PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Two goals in the opening minutes of the third period propelled the Trine University men's hockey team to their eighth win of the season. The team defeated their hosts from Chatham University by the score of 2-1.
It was the Cougars that stuck first in the game, scoring late in the first period to take a 1-0 lead into the intermission and through the second period. Despite the score, it was the Thunder that led in shots and shots on goal. After a 10-6 first period, the visiting side exploded in the stat, putting 17 on goal to the oppositions two.
It finally paid off just into the final stanza. Chatham won the opening faceoff and quickly dumped it deep to kill off the final moments of a Trine powerplay. Kyle Kozma settled the puck behind the net where Tim Organ and Sean Henry skated at it from either side of the net at full speed. Henry left with the puck and skated just into the neutral zone before passing it to Logan Furstenau. The sophomore skated into the near faceoff dot and took a shot on goal that was saved. The rebound went short and Furstenau followed up with a quick second shot that found the back of the net.
Not long after the ensuing faceoff, a Cougar defender made a play to keep the puck in their offensive zone just inside the blue line. Michael DiPietra went right through that defender jarring the puck loose and leaving it for Brendan Finn. The sophomore went a few strides forward into the neutral before passing it to Bobby Price. It was a short possession for the senior before he passed it right back to Finn who went the rest of the way, scoring the goal in close to the net after battling through the final Chatham skater.
Trine finished the third with another advantage on the shot tally, this time 9-2, finishing the game with a commanding 36-10 lead. Aside from the one goal, Kozma finished with nine saves in net.
The Thunder improve to 8-0-1 overall following the victory. They will host Chatham tomorrow, Sunday, December 1, to finish off the weekend doubleheader. Opening faceoff is scheduled for 2 p.m.
