The Lions had an exciting and emotional start to the season. They began the 2019/20 season with a three game weekend, beginning with a league game at the Princeton Tigers on Friday night. The Lions came out flying in the first period and had the Tigers pinned in their own end most of the period, Tigers goalie Ben Crewe would stand tall until JP Kelly finally scored the first goal of the Lions season. The second period would be filled with penalties for both teams and that resulted in some sloppy play. Nick Pontoriero would make some important shorthanded saves to preserve the lead and JP Kelly would strike again late in the second period to give the Lions a two goal lead into the third period. Travis Beni and Kris Hastings would score two quick goals in the third to push the lead to four and that’s how the game would end, a 4-0 Lions win in an important league game. Nick Pontoriero made 24 saves for his first college shutout and Anthony DeAlto added three assists.

On Saturday the Lions traveled south to take on the Division 1 Temple Owls in a tough non-league game. The evening had an emotional start as Temple honored their captain, Ryan Trefs who passed away over the summer. With the emotional build up the Owls came out strong and would break the ice halfway through the period, the Lions would push back but the Owls took the one goal lead into the second. Temple started the second with a power play and would take a two goal lead on a screened point shot. TCNJ again would push back and after nearly scoring on a deflection Temple would take a three goal lead on a deflection of their own off of a faceoff. Late in the period assistant captain Ryan Anderson would come up with a big goal to give the Lions life going into the third. The momentum would continue into the third period and the Lions would make it a one goal game when a point shot from Jameson Dugan found its way through a crowd, they would keep pressuring but another Owls power play goal restored the two goal lead and they would take the game 4-2. Reigning playoff MVP Mike Lojewski was excellent making 38 saves in the loss.

On Sunday the Lions opened up their home schedule with a tough non-league tilt against the Delaware Blue Hens, a team they struggled with twice last year. Sunday’s game started the way last years games did as the Blue Hens would jump out to a four goal lead just fourteen minutes into the period but unlike last year we had someone step up as Ryan Anderson would put home a power play goal and then was mere inches away from his second. TCNJ picked up their play in the second and with outstanding goaltending from Lojewski they would keep the Blue Hens off the board in the second, in the third period the Lions would start applying some pressure and get rewarded as freshman Sean Leonard would get his first college goal on a great pass by fellow freshman Mike Hannigan for his first college point. Although they came close the Lions wouldn’t get any closer and drop their second straight 4-2. Goalie Mike Lojewski would finish with an amazing 48 saves, giving him 86 saves for the weekend.

The Lions have two home games this weekend, Friday vs Montclair State at 6:30pm and Saturday vs Army at 3:00pm.