New York, NY -- Placing fifth in the league standings, the ice hockey team earned the right to play fourth place County College of Morris (CCM) in Morristown, N.J. on Sunday.
"We are happy with the progress of our team," senior co-captain Tom Capotosta said. "But it still isn't at our full potential."
NYU has never placed this high in their 87-year hockey history. With the playoffs set up in a one-game elimination format, the seniors are prepared to play their last games for NYU.
"[The playoffs] will be the last few games for several of the players on the team. However, it is the younger players who have been leading the way this season in points, and they are sure to step up and play stronger now where it is needed," Capotosta said.
The fact that NYU hasn't faced CCM yet this season sets up an interesting competition.
"We aren't going to take them lightly," Capotosta said. "We will expect the worse from them in order to be ready. Nothing special, just good competition."
The Violets secured the playoff berth this past weekend after blanking the SUNY- New Paltz Hawks 12-0 at Chelsea Piers on Sunday night. With NYU posting a dozen goals on the board at the second period's end, referees invoked a mercy rule that stopped play after only 40 minutes.
Sophomore forward Jesse Belcher-Timme scored his first of two goals midway through the first period to give NYU a 1-0 lead that was not challenged by the struggling Hawks. Junior defenseman Gerry Milligan and freshman Dan Perry, the team's leading scorer, added a goal a piece to give NYU a 3-0 lead into the second.
Sophomore forward Prentiss Noyes scored within the opening minutes if the second period as he banked in a pass from Perry, who tallied six points in the game. Freshman Joe Leonard, along with Belcher-Timme adnd Perry added a goal each, while Noyes and senior forward Sean Mahoney completed their hat tricks in the remaining minutes of the second.
The 40-minute long game saw only two penalties, both given to New Paltz.
NYU sophomore goalie Mike McDonald recorded his first shutout of the season, stopping seven Hawk attempts. NYU put 12 pucks past New Paltz goalie Robert DiSciullo on 48 shots.
The win followed a 7-2 loss to SUNY-Albany on Feb. 27 at Chelsea Piers. NYU opened the scoring against Albany at 4:34 of the first period after Joe Leonard converted a pass from first-year defenseman Nasser Dassi. From that point on, however, it was Albany's game.
Albany scored seven unanswered goals to take a commanding 7-1 lead. Belcher-Timme scored with 15 miutes left in the third period, cutting the deficit to five. But it wasn't enough to save the Violets from defeat.
NYU defeated Western Connecticut State (WCS) 6-4 on Feb. 26 at Brewster Ice Arena, Danbury, Conn. Graduate student Jason Nicoll stopped 29 of WCS's 35 shots while Perry scored a hat trick and posted two assists.
NYU has a home game at Chelsea Piers against Johns Hopkins University on Saturday at 8 p.m. The first round playoff game will be held Sunday at Mennen Ice Rink in Morristown, N.J. at 7 p.m.