Seahawks deliver crushing 9-1 Pilgrim defeat

HENNIKER, N.H. -- Salve Regina University men's ice hockey squashed the New England College Pilgrims 9-1 on Tuesday night at the Lee Clement Arena. 

Matthew Brunton started the scoring off and Seth Benson, Johnny Mulera and Matthew Fawcett each score twice. Freshman, Parker Mabbett achieved his first collegiate goal and freshman Karsten Kruska earned his second. 

INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Final: Salve Regina 9, New England College 1
Records: Salve Regina (10-3-1,6-1-1 CCC), New England College (2-8-1,0-6-1 NEHC)
All-Time Series: Before tonight's puck drop, Salve Regina had only seen New England College three times since the 2003-04 season, with one win and two losses. Tonight's result makes them 2-2. 

BREAKDOWN: 

• Period I: Selby Warren started off the day in the net, his third game on the ice as a Seahawk. Warren's Pilgrim counterpart Danny Miscavish stood between the posts four times prior to tonight's puck drop. At just 2:50 down Salve Regina got on the board off the stick of Matthew Brunton (from Ian Tookenay and Joseph Kile). In quick succession Matthew Fawcett (from Walter Baumann) also achieve a Salve Regina goal with 5:01 down. The Seahawks scored their first two goals in just over five minutes of the period beginning. Of the first five shots on net in the contest, two were goals for the Seahawks. However, the Pilgrims put up a fight. With 13 minutes to go the Seahawks were called for interference, setting the team down in a 5-4 situation. At 8:54 in with just about 20 seconds left on the Pilgrim power play, David Novotny was able to find the back of the net for a New England College goal. Novotny brought the score to 2-1 with Salve Regina still on top. The first 20 minutes came to a close with the Seahawks outshooting the Pilgrims 12-7 and winning ten faceoffs compared to New England College's five. Warren made six saves and Pilgrims' Miscavish was forced by the Seahawk offense to make ten saves. 
• Period II: Both teams provided a solid defense but struggled to get anything going offensively at the onset of the period. For ten minutes nobody was successful at getting the puck past the opposite goalie and into the cage. However, with 11:27 gone Seth Benson (from Joel Shoemaker and Hoon Kim) took advantage of a Pilgrims' hooking infraction to slap the puck into New England College's net for a power play goal. Benson's effort extended the Seahawk lead to 3-1. Johnny Mulera achieved his nineth goal of the season at 14:56 into the period after he launched a one-timer from the circle in a tricky maneuver after Miscavish slid to the right side of the crease, anticipating a shot from the opposite side. Mulera was assisted by Hoon Kim and Seth Benson to bring the night to 4-1. Going into the final intermission Salve Regina accumulated seven shots on goal, six saves and nine faceoff wins compared with New England College's six shots on goal, five saves and 15 faceoff wins. 
• Period III:  It didn't take long for Salve Regina to move to 5-1. At 39 seconds down New England College was called for roughing and began a five-minute stint in the penalty box. Just 12 seconds later Johnny Mulera snaped a shot from the circle (from Logan Calder) and entered double digit goals with ten for the season. Matthew Fawcett followed Mulera with another goal at 3:06 into the period. The score moved to 6-1 with the Seahawks earning two goals on the five-minute power play. From just outside New England College's crease Parker Mabbett scored his first goal as a Seahawk, off an assist from Garrett Szeremley and Karsten Kruska. At 7:30 the Pilgrims were sent once again to the penalty box, this time serving two minutes for boarding. Seth Benson smacked the puck into the net at 9:18 (from Walter Baumann) to make it an 8-1 game. There was a lag in scoring with the Pilgrims attempting to refocus their defensive strategy, but Karsten Kruska made it a 9-1 game at 18:20 down. At just about 45 seconds remaining to play Salve Regina was called for interference yet the team could not be stopped even with a skater down on the ice. The game went down in the books with a 9-1 final score.  

NOTEWORTHY:

• The last time the two teams met on December 10, 2019, it was a 4-3 win. George Sennott, Erik Udahl and John McLean were the Salve Regina goal-scorers for the day. 
• Tonight's Seahawk success gave the Pilgrims their most sizable loss of 2023-24, extending beyond the team's 7-0 defeat to No.1 Hobart College.
• Salve Regina ended the night with 36 shots on goal, four power play goals and 36 faceoff wins. 
• New England College closed out the game with 19 shots on goal, one power play goal and 28 faceoff wins. 
• The Seahawks went 4-4 and the Pilgrims went 1-3 on the power play. 

ON THE HORIZON: 

Men's ice hockey will be back at it again on January 9, when the team travels to Brunswick, Maine for a faceoff at the Sidney J. Watson Arena against the Bowdoin College Polar Bears.