Looking to right the ship after a rough stretch of games, Marist club hockey took to the ice against Siena in game two of the Route 87 Cup.
Marist came into today holding a 1-0 series lead after a 5-2 victory over Siena back in October, and, with the Interstate 87 sign in attendance, looked to put the series to bed and come out on top for the first time in three years. The Red Foxes found themselves on the wrong side of the scoreboard, losing 5-1 to Siena, who tied the Route 87 Cup series at one apiece. With this loss, Marist was outscored 10-2 in both games this weekend and has lost six out of their last seven games.
Marist cleaned up some parts of their game that were lacking on Friday, but they continued to struggle with turnovers. Siena took advantage of these and added two goals off forced turnovers. Defensive miscues were another recurring problem, as a Siena skater uncovered in front of the net led to another goal for the Saints. Siena had numerous effective offensive rushes and was often quicker to the puck.
The first period was mostly even-matched throughout. Marist and Siena went back and forth with nobody really assuming full control of the game just yet, with each side having their moments and both goaltenders looking solid to start. The Red Foxes did have some errant passes and miscues that almost let Siena break the game open, but they kept their errors controlled. However, Siena would still start the scoring off with a goal from Nate Scarincio. Marist captain Christian Wilde then drew a penalty to give Marist a powerplay, resulting in Marist’s only goal after Tyler Stoneman shot a puck that rebounded off Siena goaltender Matt McCarthy’s right pad.
The Saints took over in the second period. Sophomore defenseman Matt Sacco attempted to clear the puck off the boards, but Siena intercepted it. Freshman defender Hayden McGuigan sauced a pass to freshman defender Alex Hart, who batted the puck into the net to score.
The Red Foxes also struggled to solve goalie Matt McCarthy, as he continuously stopped Marist’s scoring chances. The Saints came marching in with two more goals, one off of another Marist turnover to create a 2-on-1 opportunity, and one final one coming from freshman defender Daalton Demarsh. Demarch, Siena’s leading point scorer, was left uncovered in front of the net and scored in close on Schauder.
Marist junior goaltender AJ Schauder was attacked by Siena’s offense today. He had a lot of heavy lifting to do, as there were times it came down to him bailing the team out, but still allowed four goals in the second period that put the game out of reach. In the third period, he was pulled and replaced by junior goaltender Anthony Russo, who started Friday night’s game. Russo was solid but allowed one goal that solidified a Siena win and sapped any hope the Red Foxes had.
On the road ahead, Marist returns to the McCann Ice Arena on Nov. 15 to take on the Binghamton Bearcats. As for Siena, Marist will face them one more time on the road on Nov. 22 in the final game of the Route 87 Cup.
Edited by Luke Sassa
Photo by Jaylen Rizzo
For more coverage of Marist athletics, follow @cfmarist on Instagram, X and TikTok, and sign up to receive daily alerts here.