New York, NY -- Alfer four straight losses on the road, the hockey team returns to home ice on Saturday, hoping to turn its season around.
Despite an auspicious 3-0 start to the season, things began to turn sour two weekends ago at the American Collegiate Hockey Association Showcase, where NYU fell to the University of Colorado 6-1, and lost to Indiana University of Pennsylvania 3-1.
Last weekend wasn't much better for the Violets, who lost to Davenport University 4-1 and Oakland University 7-3. The game against Oakland, a team that beat the Violets in last season's ACHA Division II National Championship game was particularly hard on the team.
The Violets have been hard presses in putting the puck in the net during this rough stretch. NYU trailed early in each game and never rebounded.
"On a quick analysis, "senior captain Scott Zimmerman said, "our offense isn't scoring like last year. It happens."
Zimmerman said the team's slump isn't all bad, because it's helpful to catch flaws early.
"Those games were like a preseason," he said. "They were a wake-up call. Last season we didn't play any hard competition early... This time we've got harded teams, and we see what we have to improve.
The team will focus on its cheif weaknesses, it offense, in coming weeks, players said.
"Everyone's going all out, " said sophomore goaltender Brian Kenney, who still holds an .880 save percentage on the season. "We've just got to work on pounding the puck into the net and scoring first."
The Violets hope to build on their usually dominant third periods, and taking that same mentality to the first two periods.
"We're winning a lot of third periods," Zimmerman said. "We just take the game back toward the end."
The turnaround can't come soon enough for the team. Their next game against Bryant College is their first home game in three weeks, and gives the Violets the chance to build on their 3-4 record.
"This Saturday is one of the biggest games of the season," Zimmerman said. "[Bryant] is one of the teams outside of our conference that we'll play. It's important we put them down."
Kenney is confident the team will take the win. "We'll come around. We just need to get that momentum back.
Zimmerman couldn't agree more.
"Everyone's pulling their weight and doing a good job," he said. "I think the new players just need to want it, and then we'll find our spark.