WORCESTER, Mass. (November 29, 2024) – In a building which has been unkind to the Sacred Heart University men's ice hockey team over the years, Friday night was no different at Holy Cross' Hart Center. The Pioneers generated a 36-26 shots advantage, but an 0-for-6 night on the power play would prove costly in the opener of the Atlantic Hockey weekend series. Holy Cross built a 3-0 lead through two periods and Timothy Heinke scored twice on the way to a 6-1 victory for the home team.
 
There was no Turkey Day hangover for Holy Cross (6-8-1, 5-4-1 AHA), which wasted no time getting the party started on Friday night. SHU (7-6-2, 6-4-1 AHA) conceded a 2-on-1 rush inside the first minute and Ty Gagno snapped his first of the season inside the far post from the left side, just 54 seconds into the proceedings. The Crusaders made it 2-0 at 16:08, when Will Elias buried a rebound from the left circle for his first collegiate goal.
 
Holy Cross would have the only goal of the third period, with a power-play tally to make it 3-0 at 6:24. The Crusaders worked the puck to Liam McLinskey at the top of the right circle. He sent it towards the net and found Devin Phillips at the top of the crease for the redirect and the latter's fourth of the campaign.
 
Things would not get any better for the Pioneers in the third period, despite a 13-7 shots advantage. Heinke made it 4-0 at 6:48, when he put away his fifth of the winter from the left circle. The goal spelled the end of the day for Ajeet Gundarah (Richmond, British Columbia) in the Sacred Heart net, as he was relieved by Cullen DeYoung (Canton, Mich.).
 
SHU would get on the board at 12:06, off a faceoff play in the right circle. Max Dorrington (North Reading, Mass.) won the draw and then cut to the net. Jeremi Tremblay (Quebec City, Quebec) took possession, curled back to the right-wing boards and found a seam to Dorrington at the left post. The big centerman had an easy, one-time finish for his fourth of the season.
 
Holy Cross needed just 2:34 to respond, but did so under suspect circumstances. Despite a defenseman's stick becoming lodged in DeYoung's mask and pulling the helmet up off the face of the netminder, which necessitates an immediate whistle at every level of the game, play was allowed to continue. McLinskey found the loose puck in the left circle and sent it into the net for his ninth of the year.
 
A little stunned, SHU fell asleep on a dump in on the ensuing shift. Heinke beat everybody to the top of the crease and jammed home his second of the night at 14:52, just 12 seconds after the McLinskey goal.
 
Gundarah (5-2-1) made 16 saves against 20 shots and suffered the loss in the SHU net. DeYoung stopped four of six over the final 13:12 in relief. Thomas Gale (6-8-1) piled up 35 saves against 36 shots to backstop Holy Cross to the victory.
 
 
Sacred Heart is now just 16-27-2 (.378) in 45 all-time trips to the Hart Center.
 
The two teams will wrap up the weekend series on Saturday at 7 p.m. in Worcester.