NEW HAVEN, Conn. - Junior forward
Phil Parker (Rehoboth, Mass.) scored the go-ahead goal early in the third period, and the Western Connecticut State University men's hockey team downed Albertus Magnus College, 3-1, on Friday evening, to open its season with a win. Sophomore goaltender
Michael Burgos racked up 46 saves for the Wolves in the victory.
WestConn took the lead on the power play in the first period. Albertus Magnus took a boarding major and a minor penalty, and sophomore forward Erik Danilchev (Rochester, Mich.) scored at 14:06 on a feed from freshman forward Lynden Donald-Gorman (Edmonton, Alberta). Burgos stopped 17 shots in the first period to protect the lead.
Albertus Magnus tied it at 8:08 of the second period. Owen McNamara scored on the power play, assisted by Jacob Martineau and Jaxson Martin, after WestConn took a double-minor. Burgos recorded 20 saves in the period.
Parker put WestConn back in front at 5:43 of the third stanza on a pass from forward Jovanni Smeriglio. Burgos tacked on nine saves in the period, and with Albertus Magnus' goalie pulled for an extra attacker late, junior forward Tyler Blassingame (Allen, Texas) scored into the empty net at 18:30 for the 3-1 final. The goal was assisted by sophomore defenseman Matthew Donegan (Medford, N.J.) and Burgos.
Albertus Magnus won the face-off battle 45-29. Elowan Orme-Lynch paced the visitors with five shots, and Danilchev, Matteo Orme-Lynch and Scott McNulty each had three.
The Wolves improved to 1-0 overall and will look to continue moving in a postive direction when they host non-league foe Post University in their home-opener tomorrow at 7 p.m.
