Seven different players scored goals, six had at least a goal and an assist and 12 players registered at least a point as the University of Vermont men’s ice hockey team put on an offensive show in a 9-1 exhibition victory over Queen’s University of Ontario Saturday.
Freshman Billy Kelly and senior captain Jerry Gernander each recorded two goals and one assist to lead the Catamount offense. Recording a goal and an assist were senior assistant captain Mike Torney, junior Chris Hills, freshman Patrick Sharp, sophomore Ryan Miller and senior J.F. Caudron. Senior goalie Andrew Allen, , made 17 saves in net for the Catamounts.
Vermont, six for 11 on the power play for the night, opened the scoring in the first period when Kelly scored on a rebound from a Thomas Hajek shot at 3:41. Kelly took the faceoff to the left of Queen’s goalie Matt Tsuji, drew the puck back to Hajek at the left point, and then went to the net and deposited the puck top-shelf to Tsuji’s glove side.
The Catamounts made it 2-0 moments later when Hills got the puck in the slot after some good checking work by Sharp and turned and beat Tsuji low to the stick side.
Midway through the first period, the Catamount offensive juggernaut continued when freshman Jeff Miles sent a nice pass up ice to a streaking Sharp, who skated up the right side and let a blistering slapshot go that beat Tsuji between the pads. Sharp’s goal made it 3-0 Vermont, and the Cats continued to dominate the play for the rest of the period. Vermont outshot the Golden Gaels, 10-3, in the first 20 minutes, and Catamount goalie Andrew Allen was solid when called upon to make a save.
Vermont took a 4-0 lead with less than five minutes to go in the second period when Caudron took a pass from Ryan Cox, skated through the slot and ripped a wrist shot past Tsuji while the Catamounts were on the power play. Gernander also assisted on the goal.
The Catamounts scored another power-play goal with 1:06 left in the second period. Miller scored from in front, with assists going to Kelly and Hills as Queens’ Darcy Morris was in the penalty box for five minutes for hitting from behind.
Vermont scored two more times on the one power play, with Gernander scoring his first of the night at 0:32 of the third, with assists going to Caudron and Torney, and Kelly notching his second of the night with helpers from Miller and Hills.
Vermont scored its fifth power-play goal of the night 4:28 into the third period with Aaron Fransen of Queen’s in the box for hitting after the whistle. Gernander scored his second of the game with assists going to freshman Dustin Corbett and senior Martin Wilde. Corbett also assisted on Torney’s goal late in the game.
Vermont opens up ECAC play next weekend with road games at Harvard Friday and Brown Saturday.
