MEQUON, Wis. – The Trine University men's hockey team picked up a second straight 5-1 victory over their hosts from Concordia University Wisconsin, securing a full sweep and six points toward the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association (NCHA) standings.
The opening salvo came in the eighth minute of the first period. While working the puck in the offensive zone, Matteo Ybarra ended up with the puck behind the net passing it to just outside the crease. There Keiton Klein fired a point-blank shot that rebounded off the goalie and into the slot. Tyler Blanchard was waiting there to tally the goal.
The Thunder struck again at the last possible moment in the period. Bobby Price raced the puck into the zone as the final seconds of the stanza, firing a shot on goal that was saved. Sam Antenucci crashed the net and poked the puck home as time expired, giving the team a 2-0 lead heading into the first intermission.
Trine quickly built on the lead to start the second. The team put on a clinic of neutral zone passing working the puck down the ice while weaving through the Falcons. Antenucci and Logan Furstenau set up the final shot for Sean Henry who buried it in the back of the net.
Concordia Wisconsin got their lone goal of the game in the eighth minute of the second, cutting the lead to 3-1.
The Thunder had the final goal of the period to build the lead back to three. Once again running the offense in the zone, Chace McCardle passed the puck toward the near circle, catching Drew Welsch who went on to skate into the slot. The junior passed on a shot and instead forwarded the puck to the far side of the net where Michael DiPietra was waiting to score the goal.
Trine finished the scoring for the game in the 14th minute of the third period. This time the goal came in transition. McCardle forced a turnover in the defensive zone throwing the puck toward the blueline. Ybarra was able to swat the puck by the final Falcon finding a wide-open Price. The junior went the rest of the way on a breakaway to score the goal.
The Thunder improve to 17-4-0 overall and 12-2-0 in NCHA play following the win. They will return home for their next games, hosting Lawrence University for a pair of contests. The first is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Friday, February 2.
