MILWAUKEE – The Trine University men's hockey team fell in their final game against the Milwaukee School of Engineering, with the home side coming out on top by the score of 6-3.
The Raiders scored the first two goals of the game with tallies in the sixth and ninth minutes. The second forced a change at goalie for the Thunder, who sent Ronnie Petrucci to the net for the first time this season. The sophomore seemed to settle the team, keeping holding MSOE off for the rest of the period.
Trine scored their first goal in 12th minute of the period. Alexander Babich stole the puck at mid-ice to start the play skating into the offensive zone and to the bottom of the near faceoff circle. He passed the puck across the ice to Josh Wright who had a broken stick shot toward the goal. Luckily Babich chased his pass and was in position to settle the puck and poke it into the net.
The team tied the contest four minutes later, with Babich playing a crucial role again. This time the team was working the puck in the neutral zone with Jack Cooper passing it back to Trayce Johnson who forwarded it to the near side where Babich once again carried it into the zone. This time he skated down and then across the face of the net firing a point blank shot toward goal. The rebound stayed close and Johnson finished it off for the goal.
The 2-2 score lasted just minutes into the second period before the Thunder took their first lead of the day. With possession in the offensive zone, Babich passed the puck around the boards and behind the net to Cooper who made either a wide shot or great pass to the front of the net. Brody Simko was standing at the back door of the net for the easy goal.
It ended up being the final goal of the game for Trine with the Raiders dominating the remainder of the contest. They scored three goals in the rest of the second and then another in the waning minutes of the third to secure the 6-3 victory.
The Thunder fall to 5-2-1 overall and 4-1-1 in Northern Collegiate Hockey Association (NCHA) play after the loss. They will face nationally ranked St. Norbert College when they next take the ice. The first home contest is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Friday, December 5.
