ANGOLA, Ind. – The Trine University men's hockey team rode a three-goal second period to a 4-2 victory over visiting Hamilton College. Senior Brendan Prappas led the way for the team recording a goal and an assist in the contest.
The Thunder applied ample pressure in the first period of the contest, but were unable to find the back of the net. They posted 11 shots on goal in the period to the Continentals two.
Despite the lopsided shot totals, Hamilton would come up with the first goal of the contest. In the fourth minute of the second period the visiting squad went up a man after a Trine penalty. For most of the penalty kill attempt the home team continued to apply offensive pressure, recording a pair of breakaway opportunities. Finally, in the waning seconds of the opportunity the Continentals found the back of the net to take the 1-0 lead.
In the eighth minute of the same period, freshman Evan Carroll won the puck along the boards and moved it back to the point where junior Jackson Clark collected it before passing it along the blue line to freshman Sean Henry. The defender fired a shot that curved by the goalie into the right side of the net, tying the game at one.
With six minutes remaining in the second Hamilton gifted Trine a five-minute power-play, which they turned into not one but two goals to build their first lead to 3-1.
The first of those goals came in the 18th minute. Prappas passed the puck from the near circle to behind the net where sophomore Drew Welsch was waiting to forward it quickly to the front of the crease. Senior Garrett Hallford was waiting to fire his shot into the open side of the net take the lead for the first time in the game at 2-1.
A bit more than a minute later, Welsch made a similar pass from beside the net. Sophomore Tim Organ was the recipient of the pass this time and came away with the team's third goal of the night.
The Continentals responded with a second goal of their own in the third minute of the final period, pulling back within one at 3-2.
Prappas would ice the game in the final minute with an empty-net goal to make the score final at 4-2.
Trine improves to 7-5-1 following the win. They will finish off the weekend of competition tomorrow, Saturday, December 31 at 3 p.m.
