Box Score WATERTOWN, Mass. – The Sacred Heart men's hockey team led 5-0 6:05 into the second period Saturday night at John. A. Ryan Skating Arena over Bentley, winning the game 6-3 to split the weekend home-and-home series.
Six different Pioneers had at least two points in the win. Junior forward Zach Luczyk (Charlton, Mass.) had a career-high three assists. Freshman Zach Sabatini (Johns Creek, Ga.) scored the first two goals of his collegiate career. Kory Kennedy (Midhurst, Ont.), David Iacono (Newmarket, Ont.), and Justin Danforth (Oshawa, Ont.) each had a goal and an assist. Mitch Nylen (Lawrenceville, Ga.) had his first two-assist game of his career. Alex Vazzano (Trumbull, Conn.) made 31 saves in goal.
Bentley (1-2-0, 1-1-0 AHA) outshot Sacred Heart 4-1 early as the two teams picked up where they left off Friday night in terms of physicality. The Falcons went on the power play with 11:26 to play in the opening period when Spencer Graboski (Quesnel, B.C.) was called for hitting from behind. The Pioneers penalty kill unit held the Falcons without a shot on goal for their 15th straight penalty kill to start the season.
With 4:45 to play in the period, Sacred Heart got on the scoreboard. Luczyk sent a pass from behind the Bentley goal to Sabatini. The freshman forward one-timed the pass right into the goal for his first career goal and point, giving the Pioneers a 1-0 lead. Sacred Heart added a shorthanded goal in the final minute of the period. Bentley had an opportunity to tie the game heading into intermission, going on the power play with 1:29 to play after Connor Doherty (Holden, Mass.) was called for tripping. With 42 seconds left, Nylen started a rush for Sacred Heart by getting the puck to Jeff Carroll (Kingston, Ont.). Carroll through a cross-ice pass to a streaking Danforth, who beat the Bentley defensemen and snuck the puck through the five hole of Falcons goaltender Gabe Antoni, making the score 2-0. Danforth's shorthanded goal is the first of his career.
Sacred Heart (2-2-0, 2-2-0 AHA) killed off the remaining 31 seconds on Doherty's penalty to start the second period. The Pioneers extended the lead to 3-0 3:49 into the middle frame. Luczyk fired a shot from the right wing that was initially saved by Antoni. The junior forward got his own rebound and sent a pass to a wide open Kennedy who scored his first career goal. Fifty-six seconds later, Sacred Heart struck again. Danforth won a faceoff right to Doherty, who let loose a laser beam from the point past Antoni to make the score 4-0.
The Falcons then made a change in goal, bringing in Blake Dougherty with 15:15 remaining in the period. One minute and 20 seconds later, Luczyk and Sabatini combined for another Sacred Heart goal. Just like their first goal, Luczyk found Sabatini right in front of the Bentley net to make the score 5-0 with 14:55 remaining. The Falcons got on the scoreboard fifty seconds later as Vincent Russo put a Tyler Deresky pass right past Vazzano. Up 5-1, David Iacono put Sacred Heart back up by five as he put a Drew George (Regina, Sask.) pass right into the Bentley net from the left wing with 11:40 to play in the period. Freshman Casey Miller (Billerica, Mass.) recorded his first career point with an assist on the goal that made the score 6-1.
The Pioneers' perfect penalty kill streak ended with 9:15 to play in the second when Andrew Gladiuk scored on the power play to make the score 6-2. Sacred Heart had killed the first 16 power plays it faced before Gladiuk's goal. Gladiuk added another power play goal with 3:39 remaining in the period, making the score 6-3 which held through to the second intermission.
After the two teams combined for seven goals in the second period, the defenses put the clamps down in the third period. Vazzano and Dougherty combined for 18 saves as Sacred Heart held on for the 6-3 win.
Sacred Heart hosts #4/6 Colgate next weekend for a two-game series at Milford Ice Pavilion. The two teams open the series on Friday, Oct. 24 at 7:05 p.m.
