Men’s Ice Hockey off to best start in program history

David Pepin

Sports Editor

The Hounds men’s ice hockey team is off to its best start in program history, with a record of 5-0, after their 4-3 overtime victory against NE-10 division rival Stonehill on Tuesday.

The game was a back and forth affair that started scoring early when Stonehill junior forward Connor Jewett scored only 39 seconds into the game, giving Stonehill a 1-0 lead. However, the Stonehill lead would only last for about eight seconds before freshman forward Dante Maribito put in his first collegiate goal to tie the game at 1-1, only 47 seconds into the game.

Almost five minutes into the first period, the Hounds took their first lead when another freshman, forward Devan Sheth, scored to put the Hounds up 2-1.

However, the lead would not last. The Skyhawks were awarded a powerplay on a Sheth hooking minor, and they took advantage, scoring off a shot from senior forward Shamus Maloney, his first goal of the season.

The Hounds would take the lead once more in the first period at the 08:04 mark, with junior forward John Fine-Lease scoring his first of the year to put the Hounds back up 3-2.

After five goals were scored in the first, the second period was a complete change of pace, with no goals scored and the Hounds retaining their 3-2 lead the whole time.

The Skyhawks were able to tie the game at three early in the third thanks to junior forward Ryan Meade’s second goal of the season. The score would stay locked at three for the rest of regulation, and for most of overtime, until Hounds freshman forward Christopher Stalmok snuck one over Stonehill goalie Billy Palmer’s shoulder to give the Hounds the 4-3 overtime victory.

In a game where each team had the same amount of shots on net (30), the Hounds were able to grind out a tough one vs a good Stonehill team.

The overtime victory extended the Hounds record to 5-0 and it was the Hounds’ second overtime win of the season, with the first on November 1st vs Umass Dartmouth, a 3-2 overtime victory.

The Stonehill victory was the Hounds first game in NE-10 play, with their previous four victories coming against non-NE-10 opponents. They had a 4-2 win vs Suffolk, an 8-1 victory over Becker, the 3-2 overtime victory over Umass Dartmouth, and they had a 3-2 victory vs Fitchburg State to put them at a 4-0 record coming into the Stonehill game.

The Hounds followed the victory with a game at the defending the NE-10 champion Saint Anselm Hawks, where the Hounds’ streak met its end with a 5-1 loss. Despite the loss, the Hounds are still off to an incredible start with a record of 5-1, as they look to keep the good play rolling far into the season.

The Hounds men’s ice hockey team looks to continue its hot start to the season with games at Framingham State on November 13th, and a pivotal two-game home stand vs Southern New Hampshire University on November 16th and 17th.