FAIRFIELD, Conn. (February 17, 2024) – A night after head coach C.J. Marottolo demanded his team regroup quickly, he largely got a better effort from the Sacred Heart University men's ice hockey team. The Pioneers rang up a 31-18 shots advantage over visiting Holy Cross on Saturday night, but a third-period penalty proved costly at Martire Family Arena. Liam McLinskey struck for the winner on the power play at 7:46 of the third – his third goal of the weekend – and Holy Cross skated away with a 2-1 Atlantic Hockey victory.
 
What does it all mean for the postseason picture? Glad you asked.
 
With the loss, SHU (14-17-2, 14-10-1 AHA is no longer able to finish in first place, as it cannot catch RIT. The Pioneers drop to third, two points behind Holy Cross (18-11-4, 13-9-3 AHA), with one game remaining for each team. For SHU to take second place, Holy Cross would have to fall in regulation at home against Bentley on Thursday, while the Pioneers would have to win at Bentley next Saturday, also in regulation. Overtime in either game would allow Holy Cross to clinch second place.
 
As a result of action elsewhere on Saturday, SHU can finish no worse than tied for third in Atlantic Hockey. Even with any potential tiebreakers in play, the Pioneers will be no worse than the fourth seed in the league tournament, which means the team has clinched home ice in the best-of-three quarterfinal round, which is set for Friday through Sunday, March 8-10. Puck drop will be 7 p.m. each night at Martire Family Arena. Ticket information will be available in the coming days and tickets will be available through Ticketmaster.
 
At Martire Family Arena on Saturday night, SHU honored its 11-player senior class prior to the game, before playing a scoreless first period. The Pioneers turned up the intensity in the second, to the tune of a 13-7 advantage in shots, and struck first at the 1:57 mark. Andrius Kulbis-Marino (Methuen, Mass.) took the initial shot on the play, with a big drive from the right point, which was blocked by the defense. The puck caromed out to Garrett Sundquist (South Glastonbury, Conn.) at the left point, and he hammered it through traffic for his first collegiate goal.
 
The Pios carried a 1-0 lead into the third period and posted an 11-6 shots advantage in the final frame, but could not seal the deal on home ice. Holy Cross drew level less than two minutes into the frame, after a turnover by SHU deep in its defensive end. The lost puck set up a 2-on-0 down low for the Crusaders, and McLinskey zipped the puck from the right side to Jack Ricketts at the left post, for an easy finish on the latter's team-leading 18^th of the campaign, at 1:54.
 
The penalty box was busy throughout the evening, as the two teams combined for 70 minutes of penalties and seven power plays. There was only one man-advantage conversion on the night though, which came at 7:46 and stood as the game's final goal. Matt Guerra and Ricketts combined to set up McLinskey at the right post, and Holy Cross' leading scorer (14-25-39) deposited it into the back of the net from there.
 
SHU got Justin Robbins (New York, N.Y.) off for the extra attacker inside the final two minutes, but could put only one further shot on goal as Holy Cross held on for the 2-1 victory.
 
Robbins (6-7-0) made 16 saves against 18 shots in the SHU crease, while Jason Grande (10-3-2) stopped 30 of 31 for Holy Cross.
 
SHU closes out the regular season next Saturday, Feb. 24, at Bentley. Puck drop is set for 5:30 p.m. at Bentley Arena in Waltham, Mass.