By Michael Battista (@MichaelB_96)

 

A huge week in terms of standing implications last weekend for both conference position and in terms of possible ACHA standings. Two of the Colonial States College Hockey Conference undefeated teams faced off while two teams looking for their first win also hit the ice against one-another. In total, seven conference match-ups helped determine the new standings.

In addition, West Chester University played a grueling three-day schedule, winning a nail bitter shootout against Rutgers University before heading down south to play the University of Richmond in a two-game series. The Rams and Spiders both hit with high power offenses and in the end the teams split the games with one win each.

Here’s the full recap:

Monmouth Hawks vs NJIT Highlanders (3-2)

The Monmouth Hawks picked up conference points against New Jersey Institute of Technology on Friday night, 3-2. Both teams were looking for their first win and with it the Hawks now jump to eighth place in the CSCHC standings. 

The game winner came with less than five second to play as Monmouth’s Richie Sabbagh took advantage of a turnover in the opposing zone and snuck in the puck past goalie Matthew Altomare. He joined fellow Hawks’ Todd Zellers and Tom Ashmore, each with one goal, as the first two helped give the home team a lead for the majority of the game. Those two early scores in the first period and the work by the defense kept the Hawks in the lead for most of the game and deep into the third period. 

For their part the visitors responded in the first when Matt Sendecki tied it up less than a minute after Zellers opened the score. But missed chances and great defence kept the Highlanders away from the tying goal for the entirety of the second period.

With less than three minutes to play, both teams played into a rhythm looking to get out of the game with the win. Highlander Michael Caufield put himself into position with less than three minutes to go and with a pass coming towards him, he redirected it into the back of the net to tie the game before Sabbagh’s game winner crushed any hope for a NJIT point.

 

UPenn Quakers vs Seton Hall Pirates (14-3)

The University of Pennsylvania remains undefeated in college play after a successful weekend starting with Friday’s double digit win over Seton Hall University. 

In total, nine different players scored for the Quakers including hat-tricks by both Robert Blend and Jonas Toupal. Forward Nick Jindal also picked up two goals during the third period. Rounding out scoring with one each were Tyler McGoldrick, Hayden Stephen, Tyler Alfonzetti, Brian Begley, Nicholas Eissler, and Brett Rahbany. Jonas also finished the night with two assists to cap off a five point game in the big conference win.

The Pirates, fresh off a two hour bus ride to reach the arena, did not have time to practice before the game and struggled immediately by allowing three unanswered goals in the first period. Freshman Cam Toussaint scored late in the first with his team down 9-1 but chances began to pile up for the Quakers as the second progressed. In the third period, first year player Jenson LaBrecque found the back of the net assisted by captains Jeremy Grabiec and Thomas Healy. 

The slow offense for the Pirates ended on a high note as freshman JP Winkle scored his first college goal off a deflection from defenseman Hayden Rossi.

The weekend ended with 25 total goals for UPenn over two days as the Quakers also defeated Millersville University, 11-2, on Saturday (info below).

Sunday, October 20:

TCNJ Lions vs Scranton Royals (4-3) (OT)

Two undefeated teams battled it out on Sunday night in Lawrenceville, New Jersey in a rematch of the last two CSCHC Championship games. On the same ice where it won its third straight CSCHC title earlier this year, The College of New Jersey one again defeated the University of Scranton, 4-3, after Dan Martin scored the game winner in overtime.

Scranton head coach Stephan Fusco said afterwards that the game was “one for the ages.” 

“Coach (Andrew) Ducko and myself were at it once again with the head to head strategy to pull out a win,” Fusco said in an email. “It was end to end at all times. However in the end, TCNJ broke our hearts once again.”

The goal came in the first minute of additional play after Jameson Dugan broke up a Scranton pass in the neutral zone, allowing the junior to scoop up the puck and beat Royal goalkeeper Dylan Euvino on the breakaway.

With the win, TCNJ (10 pts) now sits behind the University of Pennsylvania (12 pts) (which has played one more conference game) as the only two undefeated teams left. Scranton drops to 4-0-1 but picks up a point for reaching overtime, meaning it remains in third place with 9 points for the time being.

