Hello all, I'm Collegian Icers reporter Dean Myers and I'll be with you for tonight's game pitting the No. 3 Penn State ACHA Division I Icers (which gets my vote for mast rediculous first referance in the history of writing) against the No. 8 West Chester University Golden Rams at the IceLine Arena in West Chester.
For those of you who didn't catch last night's first game of the home and home series (played at Penn State), here's a quick recap:
* The Icers won 3-2 by way of a shootout in which the only shooter to miss was defending ACHA Player of the Year, Jim Gehring. He did, nowever, put home the Rams' two regulation goals.
* 50 penalty minutes were handed out between the teams in what became a rather chippy game. Two third period fights only conributed to the "drama." Thanks to that pair of extra-curricular activities, Marek Polidor and Craig Brooks are suspended tonight for Penn State.
* Icers goals were scored by Ryan Paradis and Steve Thurston.
Word is that senior goalie Nick Signet will get the call in net, tonight. It would be the second night in a row he gets the start if true.
1st Period
After last night's game Coach Balboni let it be known that the emotional (fight-filled) showing was not Penn State hockey. We'll see if West Chester agrees to a fight-free game after last night's game in which the Icers completely out-physicaled them.
It is indeed Nick Signet in goal for tonight. He's joined by an all-senior starting line-up for the Icers, with Andrew Magulick and Steve Thurston partnering in defense and captain Frank Berry, Brandon Rubeo and Steve Peck playing up front.
The game starts and Penn State has a line change. The O'Brien, Zimmel and Kirstein line is out there. Will Kirstein start the physical play up right away?
I'd say no, the Golden Rams are applying sustained pressure, but Signet is holding his own. Scratch that. Gehring just scored his 3rd goal of the weekend and 21st of the season a little more than a minute into the game. Score: WCU 1, Icers 0
West Chester keeps the pressure on, but Signet holds. Penn State composes itself and controls the puck for a bit before the puck gets turned-over in front of Signet, but the goalie holds again. Busy start for No. 33, tonight.
Zimmel powers down the wing, centers to Kirstein, but the shot is wide. That's the end of Penn State's best chance so far.
Luke DeLorenzo in the corner, plays it up to Magulick who shoots it. Rebound bounces out to DeLo and bounces over his stick. He had an open net there. Taylor Cera gets in on the fun, with a backhand attempt but as with the previous two chances, no goal.
The Icers will go on the power play. With the momentum and building pressure do they even it up here? Kirstein fires one off the post. Now Thurston plays it down low to Peck, and it's a GOOOALLL!!! (My best soccer goal call impersonation. Not nearly as colorful in type as it is out loud) Peck's 8th of the season. Score tied. Score: Icers 1, WCU 1
West Chester speeds toward Signet, but again, the senior is there. Score still tied.
Brandon Rubeo's headed to the penalty box, at 9:03 in the period he gets called for interference. Both of Gehring's goals came on the power play last night, so the Icers need to be careful here. DeLorenzo gets ahold of the puck and speeds past Gehring, in on goal and sends a backhand high. Gehring called for hooking DeLorenzo as he sped by, looks like the Icers don't have to worry about Gehring scoring on this power play... Time for some 4-on-4 action. More space usually means more offense, but both penalties are over and the game's still tied.
Icing call moves the face-off into the West Chester zone. Conte with a shot off of the face-off win and it's a blocker save for WCU's Hackney.
Zimmel and O'Brien just wheeled back into the offenzive zone, Zimmel keeps it and it's another Hackney save. He had 61 of those last night. By now that picture has to be familiar to the Icers.
Icers shot goes off the post! They keep the puck in the offenzive zone, down to Peck.Steve Peck just had an open look at the net but couldn't control the puck.
Now West Chester on offense, another Signet save.
This game is awfully fluid, as Nick Seravalli just had a shot for the Icers. Icers keeping the puck in the offensive zone now... West Chester is on offense almost immediately... Now Paradis skates back into the offensive zone. Peck with a shot, but it's out of play.
1:03 left in the period and Icers freshman Paul Daley just had a beauty of a chance, but you can probably guess what the result was. Hackney isn't moving. DeLo just sent another one off the post. Maybe Hackney's just lucky tonight.
End of 1st Period, score tied at 1.
2nd Period
Early on in the new period, Icers give up another goal. 23 seconds in to be exact. Robert Bushman contributes the first WCU goal this weekend NOT from Gehring. Score: WCU 2, Icers 1
WCU stays on the offensive, and Taylor Cera drops to the ice to block the shot. He heads to the bench. Cera's just returned from his second noteable injury of the season, let's hope it's nothing too serious.
And here it is. A scrum breaks out in the corner. For the Icers, John Conte. For WCU, Dave Bixler. Not a full fledged fight, though. Two minutes for roughing for both. Have to wonder if Balboni will have any words for his assistant captain after what happened last night. More 4-on-4 hockey coming... Bushman sends one off the post, but the score's still the same.
Cera's back on the ice, good to see he's not seriously hurt.
Hits are starting to pick-up. And now the Icers return to the power play. Kirstein just had a golden chance on the man-advantage saved by Hackney, who jumpes on the rebound. Power play is over with no damage done. Icers still trail by one.
