New York, NY -- Winger Phil Pucciarelli, picking up the slack for missing high scorers Tony Guglietti and Ken Poulin, scored two goals and added two assists to lead NYU to a 6-4 victory over division rival SUNY New Paltz (5-2) Friday night in front of a large, vocal crowd at Chelsea Piers.
The win, which boosted the Violets (5-0) into first place in the Hudson Division of the Metropolitan Collegiate Hockey Conference, came despite the absence of top-liners Guglietti, out because ofa prior school commitment, and Poulin, out with a broken right wrist. Pucciarelli was told by head coach Steven Brown to expect more ice time as a result.
"Coach asked me last week to play on the first line with [Paul] Ginns," said Pucciarelli, who was surrounded by young autograph seekers after the game. "He told me that I had to pick up the pace, pick up the slack. He told me to do what I always do, which is play hard and give a boost to everybody.
"I know that when Guglietti and Ginns are putting it in the net, I won't get as much ice time, but I like the role I had to play tonight."
The game was scoreless until 12:19 of the first period, when Violet left winger Deya Jourdy, who also saw action on the first line, jammed the loose puck past SUNY goaltender Ed Writner while on his knees at the top of the crease for a 1-0 score.
NYU took a 2-0 lead at 18:58 on another scrambling play when Tom Capotosta, falling down in the low slot during a power play, shoveled a shot towards the net that sneaked past Whritner's pad.
One minute later, NYU goaltender Andrew Ralles skated 30 feet out of his crease to thwart a SUNY rush with a poke check just as the buzzer sounded to preserve the first period shutout.
SUNY's scoring dorught didn't last very long into the second, however, as John Doyle was able to bury a cross-crease pass from teammate Brian Syrett at 2:03 past Ralles, whose lateral movement wasn't fast enough to prevent Doyle's quick one-timer from the right side of the net.
Twenty-four seconds later, Violet defenseman Anthony Lui received a double minor for elbowing and cross-checking, but Capotosta's aggressive penalty killing helped NYU survive the four-minute SUNY power play and gave momentum back to the Violets.
NYU capitalized on the boost of energy at 7:08, when Ginns and Pucciarelli swarmed the SUNY net and Ginns poked the rebound of Pucciarelli's shot past Whritner for the 3-1 score.
NYU's second two-goal advantage of the game lasted all of 15 seconds. SUNY's Doyle took advantage of a scramble in front of the NYU net and swept the loose puck past Ralles at 7:23 to bring SUNY back into the game at 3-2.
NYU's Lui was called for cross-checking again at the 11:51 mark, and SUNY's Doyle tied the score with his third goal of the game on the ensuing power play when he blasted a slapshot from the right point that beat Ralles high to the glove side at 12:48.
Twenty-nine seconds later, it was NYU's turn to come up with a quick answering goal, thanks to an unusual bounce of the puck. Pucciarelli trapped the puck in the SUNY zone along the far blueline boards, and Ginns dug it away from him and tried to ring it around the endboards for a shot from the right point. The puck took a crazy carom off the glass behind the net, however, and came right out into the open slot, where Pucciarelli was standing alone. Whritner was caught looking the wrong way and Pucciarelli easily shot the puck into the open net for the 4-3 Violet advantage.
Four minutes into the third period, NYU opened up another two-goal lead on a play that was started by great individual moves by defenseman Jon Hsia. SUNY's Dan Boyce was called for high-sticking at 1:52, and on the power play, Hsia rushed into the SUNY zone, beat both defenders with some nice stickhandling, and got off a shot that was saved by Whritner. Whritner could not control the rebound, and Ginns, trailing the play, wristed the puck into the top of the net for the 5-3 score.
The Violets were given more breathing room at 7:21, when Pucciarelli took a behind-the-net pass from Ginns in the low slot and one-timed it off Whritner's glove into the net, and NYU was up 6-3.
SUNY's Doyle scored his fourth of the game at 13:21 during yet another scrambling, low-slot play, but the Violets were able to hold off SUNY's attempt at a comeback. Ralles made a clutch save on Matt Quirk's slapshot from the right circle at 14:13 to preserve the two-goal lead, and NYU hung on for their biggest victory of the year so far.
Brown had nothing but praise for his team after the game, and was very pleased with Pucciarelli's ability to take his play to another level, especially since Pucciarelli's tendency to let his emotions overtake him has cost him valuable ice time in the past.
"Until tonight, Pucciarelli has been playing on our third line, but he held that line together when different linemates went down with injuries or couldn't make it to the games," said Brown. "I told him to be ready for more responsibility and he was. He didn't get a penalty tonight, which is incredible for him."
Asked about his role as an emotional leader, Pucciarelli admitted that at times he loses his focus, but his determination to win never wavers.
"I've been playing aggressively all my life," said Pucciarelli. "I'm always talking out there and I'm a hard worker. I try to be disciplined, but sometimes things heat up and I get a little out of hand. But that's me, and I love that role."
Team captain Ginns, who finished the night with two goals and four assists, was also commended by his coach for stepping up his play on a night when the team needed his offensive skills the most.
"Ginns was such a leader tonight. He was all over the ice, skating really hard. Every shift, he went full speed and really took the bull by the horns," said Brown. "He led by example. He was almost Mark Messier-like tonight."
HOCKEY NOTES- Forward Dan Kukkonen suffered a deep skate cut to his upper left thigh on a first period collision and received stitches at St. Vincent's Hospital... He did not return to the game... Andrew Ralles was credited with 47 saves... SUNY outshot NYU 51-38 for the game... Defenseman Manech Ibar returned to action after sitting out with a should injury... In the event of an NYU-SUNY New Paltz tie in the standings at the end of the season, NYU will receive better positioning, having beaten New Paltz twice in their three-game series... An NYU freshmen, whose name cannot be revealed, has joined the team as its official mascot... The newcomer, trained as a figure skater and dressed as the Bobcat, debuted Friday nighta nd will be at every home game for the rest of the season, entertaining the crowd with on-ice tricks between periods... Violets take on SUNY Farmingdale Friday night at Chelsea Piers... Game time is 7 pm.