The season is still early for the Suffolk men’s hockey team and after playing only three games in 11 days, the schedule is now starting to pick up. It’s time for this team to get into a rhythm.
The Rams started off the season by splitting its first two games which included a 3-1 win over Assumption, and a 6-3 loss to conference opponent Salve Regina.
Nov. 14, Suffolk took on Johnson & Wales University on the road. This is the second of five straight conference games (starting with Salve) so young into the season.
Brett Roman got the start in net for the Rams as they looked to improve to 2-1. Things did not start off as planned. Just 3:46 into the game J&W center Jason Healey scored his first goal of the season to put his team on top early.
In the first period Suffolk continued its trend of sending men to the penalty box, committing three penalties in the first period. On the last power play for J&W, right winger Josh Obregon netted his third goal of the year, extending the Wildcats lead to 2-0.
In the second period Suffolk did a good job staying out of the penalty box, but could not find its offense. Meanwhile, Johnson & Wales put up another tally in its favor when Jason Healey potted his second of the season, and of the game.
Suffolk was outshot 30-17 after two periods.
In the third period, things got a little better for the Rams. About halfway through the six-minute mark, Suffolk third line center Dan Mazzei celebrated his first goal of the year and finally put Suffolk on the board. Mazzei’s goal was assisted by Shaughn Shields.
The Rams fell 3-1 with Suffolk killing off three penalties to end the game.
Roman picked up the loss but made 35 saves on 38 shots. J&W goalie Joey Ballmer improved to 3-0 after saving 26 of the 27 shots that he faced.
The loss brought the team under .500, but just two days later took on Western New England, yet another conference game and Suffolk home-opener.
The puck dropped and Suffolk yet again found itself in the penalty box as Andrew Ball was assessed two minutes for cross-checking. WNE decided to capitalize on this advantage by scoring 2:20 into the game via a Brandon Stroud goal, his second of the year.
Exactly five minutes later WNE snuck one past Roman. After the 7:20 mark, Coach Glionna decided to pull Roman in favor of 1-1 Brandon Smolarek.
After the change, Suffolk really started to get going. Charlie McGinnis scored his second goal of the year on assists from Jon Stauffer and Ball. These goals cut WNE’s lead to only one.
The score remained 2-1 until the second period when Simon Leahy beat WNE goalie Eric Sorenson to knot up the game. Garrett Stephenson picked up his second assist on the Leahy goal.
Just seven minutes later, Leahy was at it again, this time on the penalty kill. Leahy scored on the short handed variety for his third of the season, this time from Stanton Turner. No. 24 put the Rams on top 3-2.
Suffolk did not slow down after that. In the third period, Tim Sprague scored a power play goal and eventual game-winner to extend the Suffolk lead to two. The goal was Sprague’s second of the year and he was assisted by Ball and Mike Cherpark.
WNE made an attempt at a comeback with another goal from Brandon Stroud halfway through the third period. Stroud’s goal cut the Suffolk lead to one, but was re-established again when Tyler Murray slid home an empty-netter with the clock winding down.
The victory improved Suffolk to 2-2 and gave the team its first conference win.
The next home game for the Rams will be against Nichols College on Nov. 20 at Charlestown DCR Rink.
