New York, NY -- After back-to-back victories at Chelsea Piers this weekend, the Ice Hockey team will be heading to the Metropolitan Collegiate Hockey Conference (MCHC) finals for the first time in history.
In the first round of the tourney on Saturday the Violets defeated the Seton Hall Pirates 11-1 before defeating the Montclair State University Red Storm 7-1 yesterday in teh semifinals. Freshman forward Ben Maniere led the team with six goals in the two games, while sophomore defenseman Vinny Bruce had six points (one goal, five assists). Forwards Dan Perry and Marc Branden had four points each, while goaltenders Chad Ehrenkranz and Zach Ciperski made a combined 49 saves.
"This is a testament to not only the team's skills but also its hard work," said assistant coach Michael Guglietti of the victories.
After a routine win against the overmatched Pirates, the Violets were unprepared for the speed and intensity of the Red Storm. Right off the opening faceoff, Red Storm forward A.J. Giacobbe raced in and forced Ehrenkranz to make a good save.
Montclair forward Anthony Rossillo then put a big check on Bruce. NYU could control the puck in the offensive zone and did not put a shot on net until the fifth minute of the period. Meanwhile, Ehrenkranz had to continue making good saves to keep the team in the game.
The Violets finally got their legs going and began to play a more physical game. Perry and forward Joe Vaculick sandwiched Red Storm forward Frank Barone, and Bruce retaliated his earlier hit by crushing Rossillo into the boards. The Violets began to cycle in the offensive zone and the defensemen were set up for shots on goal. But it was Montclair goalie Robert Martinez's turn to make the spectacular saves. Martinez robbed freshman defenseman Ryan Hughes of several point shots, and stopped several rebound attempts by Branden and sophomore forward Todd Portadin
But at 12:53 of the first, Portadin finally solved Martinez. After receiving a blue line pass from freshman forward Bryan Friedman, Portadin skated down the right wing, drawing a defender to him. He waited patiently for Martinez to commit and shot the puck into the far side of the net. A minute later, sophomore Joe Leonard doubled the lead, and with a minute and a half remaining in the period, Hughes' slapshot from the blue line beat Martinez to give NYU a 3-0 lead.
Trailing by three, Montclair became desperate as they looked to break through Ehrenkranz. ROsillo caught Ehrenkranz out of position and put a one-timer on goal, but Ehrenkranz leaned over and deflected the puck off his skate to keep it out of the net. Rosillo and forward James Latham then set up Giacobbe for a one-timer, but Ehrenkranz gloved the shot. Barone then skated in and undressed freshman defenseman Josh Fisher but Ehrenkranz angled the puck off his right pad into the corner.
"Chad's given us a chance to compete every night," said head coach Steve Hetherman. "He's kept us in a lot of games."
With Ehrenkranz holding Montclair at bay, the Violets added to their lead. Perry tipped in a Bruce point shot at 3:59 of the second, and six minutes later Bruce beat Martinez cleanly with a slapper. Montclair finally got on the board with one minute left in the period--with Friedman and Vaculcik in the penalty box, Red Storm forward Eric Caldwell tipped in a pass from Latham.
Maniere and Branden capped off the scoring in the third period, and the Violets went into defensive mode. NYU took careless penalties in their own zone, resulting in several shorthanded situations. Ehrenkranz made big saves before being forced to leave the game midway through the period. He picked up a game misconduct after being involved in a scrum in the goal crease. Portadin was also ejected as a result of the fracas, and junior forward Jesse Belchar-Timme was thrown out later in the period for a butt-end. The penalty carries a suspension, but it is unclear if it will be enforced.
The team will head to Indiana University on Tuesday for the round robin portion of the American Collegiate Hockey Association Division II National Tournament. The MCHC final will be held on March 5 in Hauppague, N.Y.