University's wins this season have come via the shutout, while they are 0-16-1 when their opponent scores at least one goal in a game 
• This is only the third time in program history in which Post University has won two consecutive games against Saint Michael's College, and the first time they have done so via back-to-back shutouts

WHO'S NEXT 
Post University finishes up its three-game road trip tomorrow afternoon at 2:00 PM against Saint Michael's College.