The UB men's club hockey team combined to score 17 goals in two games while only allowing five, earning two more marks in the win column this weekend. The Ice Bulls remained undefeated in league play and played for first place last night at Mercyhurst.
No mercy.
That's what the Ice Bulls had in store for visiting John Carroll Saturday night in a 10-4 victory at the Amherst Pepsi Center.
UB came out strong early in the game, scoring less than three minutes in on the power play. After the puck came from the back of the net, freshman center Brian Cocco was able to slide the puck past the John Carroll goalie. Four minutes later UB put another puck in the back of the net as junior captain Sean Moskal buried a pass from sophomore right wing Bill Mosler.
JCU was able to score with only three minutes gone from the period. A power play opportunity arose for John Carroll in the 16th minute, but goaltender Adam Golder was able to make a great save to deny the opportunity to tie the game.
"At that point in the game (the save) was big to keep the team in it until they can score three or fours goal to get ahead and make a cushion," said Golder.
John Carroll's tenacity paid off later and they were able to squeeze the puck through the five-hole and tie the game at two. It was the only time John Carroll would come close to Buffalo.
Less than two minutes later UB's Robert Noonan took a front post shot that hit the top corner of the goal.
"I was just thinking to try go high because the goalie was low," said Noonan.
Fourteen seconds later Moskal increased the lead to two. The second goal prompted John Carroll to change goalies. Junior Paul Szeglowski would add another goal to make it 5-2 at the end of the second period.
"We moved the puck really well today. We broke out of the zone well and made the short passes, and obviously we were hitting them today," said Moskal.
Szeglowski scored two goals and had three assists to lead to the 7-1 destruction of the Cornell University Big Red on Friday night.
The Ice Bulls got on the board early when Szeglowski received the puck and made a no look pass from the red line. Christopher Gervaise took a shot off the pass and then followed his own rebound to score. Two minutes later freshman defenseman Kevin Barrette scored the first goal of his career. His shot would prove to be the game winner.
"We let 'em stay in the game and we knew if they kept playing hard and kept getting under our skin that would be the only way they would pull off an upset today, but we persevered through that," said Szeglowski.
Ten minutes into the second period Szeglowski put another point on the board for UB. Cornell would score its only goal of the game with only 4:02 left in the second period.
Three minutes into the third period Buffalo converted on a power play - a goal that set off a four-goal flurry. Noonan, Gervaise, Sean Moskal, and Szeglowski all scored goals.
The Buffalo defense was able to prevent Cornell from scoring on all five of their power play opportunities, which extends their six game streak of killing off power plays.
Senior goalie Justin Cuviello stopped eleven out of twelve shots in the first two periods to earn his second win of the season. Freshman John Czaplinski played in the third period, stopping all six shots that were taken on him.
UB's result on Sunday against Mercyhurst was not in by print time. The team plays Mercyhurst at home Friday.
Photo: Meredith Forrest Kulwicki
