ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Trine University men's hockey team stormed back from a two-goal deficit with four unanswered goals to defeat their hosts from Hamline University by the score of 5-3 in the season opener.
The Thunder scored first in the contest, when in the eighth minute of the first period, senior Garrett Hallford (McKinney, Texas) scored. Senior Hunter Payment (Monroe, Mich.) and junior Justin Meers (St. Charles, Mo.) added assists on the goal which gave the team a 1-0 lead.
Trine struggled defensively in the second as the Pipers tallied three goals and played with a distinct advantage for the first 19 minutes and change of the period. But in the waning seconds of the stanza, the Thunder took back the momentum. This time it was freshman Tyler Shetland (Laguna Hills, Calif.) who scored the goal with Hallford and Payment adding assists.
Riding the momentum into the third period, the team tied the game in the fourth. Sophomore Thad Marcola (Almont, Mich.) won tied up an offensive zone faceoff before getting the puck just enough loose for junior Brendan Prappas (West Bloomfield, Mich.) to pass it back to the point. From there sophomore Jackson Clark (Fort Mill, S.C.) moved up the boards before firing a shot from the side into the net.
Trine then took back the lead in the ninth minute of the third period. After a turnover in the defensive zone, freshman Bobby Price (Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.) received the puck at the blueline where he quickly passed it back to a streaking Prappas who carried the puck deep into the offensive end of the ice. From the left of the net he fired a pass in front of the goalie to Marcola who finished off the play with a backdoor goal putting the team ahead 4-3.
Following offsetting penalties, the team's lined up in the Thunder offensive zone to face off in 4-on-4 hockey. Hallford won the faceoff, moving the puck back to the point where junior Brett Tierney (West Chicago, Ill.) collected it at the point. After thinking about passing the puck, he moved up the boards before firing a shot from the bottom of the faceoff circle deflecting it into the net off the goalie to give the team a two-goal lead at 5-3.
Trine would hold off the Pipers to finish the game with the win, starting the season 1-0. Sophomore Shane Brancato (Lake Villa, Ill.) played in net for the team and finished the game with 15 saves despite allowing the three goals.
The Thunder will face off with Hamline again tomorrow, Saturday, Oct. 30. The road contest is scheduled to start at 3 p.m. ET or 2 p.m. CT.