RUTLAND, Vt. – Despite having 46 shots on target, the Suffolk men's hockey team could not get past Castleton's netminder Wyatt Pickrell and the Spartans took advantage of their opportunities to take down the Rams, 6-2, Friday night at Spartans Arena.
THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 2 | Castleton 6
RECORDS: Suffolk (2-6-0, 0-5-0 NEHC) | Castleton (2-6-3, 1-3-1 NEHC)
HOW IT HAPPENED
Suffolk took a 1-0 lead just 58 seconds into the contest when Tommy Bishop scored on a one-timed shot on the cross-slot feed from Jack Kelly.
Castleton took charge from there as it answered Bishop's score 36 seconds later and added two additional goals over the first 20 minutes to take a 3-1 lead into the first intermission.
The Spartans scored two goals in the opening 8:54 of the second period to stretch its cushion to 5-1. Following Castleton's fifth goal, Will Ribas came in to take over for Michael Levine in net. Suffolk attempted its comeback and Connor Henry put the blue-and-gold's second goal of the day away at 11:05 on a scrum, and did not allow Castleton to register a shot for the remainder of the middle period as the Rams applied constant pressure.
Suffolk's complete comeback never came and the Spartans added another goal late in the third to take the 6-2 win over the Rams.
NETMINDER NOTES
- Levine made 13 saves in nearly 29 minutes of action, while Ribas picked up eight saves in 31:06 of relief work.
- Pickrell had a day in between the pipes for the Spartans, finishing the day with 44 saves.
STATISCALLY SPEAKING
- Bishop and Henry each scored for Suffolk with Kelly dishing out the lone assist for the Rams.
- The blue-and-gold commanded shots, 46-27, and won the battle in the face-off circle, 41-33.
NOTEWORTHY
- Suffolk and Castleton met for the second time overall and first since 2003.
POST-GAME PIC
WHAT'S NEXT?
Suffolk remains in the Green Mountain State for a Saturday (Dec. 1) showdown at No. 13 Norwich. Game time is set for 4 p.m.