A successful six-game homestand (5-1-0) in its rearview mirror, the Sacred Heart University men's ice hockey team hits the road for the first time in over a month on Sunday afternoon at New Hampshire. The Pios will be looking for their second straight victory over a Hockey East opponent. Catch all the action live from the Whittemore Center at 3 p.m. on ESPN+.
LAST TIME OUT
It was one last time in the Park City on Thursday night, for SHU, and the Pios closed out their 6.5-year tenure at Total Mortgage Arena in style. Austin Magera had a first-period assist and a third-period goal to record his 100th career point (41-59-100), and Marcus Joughin handed out a season-best four assists, as SHU rolled to a 5-0 victory over visiting Army West Point in Atlantic Hockey play.
A LOOK AT THE PIOS
SHU (11-7-1) has won five in a row and sits second in Atlantic Hockey, though the team now does not have another league game until Jan. 20. Sacred Heart has outscored its opponents 17-6 over four games since the start of December. The Pios have faced three Hockey East opponents so far this season: a 6-1 loss at Providence on Oct. 7, a 3-0 loss to Merrimack on Nov. 17, and a 4-2 win over Northeastern on Dec. 6. SHU also scored a 3-2 exhibition victory at UMass on Oct. 1. Neil Shea leads the team in scoring (7-11-18), but first-year Marcus Joughin (7-10-17) is hot on his heads after his four-assist outing on Thursday night. Ryan Steele (8-7-15) makes it three Pios at 15 points or better through 19 games, while the team now has nine players in double digits. Todd Goehring is tied-second in Atlantic Hockey in goals (9), while Blake Humphrey is third in plus/minus (+11).
SCOUTING THE WILDCATS
UNH (5-16-1) went without a win between Oct. 21 and Dec. 10 (0-12-1), but has gone 2-2-0 since, including a 2-0 blanking of No. 11/11 Providence on the road on Friday night. Cy LeClerc and Chase Stevenson provided first-period goals, while David Fessenden posted a 35-save shutout. Sunday will mark UNH's third meeting with Atlantic Hockey opposition this season, as the Wildcats defeated Army, 3-1, at home on Oct. 21, and dropped a 3-2 (OT) decision on the road at Holy Cross on Nov. 26. LeClerc (9-6-15) and Colton Huard (3-12-15) have 15 points apiece to lead the way. LeClerc's nine goals rank sixth in Hockey East. Despite the struggles so far this season, UNH features a dangerous power play, which ranks fourth in Hockey East at 20.3% (15-for-74).
LAST MEETING
SHU and UNH have met only once prior, when they skated to a 2-2 (OT) tie at the Whittemore Center on Nov. 4, 2016. Austin McIlmurray and Jordan Minello scored just 36 seconds apart in the second period, as the Pios built a 2-0 lead through two, but Tyler Kelleher and Liam Blackburn answered in the third for the Wildcats. Blackburn's game-tying goal came with just 28 seconds remaining in regulation.
