By Brittany Burke
In a last ditch effort to win, the New York University club hockey team pulled goalie, Eric Meyers from his position between the pipes for the second time that night. In their previous attempt at an extra man on the ice, neither team was able to score, but that was not the case in the third period.
With 2:37 left in the third, CCSU was already up 7-4 when senior; Dane Anderson made a shot on NYU’s open net, scoring their eighth goal of the night. Anderson, whose first goal came at the end of the first period, got assistance from sophomore David Hotchkiss and senior Erich Stoneman in the Blue Devils’ attempt to lengthen their lead.
After the first goal scored on an empty net it would have been wise for NYU to put Meyers back in, but they opted to still play the extra man.
NYU was able to hold CCSU back at their own net for two and a half minutes, but with 7.9 seconds left in the game Blue Devil freshman Jaime Germaine scored the second empty net goal with assistance from Evan Mink, ultimately ending the game at 9-4.
The third period was a comeback for CCSU, who started the game off strong but fell apart in the second period.
“Second period they got away from the system that we wanted and some individualism came in to the game, and then they obviously took twelve minutes in penalties, that also hurt,” said Head Coach Ben Adams. “That combination will kill any team.”
Both teams came out strong for the opening half of the first period holding the game at zero for twelve and a half minutes. The defense was clearing the net when pressure was put on the goalie, and when NYU was able to take a shot goalie, Ross Mocko was able to make the stop. NYU ended up going scoreless for the first period, allowing CCSU to score four.
“I think we are a very streaky team and we score in bunches. We don’t have a rhyme or reason to that but they don’t space out their goals. It always seems to come in all four minutes and that’s it, and then there’s nothing for the period,” said Coach Adams.
Once the first goal was scored by Senior Captain Joe Dabkowski with help from brothers Rob and Mike DiClemente; three more followed. The third goal, made by Erich Stoneman was on a power play, while NYU’s Dustin Lockwood was in the box for roughing.
CCSU ended the period on a high note, leading 4-0, but when they took the ice for the second things began to fall apart.
The defense that contained NYU and allowed no goals during the first period was getting sloppy, making it easy for NYU to score their only four goals of the night. The power and accuracy in the passing game that lead to CCSU’s prior four goals was diminishing and the only point for CCSU in the second came from Senior Matt Williams, assisted by sophomore Jeff Pease and freshman, Jonathan Knobloch.
The Blue Devils left the ice with a one goal lead, six new penalties and twenty minutes left to play.
Halfway through the third period things started to look right for CCSU. They began to get back to the level of play which initially put them up by four in the first. Their puck handling improved and the defense was stepping up in front of the net, allowing for another goalless NYU period.
“The Captains did a good job pulling everybody together and rallying the troops…They came out second half of the third, after they killed off some more penalties and they put their heads and worked hard,” Coach Adams said of the turnaround in the third, and captains Dabkowski, Mike DiClemente and Thomas Carroll.
CCSU ended their three-game weekend on a high note, after going 1-1 Friday and Saturday against Holy Cross and Montclair.
They play home again on Saturday, Nov. 14 at 9:05 p.m. against league rivals Marist College with hopes to move up in the SECHL rankings.
