ANGOLA, Ind. – The Trine University men's hockey team won their first home game of the season in convincing fashion, defeating the University of Dubuque by the score of 5-1. Alexander Babich was the star of the game, contributing to four of the five goals.
The Thunder struck early in the game. Just into the fourth minute of play, Trayce Johnson poked the puck free of a scrum in the defensive zone, allowing Babich to gain possession and skate to the other blueline. He fired a no-look pass back toward the center of the ice where Brody Simko was streaking toward the net. He fired from a bullet from the slot for the 1-0 lead.
It looked like that lead would last into the first intermission but the Spartans responded in the 17th minute of the period. Their goal was the last of the period and sent game to break tied 1-1.
The Thunder broke the tie in the third minute of the second period. Dubuque won a faceoff at their defensive end of the ice and tried to clear it around the boards behind the net. The attempt didn't have enough power on it and Evan Carroll was able to catch it just to the far back side of the net. His pass went straight to the front of the net where Brendan Hill was waiting to net the shot.
A rash of penalties kept both special teams groups busy and the teams off of the board. Then in the 17th minute Babich won a faceoff back to the blueline where Aleksa Babic fired a shot on goal. The Spartan goalie made the save, but Babich chased the rebound and his shot found the back of the net.
The score held at 3-1 for the second intermission and then well into the third period. In the tenth minute Trine scored again. This time Luke deVries settled the puck in the defensive zone before passing it back to Logan Furstenau who went the length of the ice and into the slot before dumping the pass back to his trailing linemate. Babich collected the pass and fired a shot from the near faceoff circle. The Spartan goalie again made the same and again left the rebound wide where Furstenau was waiting to collect the leftover for the goal.
The final goal came four minutes later and accounted for the fourth point of the day for Babich. Simko started the play on the defensive end, flipping the puck into the neutral zone and catching Furstenau on the run. The junior took the puck into the near faceoff circle and passed it back to just in front of the net where Babich fired a shot from point blank. The goalie once again made the first save, trying to sprawl on top of the puck but it squirted free and Babic flicked it over his prone form into the net.
Peyton Grainer made another start in net for the Thunder and finished the day with 19 saves, while allowing the lone goal.
The Thunder improve to 4-1-0 overall and 3-0-0 in Northern Collegiate Hockey Association (NCHA) play. They will look to complete the sweep tomorrow, Saturday, November 15 with opening faceoff scheduled for 4 p.m.
