Wesleyan Rallies to Defeat Conn College in Men's Ice Hockey

An early Connecticut College lead vanished Tuesday as Wesleyan University came back to defeat the Camels 3-2 in a men's ice hockey competition. The following information was provided by the Connecticut College Athletic Department:

Wesleyan University rallied from a 2-0 deficit to take a 3-2 victory over Connecticut College in men's ice hockey action Tuesday night. Wesleyan improved to 7-8-3 overall and 6-7-1 in NESCAC/ECAC East play with the win, while Connecticut College fell to 6-11-3 overall and 5-9-1 in conference action.

The game had originally been scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 5, but was postponed three days due to concerns about the snow load on the Wesleyan ice rink roof.

Wesleyan got the game-winner off the stick of junior Geoff Mucha (West Chester, Pa.) at the 8:43 mark of the third period during 4-on-4 action. Following a Connecticut College penalty at 8:38, Wesleyan sophomore John Guay (North Scituate, R.I.) won the offensive-zone faceoff and tipped the puck to defenseman Chris MacDonald (Hanover, Mass.). MacDonald sent it to defenseman Todd Keats (Northbrook, Ill.), who one-timed it. Keats' shot was stopped by Connecticut College netminder Andrew Margolin (Mahwah, N.J.), but Mucha tipped in the rebound for his seventh goal of the season, moving him into a tie for the team lead in that category.

Junior Tom Salah (Gloucester, Mass.) had tied the game for Wesleyan early in the third period. Following a shot that went high over the net, MacDonald sent the puck to Mucha, who passed it to Salah in front of the net. Salah flipped it in at 1:02 for his second goal of the year.

Connecticut College had held a 2-0 lead at the first intermission following a pair of late goals. Junior Sean Curran (Wilmette, Ill.) put the visitors on the board at 18:10 with a wrister from the left side. Senior Ross James (Orono, Maine) skated down the right side and sent the puck to Curran along the left side; Curran's shot snuck just inside the right post. James and senior Jordan Gray (Mississauga, Ontario) received assists on the goal, Curran's team-leading 15th.

The visitors extended their advantage to 2-0 with just 23 seconds remaining in the period. Gray won an offensive-zone faceoff and tipped the puck to Curran, who was standing in front of the net. Curran's shot was stopped by Wesleyan netminder Glenn Stowell (Hadley, Mass.), but senior Ryan Riffe (South Berwick, Maine) was there to put in the rebound for his sixth goal of the year.

Wesleyan halved its deficit at the 6:29 mark of the second courtesy of junior Brett Bandazian (Wyckoff, N.J.). Sophomore Nick Craven (Fort Collins, Colo.) stripped a Conn. College defenseman in the neutral zone and passed the puck to Bandazian along the right boards. Bandazian beat a Conn. College defenseman and sent the puck over Margolin's right shoulder for his third goal of the season.

The teams survived a wild finish that saw each side earn a two-man advantage. A major penalty on Conn. College with 3:31 to go followed by a holding minor 35 seconds later gave Wesleyan a 5-on-3, but a Wesleyan goal was disallowed as the net had become dislodged. Wesleyan kept the pressure on, but a slashing minor on the Cardinals with 1:48 remaining, followed by a holding penalty with 1:10 to play, gave the visitors a power play of their own. Conn. College pulled Margolin with a minute to go in favor of an extra skater, giving the Camels a 5-on-3 to end the game. The Wesleyan penalty kill held firm and Stowell made three of his six third-period stops in the final minute to preserve the one-goal victory.

Stowell finished with 28 saves for Wesleyan, while Margolin recorded 37 for Connecticut College, including 16 in a third period that saw Wesleyan outshoot the visitors by an 18-6 count.

Both teams return to action on Friday, Feb. 11, as Wesleyan travels to Colby College for a NESCAC battle, while Connecticut College hosts the University of Southern Maine for a 7:00 p.m. game in New London.