For its part Scranton played up to the challenge on the road against its inter-conference rivals. After both teams entered the second period scoreless, Royal Keiran Regan put the visitors on the board first after scooping up a rebounded shot in the crease off TCNJ netminder Mike Lojewski. Regan played a huge role for his team late in the second as well, scoring off an odd-man rush to tie the game after TCNJ took control of the game.

Despite the offense pressuring Lojewski all game, hitting him with 36 shots in total, Scranton struggled to stay out of the penalty box in the second period giving the Lions the opportunity to score two power play goals.

The first came from Kris Hastings copied the Scranton formula and snuck in a rebound past Euvino after Travis Beni slapped a shot through traffic. Shortly after, Anthony DeAlto found team captain Marc Tietjen in the slot. The defender went past the goalie in the high glove side to give his team the lead midway through.

The third period was the most chaotic of the game, with both teams going one-for-one in goals. Ten minutes in, JJ Foster scored on the Lions to give his team its second lead of the game. The Royals looked to hold on, but with under a minute to go and Lojewski pulled for an extra attacker the third rebound goal of the game evened the score. Tietjen shot though traffic on the net and despite a save Anthony DeAlto smacked the tying goal with 53 seconds to play. 

The Lions, which are on break until early November, finished the game with Lojewski’s third win of the season and DeAlto increasing his season point total to 13 with two additional assists going along with his goal.

Other Scores:

Friday, Oct. 18

• Millersville University (0) vs University of Scranton (3) (CSCHC Game)

            Scranton Goals:

            1) John Forlenza

            2) Pete Cassidy

            3) Max Meisenbacher

 

• Rutgers University (5) vs West Chester University (6) (Shootout) (CSCHC Game)

                        Rutgers Goals:

1) Anthony Poppalardo (PP) (Branden Kushnir, Nicholas Monticchio)

                        2) Anthony Poppalardo (2) (Kyle Smith, Anthony Margiotta)

                        3) Ryan Hille (PP) (Timothy Anzano, Nicholas Monticchio)

                        4) Doug Fisher (Joshua LoGiudice, Timothy Anzano)

                        5) Timothy Anzano (PP) (Ryan Hille)

 

                        West Chester Goals:

            1) Joshua Stephenson (Eric Schwass)

            2) Joshua Stephenson (2) (Vincent Vetrano)

            3) Alex Marino (Richard Brown, Gary Palmer)

            4) Dylan Storz

            5) Dylan Storz (PP) (Kevin Keating)

            6) Alex Marino (2) (Shootout winner - credited on ACHA Records)

 

Saturday, Oct. 19

• Millersville University (2) vs University of Pennsylvania (11) (CSCHC Game)

            Millersville Goals:

            - Not Reported

 

            UPenn Goals:

1) Connor Blend (Brett Rahbany, Alex Beckert)

            2) Jonas Toupal (Christian Rodriguez, Phil Foster)

            3) Connor Blend (2) (Alex Beckert, Brett Rahbany)

            4) Andrew Lane (PP) (Jonas Toupal, Hayden Stephen)          

            5) Brett Rahbany (PP) (Brian Begley, Andrew Lane)

            6) Alex Beckert (PP) (Brian Begley, Jonas Toupal)

            7) Connor Blend (3) (Alex Beckert)

            8) Jonas Toupal (2) (PP) (Alex Beckert, Andrew Lane)

            9) Brett Rahbany (2) (Connor Blend, Xander Kostelnik)

            10) Tyler Alfonzetti (Alan Burd)

            11) Brett Rahbany (3) (Alex Beckert, Phil Foster)

 

• University of Richmond (9) vs West Chester University (5)

West Chester Goals:

            - Not Reported

 

• Seton Hall University (4) vs New Jersey Institute of Technology (2) (CSCHC Game)

            Seton Hall Goals:

            1) Nick Mangano (Justin Petracco, Thomas Healy)

            2) Cam Toussaint 

3) Thomas Healy (PP)

4) Nick Mangano (2) (Nick Serapiglia)

 

NJIT Goals:

1) Jeff Patterson (James Copeland)

2) Christian Culp (James Copeland, Dalton Smith)

 

Sunday, Oct. 20

• University of Richmond (1) vs West Chester University (8)

West Chester Goals:

                        - Not Reported