The UCHC standings are heating up as the regular season winds down and Connecticut College pulled off the upset of the weekend with a 2-1 win over previously unbeaten Norwich. Here is a recap of all of the week’s action:
Non-Conference
Anna Maria v. Plymouth State
On Thursday, the visiting AmCats jumped out to an early 1-0 lead on Lukas Radina’s goal but the Panthers scored five unanswered to cruise to a 6-3 win. Anton Nasstrom scored a pair for PSU and Jake Gerbner added a goal and two assists in the win.
In the return match at Anna Maria, Myles Abbate scored a goal in each period to lead the Panthers to a 5-3 win and sweep of the two-game series. The game was tied at 3-3 after two periods of play before Peter Laviolette and Abbate scored the only goals of the third period for the win.
Curry v. Endicott
In what has always been an intense rivalry in CCC play, the Gulls swept the two-game series with the Colonels by scores of 3-1 and 7-2. On Friday, Connor Amsley scored in the first period for Endicott and Austin Whelan provided the equalizer in the second period to tie the game at 1-1. Noah Strawn broke the deadlock late in the third period and Jake Simons added the empty-net insurance goal in the win.
On Saturday, the Gulls left little doubt with a fast start and a 3-0 first period lead on goals from Mitch Shaheen, Connor Clemmons and Connor Beatty. They extended the lead to 5-0 before Curry answered in the third period where Beatty added his second of the game in the 7-2 win.
Becker v. Nichols
On Friday, Filip Virgili figured in the first four goals for the Bison who took a 5-3 win over the Hawks. Virgili finished the night with the game winning goal along with three assists.
On Saturday, the Bison completed the two-game sweep with a 5-2 win. The game was tied at 2-2 after two periods. Goals from Peter Miko, Austan Bellefeuille and Curtis Carlson in the third period provided the difference for Nichols who moved to 2-2-1 on the season.
Southern Maine v. Colby
Colby picked up their first win of the season in a 5-1 victory over Southern Maine. Quinn Doyle scored two of Colby’s four straight goals that broke open a 1-1 game in the second period. Alex Borhas added a shorthanded, empty-net goal and an assist on Jacob Thousand’s first period goal to help spark the offense.
Norwich v. Connecticut College
The Camels were ready to avenge a 6-2 exhibition contest loss against the Cadets and do something no team had done since December 6, 2019: hand Norwich a loss. Appropriately on senior day it was senior Matt Creamer that got the Camels on the scoreboard with a power play goal and a 1-0 first period lead. Freshman Seth Stadheim made it 2-0 in the third period before Scott Swanson cut the deficit in half with an extra-attacker goal and just over one minute left in regulation. The Cadets had chances to tie the game but some key blocks by Camel’s players and some big saves from Cam Fernandez sealed the win for Conn College who knocked Norwich from the ranks of the unbeaten.
UCHC
Stevenson v. Lebanon Valley
On Wednesday, the Mustangs and Flying Dutchmen battled to a 2-2 regulation tie before Evan Beers gave Stevenson a shootout win in the fourth round. Alex Borowiec gave LVC a 1-0 lead after two periods, but Stevenson came back with goals from Blake Colman and Austin Master for a 2-1 lead. Skyler Pugh knotted the game at 2-2 and overtime couldn’t decide a winner. Ryan Kenney stopped all four shootout attempts he faced to make Beers’ goal stand up as the game-winner.
On Sunday, the Mustangs completed the two-game sweep of the Flying Dutchmen with a convincing 7-2 win. Forward Ryan Patrick led Stevenson with four assists as seven different players scored, and the Mustang power play was very effective connecting five times on eight chances.
Elmira v. Wilkes
On Friday, Elmira fought back three times from one-goal deficits to send the game into overtime tied at 3-3. In the extra session a bench minor penalty for too many men on the ice gave the visitors a power play which Nicolas Domitrovic turned into an overtime winner and a 4-3 win for Elmira.
On Saturday, Wilkes behind a hat trick from Tyler Dill earned a split of the home-and-home series with a 4-2 win. Nick Fea who also had a three-point night, scored the game winner with just over five minutes remaining in the third period.
Chatham v. Lebanon Valley
On Friday, Chatham’s Kenneth Gill and Carson Greiner scored in the first period to give the Cougars a 2-1 lead. The lead was extended to 3-1 on Niko Moulakelis’ third period goal and Ricardo Gonzalez made 25 saves to earn the win.
Chatham v. Stevenson
On Saturday, the Cougars and Mustangs were knotted at 1-1 through two periods of play before ethe fireworks erupted in the final period. Stevenson scored five unanswered goals in the first 12 minutes of the period to take a 6-1 lead on their way to a 6-3 win. Mac Lowry scored twice in the final period as part of the offensive barrage that chased goaltender Ricardo Gonzalez.
Utica v. Nazareth
The Pioneers showed off their offensive firepower in 6-0 and 7-2 wins over Nazareth over the weekend. On Friday, Dante Zapata and Conor Landrigan both scored twice and added an assist to support goaltender Sean Dickson who earned the shutout win.
On Saturday, Landrigan recorded a five-point night with two goals and three assists while Brandon Osmundson chipped in with two goals and an assist in the 7-2 rout. The sweep moved Utica to 5-1-0 in UCHC play.
Three Biscuits
Conor Landrigan – Utica – enjoyed an eight-point weekend in a pair of wins over Nazareth. Landrigan recorded four goals and four assists in 6-0 and 7-2 wins for the Pioneers.
Filip Virgili – Nichols – scored the game winning goal and added three assists in the 5-3 Bison win over Becker on Friday.
Myles Abbate – Plymouth State – scored a hat trick for the Panthers that helped them earn a 5-3 win over Anna Maria on Saturday.
Bonus Biscuits
Tyler Dill – Wilkes – recorded a hat trick in the Colonels 4-2 win over Elmira that earned a split of the weekend series.
Cam Fernandez – Conn College – the freshman netminder stopped 27 of 28 shots for the Camels in a 2-1 win over previously unbeaten Norwich. The Camel win snapped the Cadet unbeaten streak that spanned 468 days back to December of 2019.
Most of the non-conference teams are now making way for the spring sports on campus but a few teams are trying to get in a couple more games while the UCHC is battling for regular season honors and playoff ranking in search of a conference title.
