For the first time since 2011, the Rams swept the Blue Hens on the road. PHOTO CREDIT: URI Events page
Playing on the road is a difficult task for any team, but with great defensive play and stellar performances from your goaltender, there’s a better chance of winning those games.
That was the case for the University of Rhode Island Men’s Ice Hockey team this past weekend when they went on the road and swept the University of Delaware for the first time since 2011. URI goaltender Curtis Briggs was superb in both games, saving a remarkable 82 of 84 shots.
“Holding the game, not letting it get away from us, Briggs played amazing,” Rhode Island Men’s Ice Hockey Assistant Coach Brendan Daly said. “Our defense stood up. We did everything right and what we needed to do to get four points in Delaware.”
Game one was quiet until midway through the first period when Rhode Island struck first with forward Matt Tetreault’s first goal of the season. This happened as a result of a terrific feed across the crease by defenseman Mike Costello to put the Rams ahead 1-0.
The second period was very back and forth, as neither penalty killing unit wanted to give up a score. During the lone penalty committed by URI in the period, Briggs made a phenomenal save in traffic to keep the score at 1-0. Delaware would hurt themselves as they committed three penalties, but fortunately for them, the Rams could not take advantage.
Bad discipline continued to be a theme in the third period, with both teams getting sent to the penalty box and playing four-on-four hockey. A roughing penalty from Blue Hens defensemen Jefferson Luce led to a score thirty second later from URI forward Thomas Fagan on the power play to put the Rams up 2-0.
Delaware would make things interesting late in the third period after getting a power play opportunity and pulling their goalie. With the two-man advantage, Delaware’s Brian Ostrander put the Blue Hens on the board, but it would be too little, too late as the Rams won 2-1.
The Rams relied heavily on their defense and Briggs again in game two, despite committing eight penalties in the game. This would not stifle Rhode Island for long, as defenseman Jonathan Shaw lit the lamp with a powerful wrist shot from the top of the offensive zone towards the end of the period to give URI a 1-0 lead heading into the intermission.
Early in the second, URI forward Jake Drohen set up the second goal, finding Nick Ferraro in front of the net for his ninth goal of the season. The 2-0 lead gave the Rams some leeway, but they were tested once more as they had to kill off a five-minute major penalty.
Delaware answered back in the third period shortly after Rhode Island killed off another penalty that carried over into the period. Blue Hens forward Ryan Rodrigues found the back of the net after a shot rebounded off of Briggs’s pad. The goal would be the only one Briggs would give up for a second-straight game. Down the stretch, Briggs continued to make sensational saves, including a crucial one midway through third after Rodrigues split the defense and was one-on-one with Briggs. The Rams would hold on and win 2-1, sealing the series sweep over the Blue Hens.
“{Briggs has] been doing that all year and even Callum [Burgess] has stepped up when we needed him to. When you know you can trust your goalie back there, then it gives the defense opportunities to jump in the plays and lets us be more aggressive and create more chances,” defenseman Jake Durocher said.
The Rams will play their final home series against Stony Brook University this Friday and Saturday. With a series win, Rhode Island will make Nationals.
“Stony Brook is obviously really good, but they just got swept by Delaware, we just swept Delaware and then we just lost to Syracuse, so it just doesn’t matter,” Shaw said. “Whoever brings their game is going to win.”