LAKE FOREST, Ill. – The Trine University men's hockey team picked up an important 2-1 Northern Collegiate Hockey Association (NCHA) win over their hosts from Lake Forest College. The victory and three points move the Thunder back into a tie for fourth place in the conference standings.
After a scoreless first period, the Foresters came up with the first goal of the game taking a 1-0 lead in the ninth minute of the second.
The Thunder responded in the tenth minute. After a blocked shot from the point, freshman Sam Antenucci corralled the puck in the corner before passing it back to the point for sophomore Drew Welsch. Rather than firing a shot, Welsch passed it to the far circle where junior Thad Marcola was able to score the goal.
In the 13th minute with both teams down a man the Foresters attempted to clear the puck from the zone, but freshman Sam Henry was able to catch along the boards and skate back behind the net. From there he forwarded a pass back to the front where senior Garrett Hallford was ready to fire a shot into the upper half of the net, giving the team the lead at 2-1.
The third period was marred by a range of penalties that ended up aiding the Thunder as they spent a majority of the final five minutes with a man advantage. While they failed to score, the were able to play safe hockey and limit any offensive chances for the home team and the game finished with Trine in the lead.
Freshman Kyle Kozma played the game in net and recorded his fifth win of the season on the back of 22 saves.
Trine improves to 14-7-1 overall and 9-6-0 in NCHA play following the victory. They will look to complete the sweep tomorrow, Saturday, February 4. Opening puck drop is scheduled for 4 p.m. ET.