WCU just fired a shot on Signet, who had to dive on a rebound with the Golden Rams crashing the net. Another scrap breaks out. Two more players head to the box for roughing, with Magulick heading off for the Icers. Almost immediately, Kyle Mills gets called for a hook on Gehring. Two Icers senior defensemen in the box. Goal WCU. This one comes from Bushman, his second of the game, and Mills is right back out of the box. Icers trail by two. Score: WCU 3, Icers 1
Icers head on the powerplay now, a chance to climb to within one. Peck fires one off of Hackney's pad. Kirstein shoots one off of Hackney's shoulder. Ryan Paradis heads to the box, though. Power play over. Icers still trail by two.
Gehring fires a rebound just outside the post. Another rebound comes off of Signet, but again, WCU doesn't make him pay.
DeLorenzo and O'Brien have a 2-on-1 and it's a SAVE. Now O'Brien mixes it up behind the net. Both he and his dancing partner get two minutes for roughing and two minutes for holding. The score mighty not be the same as last night, but the physicality is progressing the same way... This is the third almost fight of the night.
DeLorenzo wins a draw in the WCU zone, but the Golden Rams clear and it's a giant slapshot from Patrick Johnson for his 13th goal of the season. Score: WCU 4, Icers 1
The Icers RESPOND! Not even a minute after WCU took a 4-1 lead, Cera sends one home for his first of the year. He said early this week that this is the first time that he's felt 100 percent in a while. Looks like he was telling the truth. Score: WCU 4, Icers 2
The buzzer sounds and the period is over. Even though the Icers are down by two, they had a lot of chances turned away by Hackney that period. You have to think the Cera goal will give the team a bit of a lift heading into the intermission.
End of 2, the Golden Rams lead by two, 4-2.
3rd Period
Third period underway. Shot totals for the game are in, and after two periods the Icers held a 29-28 lead in shots on goal, so their current deficit isn't a product of not having chances...
West Chester is controlling this period so far, as they've had Signet under constant pressure. He's denying the Golden Rams in their quest for a fifth goal, but he had help as WCU have had at least one hit post this period.
WCU goes on the power play after Kirstein bowled into Hackney. He'll be gone for two minutes for goaltender interference. Cerutti steals the puck at center ice and gets hauled down as he skates in on net. And the refs award him a PENALTY SHOT! A short-handed penalty shot from Cerutti could draw the Icers to within one, but Hackney makes the save! Icers still trail by two and Kirstein is still in the box. Penalty is over, but Cerutti had a golden chance to bring the Icers that much closer to a comeback.
WCU takes a slapshot from the point and Signet saves it, but it bounces off his chest and right onto Gehring's stick. Goal WCU, as Gehring puts home his 22nd of the year.Score: WCU 5, Icers 2
And again the Icers come right back. Paradis scores just 16 seconds after Gehring scores. The Icers are within two again. Score: WCU 5, Icers 3
And just like that the Icers center the puck to Zimmel in the offensive zone and he's brought down. The Icers will have a power play with a little less than 10 minutes remaining and down by two. DeLorenzo just fired a shot off of Hackney's shoulder that popped up and onto the top of the net. 33 seconds left in the power play, and the Icers still havent converted. Zimmel skates in on Hackney and it's another save. Penalty's over, Icers fail to pull within one.
7:01 left in the game and Conte gets sent to the box. If the Icers are going to have any chance to mount a comeback, they'll need to kill off this penalty. DeLorenzo steals the puck, he's skating in on goal and Gehring steals it from behind. WCU back on the offensive. Bushman completes his hat trick. Score: WCU 6, Icers 3
Five minutes left in the game, and an Icer comeback looks fairly remote, now.
A little over three minutes left and the Icers will get another chance with the man advantage. Signet heads to the bench in favor of an extra attacker. Peck fires one off of the crossbar! DeLorenzo fires one too, but Hackney covers.
Time out, Penn State. Coach Balboni recognizes that, however small a chance the Icers have of mounting a comeback, his team needs to score here.
Back on the Ice and Pat Johnson takes down Kirstein. Uner Three minutes to play and another WCU player heads to the box. With Signet on the bench, the Icers have a three-man advantage. DeLo fires one off the post. Peck fires one right back. Zimmel puts home the rebound. His 10th goal of the year. Score: WCU 6, Icers 4
DeLorenzo skates in, fires another, and Hackney gloves it down. The Icers are peppering Hackney now, but he manages to freeze the puck. Whatever Balboni said in that timeout seems to working. And with 1:20 left, Gehring now heads to the box! Not only does he get penalized, but he's been shown the door. The Icers have 1:20 to finish any comeback, and to do so, they'll need two goals here.
One minute to, Icers still trail by two. WCU clears. DeLorenzo hustles back and sends the Icers back on offense. Traffic infront of the net and Hackney keeps it out! Line change and with 27 seconds left,the Icers comeback attempt looks near impossible now. Kyle Mills fires one, but Hackney gloves it.
WCU holds on to win and denies the Icers in their comeback bid. Final Score: WCU 6, Icers 4
