RYE, NY – Eight different skaters lit the lamp for the Wilkes men's hockey team as they cruised to a 9-1 victory over the Manhattanville Valiants Saturday evening at the Playland Ice Casino. The win improved the Colonels overall record to 4-1-0 and 2-0-0 in the UCHC. Manhattanville fell to 2-4-0 on the season while dropping to 2-2-0 in conference play.
The Colonels quickly got to work in the first period and drew a tripping penalty. Although the power play didn't result in a goal, Wilkes produced three shots and generated solid momentum.
Wilkes continued to apply pressure following the man advantage and were rewarded for their efforts at 4:56 when Miles Harrington found Teague Porter outside the far faceoff circle. Porter rifled a shot that trickled through the Manhattanville goaltender. Harrington recorded an assist on Porter's first goal of his collegiate career.
The Colonels struck again with under 5 minutes remaining in the first frame of play. While entering the offensive zone, Cam Lowe cut back and slid a cross-ice pass to Billy Berry, who extended his stick to deflect the puck up and over goaltender Sebastian Woods' pad to increase the lead to 2-0 at 15:57. Lowe picked up a helper on Berry's third goal of the season.
Wilkes goaltender Jack Perna turned aside a late bid by the Valiants to get on the board before the first intermission, sliding to his right to make a pad save immediately following a faceoff.
After 20 minutes, the Colonels returned to the dressing room up two goals.
It didn't take long for Wilkes to extend their lead in the second, as a deflected pass from Lowe found Berry once again. Berry's second goal of the night gave the Colonels a 3-0 lead at 1:01 into the middle frame.
Matt Carlson added to the lead just 1:41 after Berry's marker when Patrick Roginski poked a puck into the offensive zone. After collecting the puck, Carlson toe-dragged around a defender and fired a shot past Woods. Carlson's fourth goal of the season furthered WIlkes' lead to 4-0 at 2:42 into the second period.
Midway through the period, the Colonel defense faced the tall task of killing a minute-long five-on-three Valiant power play. Wilkes locked down the defensive zone, only allowing one shot to reach Perna.
Following the successful penalty kill, Wilkes got right back to work on offense. Jimmy O'Kane lit the lamp exactly 11 minutes into the second with Carlson being awarded a helper on the 5-0 tally.
O'Kane's first of the season was followed soon thereafter by a Joe Johnson shot that was deflected by Miles Harrington in front of the net. Johnson and Daniel Nau were credited with assists on the 6-0 goal at 15:00.
Not satisfied with the assist, Nau picked up a goal of his own on the power play at 17:15 when he gathered a centering pass from Johnson and buried it to the right side of the net. Assists went to Johnson and O'Kane on Nau's first career goal in the Blue and Yellow.
After 40 minutes of action, the Colonels held possession of a 7-0 lead.
Dan Barry got Manhattanville on the board at 4:45 into the third period when his shot from the point grazed the post and deflected to the back of the Colonels' goal.
Wilkes responded at 12:54 on the power play when Roginski fought through traffic in front of the net, sent a shot in on the goaltender and potted his own rebound for his third goal of the season.
Wilkes went back on the power play shortly after the 8-1 marker and added to their lead when Luke Dobles fired a slap shot from the point that found its way through a crowd of players and into the back of the net at 16:56.
The 9-1 score would hold through the final three minutes of play as the Colonels swarmed Perna to congratulate him on the victory.
Berry led the way with two goals, an assist and four shots on goal. Roginski recorded seven shots, followed closely by Nau and Nick Swain who both had six. Mason Vonk, Dobles and Lowe each blocked two for Wilkes. Perna stood tall in net, stopping 23 shots.
Barry picked up the Valiants' lone goal. He was tied with Caden Eaton for the team lead in shots with five apiece. Woods and Billequey combined for 32 saves on the evening.
The Colonels return to the Toyota Sportsplex next Saturday for the first installment of a two-game homestand with the Utica University Pioneers. Puck drop is slated for 7:30 p.m.