The men’s hockey team faced two opponents in a weekend match-up, tying 2-2 Jan. 30 against Norwich University and winning 4-1 Jan. 31 against Vermont State University Castleton.
Jan. 30, the Norwich Cadets maintained a certain strain on the Beacons as the freshman goalkeeper kept making saves for the team in the early minutes. What seemed like a scoreless first half saw two consecutive goals from the Cadets in a 16 second span. This put pressure on the Beacons as they concluded the first 20 minutes with a 2-0 Cadets advantage.
The Beacons were quick to retaliate as they struck in the early seconds of the second period with freshman Kyle Isenberg at the apex. He successfully got the Beacons on the board by narrowing the Cadets lead to 2-1. The team maintained a strong offensive footing throughout the period while Koeing took care of business defensively for the team, making a career high 41 saves through the game.
In the third period, the Beacons leveled the ice against the Cadets as junior Chris Merryman netted the equalizer, leading them into a 2-2 draw. The team maintained this momentum throughout the period, exerting pressure offensively on their opponents and winning major faceoffs.
None of the two teams were able to strike and net the winning goal during 15 minutes of regulation or the five-minute overtime. The output of the game was decided in a shootout as the Cadets netted the first one against the Beacons.
Jan. 31, against Vermont State University Castleton on the road, the Beacons were the first to strike as senior captain Jazz Kristov netted the first goal of the game in the eighth minute of the first period. This set the momentum for senior Dylan Robbins to strike just five minutes later and successfully net one for the team, doubling the lead.
Castleton retaliated with their own goal, cutting the deficit to 2-1 and marking the unfortunate opponents first and last goal of the game. The Beacons were quick to answer as junior forward Jakub Teply netted a goal for the Beacons, ending the second period with a 3-1 advantage.
The third period saw an unassisted senior Jude Kurtas netting the final goal of the game and helping the Beacons secure their 4-1 win. Sophomore goalkeeper Connor McDonnough played a critical role in the goal, making 41 successful saves throughout the game.
