Despite only one game affecting Colonial States College Hockey Conference standings, much like last week, all but two teams were in action over the past weekend. In total, 13 games took place between Friday and Sunday with high scoring and late defensive stands. The teams will need to be ready for this weekend as five games take place between CSCHC teams. Not only that, but two more (Millersville University and the University of Pennsylvania) will be taking part in the Philadelphia City 6 showcase tournament starting Friday night against teams from other conferences.

Until then, here’s the recap for last weekend:

Princeton Tigers vs Scranton Royals

Princeton University’s second conference game of the season went better than it’s first. Three goals kept it competitive but Scranton University’s high octane offense pushed forward and earned the win, 5-3. The Tigers fall to 0-2-0-0 early in the season while many other CSCHC teams have either only played one game or none.

The Royals scored four goals in the first period from junior Peter Cassidy along with three freshman; Tom DelGaizo, Kieran Regen and Liam Feeley. Despite being a team ripe with new faces, Scranton still showed the squad that finished atop the standings last season was still a threat. In net, Dylan Euvino held the Tigers scoreless for the first 20 minutes and made big saves all night. A Princeton response in the second with goals from graduate student Kai Chong-Smith and hometown sophomore Maximilian Garlock cutting the lead in half as play slowed down on both sides.

The third saw the game get sealed when Freely scored his second of the night giving his team a three goal buffer. A final Princeton goal by Nicholas Cefalu     and a few more chances saw the game out.

Select Non-Conference Recaps:

Friday, September 20

West Chester Rams vs St. Joes’ Hawks (4-3)

A fast start by West Chester University was not enough to hold on against St. Joseph's University of the Atlantic Coast Collegiate Hockey League (ACCHL). A great goaltending performance early on and a multiple-goal lead couldn’t hold the Hawks as they surged back for the win, 4-3.

In the first twenty minutes, the Rams took the lead when Alex Marino scored off assists from Trevor Yeager and Diquan Jackson. Taking on the same team that beat fellow CSCHC team Millersville one week prior, West Chester looked towards his defense and goaltending to keep them in it. That was working halfway through the second, as the team took a 3-0 lead off goals from Hunter Neiss, assisted by Kevin Keating, and Vince Vetrano on a power play, assisted by Marino and Rich Brown.

Following these goals however the WCU offense would be kept silent for the rest of the second and entirety of the third periods. The Hawks cut the lead to one heading into the final 20 minutes and scored two more times in the span. The visitors outshot the Rams 18-7 in the last period as the team took its second win over a CSCHC team in as many weeks.

Saturday, September 21

TCNJ Lions vs Army Black Knights (6-3)

Despite playing without two of its top defensemen, The College of New Jersey jumped out to an early lead and didn’t allow the United States Military Academy (Army) to mount a comeback. The defending three-time conference champions picked up its second win of the season and first in non-CSCHC play, 6-3.

Team captain Marc Tietjen and fellow defenseman Travis Beni were both absent from the lineup, with the former suffering a small injury the night prior against Montclair State University. Despite the losses in the back, sophomore goalie Michael Lojewski     held up against the cavalry, taking a clean sheet into the second period. His offense however didn’t need that much time. Junior forward Matt Lojewski tapped in a shot attempt from sophomore Jameson Dugan ten minutes in before senior Andrew Lem found sophomore Anthony De Alto to double the lead. 

Sophomore defenseman Patrick Willever scored an unassisted goal in the second period, inadvertently preserving the TCNJ lead as Army began to respond. Two quick shots slipped past Lokewski to cut the lead to one goal. With the pressure on and the lead in the balance, TCNJ would take advantage of a pass into the Army zone took an unusual bounce as it neared the Knights’ crease. Junior Lawrence Kruglyak jumped on it and slipped the puck into the back of the net to give his team the two goal lead heading into the third.

Despite a neutral zone error converting into an Army goal early in the third half, TCNJ responded on its own with goals from a pair of junior forwards; Dan Martin and Kevin Broskie. 

Sunday, September 22:

NJIT Highlanders vs Bloomsburg Huskies (2-3)

After a hard loss the previous night to Temple University’s ACHA Division 1 team, the New Jersey Institute of Technology hit the road to take on Bloomsburg University in Wilkes-Barre, PA. Three goals in the third period by the home team broke the late-game NJIT lead as the Highlanders fell, 3-2.

Senior goalie Matt Altomare had a solid performance in his first game of the season, stopping 37 of 40 shots and keeping a shutout until the third period. The goals for NJIT came from new faces to the squad for 2019-20, and both came on power play opportunities. First, freshman Jeff Patterson gave his team the lead in the second period, off an assist from senior James Lyle. Heading into the third and following two Huskie goals, recent transfer Dalton Smith scored his first as a Highlander, assisted by junior Michael Caufield and Lyle once again, to even the score.

A back and forth third saw both teams get multiple chances to score, but Bloomsburg, which outshot the home team 40-25, was the one to find the back of the net a third time and claim the win.

Other Scores:

Friday, September 20:

   The College of New Jersey (3) vs Montclair State University (7)

Goals: Kris Hastings, Dan Martin (PP), JP Kelly (PP)

    Millersville University (0) vs Penn State Berks (8)

    Rutgers University (4) vs University of Connecticut (5)

Goals: Not Reported

Saturday, September 21:

    Scranton University (3) @ Binghamton University (10)

Goals: Not Reported

    West Chester University (4) @ Stevenson Institute of Technology (6)

Goals: Eric Schwass (Alex Marino & Vincent Vetrano), Alex Marino (PP) (Nicholas

Schuck), Alex Marino (2) (PP) (Teriq Mapp), Joshua Stephenson (Grey Rumain and Eric

Schwass)

    New Jersey Institute of Technology (0) @ Temple University (D1) (11)

    Millersville University (2) vs United States Naval Academy (D2) (3)
            Goals: Jack Dreisbach, Dennis Kohajda

    Monmouth University (5) - Rutgers University - Camden (8) 

            Goals: Rob Goehring (2), Chris Falzone, Donnie Califano, Tom Ashmore