Looking to build momentum after splitting last weekend’s series against Clarkson, Marist club hockey went 1-1 over the weekend, with a 6-5 road win over Central Connecticut on Friday night, followed by a 9-4 home loss to Sacred Heart on Saturday afternoon.
In Friday night’s road match, the Blue Devils put early pressure on sophomore Marist goalie John Sarfaty and quickly opened the scoring in the first period. However, junior forward Tyler Stoneman responded with a goal, tying the match 1-1. Marist (4-3) saw their defense struggle as the Devils’ offense overwhelmed them with shots, and Central Connecticut earned a 4-2 lead by the end of the first period.
The match’s dynamics took a complete turn in the second period as the Marist came out with an aggressive offensive approach to recover from a bumpy first period. Sophomore defenseman Alexander Armada broke away to score and tie the match with 9:40 remaining in the second period. Forward Tyler Stoneman fired a go-ahead shot from the blue line, catching sophomore goalie Graydon Selstad off guard. Stoneman’s second goal capped a three-goal run, putting Marist ahead 5-4 going into the third period.
Led by defenseman Alexander Armand’s first goal and hat trick, the Red Foxes obtained a lead they would never surrender as they won 6-5, giving the team momentum heading into a matchup back in the McCann Ice Arena against the Sacred Heart Pioneers.
Coming off an impressive offensive array, Marist initially picked up right where they left off against Sacred Heart. Early in the first, the offense thrived with junior forward Sean Bruno catching an early breakaway and a swift shot to the right to deceive sophomore goalie Matt Dworkowitz, putting Marist ahead two minutes into the first period. Nearly a minute later, heavy pressure on the Pioneer defense allowed freshman defenseman Jack Woodhead to sling a shot from the high slot to maintain Marist’s aggressive forecheck and put the Pioneers in an early two-goal deficit.
Despite the Pioneers creating offense most of the first period, junior forward Jake Dargento got the puck over Sacred Hearts’ blue line and found senior forward Christian Wilde for a speedy one-timer for Marist’s third unanswered goal. Stellar goalie play from junior Anthony Russo allowed Marist to hold their dominant lead throughout the period.
“Our goalies are our backbone,” said Marist head coach Anthony LoBianco. “When they make great saves, [they] keep us in the game. That’s why we were winning.”
In the waning minutes of the first period, Pioneers sophomore defenseman Jake Desmarais staying poised by the blue line and shot Sacred Heart’s first goal to end the scoring drought and bring the score to 3-1 at the end of the first.
The Pioneers came out energized in the second period, eager to continue closing the gap on Marist’s early lead. Locked in defensively, they forced an early Marist turnover, creating a three-on-one opportunity. Senior right-wing Matt Milko capitalized with a strong shot, cutting the deficit to one. Sacred Heart’s offense continued gaining momentum, as sophomore defenseman McGuire Goggins fired through the five-hole, catching Russo off guard and tying the game at 3-3 with nine minutes left in the second period.
Momentum was not on Marist’s side, as Sacred Heart’s offensive pressure began to wilt the efforts of Marist defense. Marist wound up in two five-on-three scenarios early in the third period. Off of the early man advantages, the Pioneers received goals from junior wing James O’Toole, sophomore defenseman Dylan Stiles and senior wing Christos Caminis.
Unestablished defense and slow pace caught up to the Red Foxes, as Sacred Heart ultimately scored six unanswered goals in the third period, which included a hat trick from Stiles. Frustration boiled over, leading to the ejections of multiple players, including defenseman Nolan Faherty and Stoneman.
“I think if you stay out of the box, this game is a lot closer and more competitive,” said LoBianco. “With some of the penalties, it hindered our ability to finish the game.”
Closing out the weekend with a 9-4 loss, the Red Foxes will now hit the road to play another division rival in Siena on Friday Oct. 11th without Faherty and Stoneman due to one-match suspensions resulting from their ejections.
Edited by Luke Sassa
Graphic & photo from Kira Crutcher
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