The Rams hold the seawolves to two straight losses for the first time in 12 years
Third-year Dennis Engelson scored URI’s third goal in a 4-2 win on Saturday. PHOTO CREDIT: Connor Zisk
On Friday and Saturday the Rams returned home to the Boss Ice Arena where they completed the two game sweep against their rivals, Stony Brook University, for the first time since 2011.
On Friday the Rams took on Stony Brook in game one, completing the comeback win in overtime.
The Rams fell behind after Stony Brook scored only 25 seconds into the game. The Rams went scoreless through the first two periods, but third-year goalie Curtis Briggs kept the Rams in the game, not allowing a goal for Stony Brook during the rest of the first and the entire second period.
Fourth-year Forward Dylan Weichselbaumer scored the Rams first goal to make it 1-1 with 17 minutes remaining in the third. Third year Forward Kevin Kanaczet made the game a 2-1 game with 13 minutes remaining as buried a slap shot past the goalie. Then Stony Brook went on to answer by putting up another goal with six minutes remaining in the game.
The Rams then went into overtime and per American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) rules, similar to NHL rules, started a three vs. three on the ice. Neither team was able to get much momentum in overtime until after a shot from Weichselbaumer late in overtime caused the Stony Brook defenders to get stuck on each other’s skates and sticks as they attempted to defend their goal. Third-year Defenseman Jonathan Shaw was able to sneak the puck away from all three Stony Brook skaters and get a goal to make it 3-2, for an overtime finish at the Boss Ice Arena.
On Saturday the Rhode Island Rams faced off in game two against Stony Brook University. The Rams went into this game with momentum, dictating play and keeping Stony Brook on their toes as they played physical and aggressive hockey. Third-year defenseman Dimitri Forand scored the first goal for the Rams in the first period. Following shortly after, the Rams continued their pressure when first-year forward Ethan Cordeiro scored in the first period with a wrist shot that just beat the goalie, making the score 2-0.
Stony Brook went down 3-0 in the second period after a shorthanded goal by third-year forward Dennis Engelson who had just left the penalty box for URI after a hooking call. This 3-0 score held up until the third period of play. Stony Brook came into the third period hot, scoring within the first two minutes of the third period with a slap shot that was tipped. The Rams fell into penalty troubles in this period.
“The penalties we got were laziness and selfishness, period,” URI head coach Joe Augustine said. “You’re against a team like that, that’s highly skilled and can score a lot of goals and you give them the opportunities in not only five on five, now you’re taking ridiculous penalties.”
With this trouble with discipline, the Rams found themselves up 3-2 with six minutes left in the third period. With the late penalty problems, the Rams also found themselves overall struggling in the third period as they were out shot 24-6 during this period alone.
However, the Rams found the opportunity to seal the game when Weichselbaumer scored himself an empty netter, after Stony Brook attempted to pull their goalie for an extra attacker to try and tie the game with just over a minute left to play. This cemented the win for the Rams as they completed the two game series sweep.
There are several players over the course of the series who don’t get mentioned. They follow defensive schemes, they block passes and shots, they hustle and grind during games but don’t get as much recognition on the statsheet. Fourth-year Thomas Fagan fits this description for the Rams.
“Definitely Thomas Fagan, he has quite a history of being almost like the team wrecking ball, always blocking shots, always getting back on defense, making sure he’s back in the defensive zone,” fourth-year forward Luke Judge said. “He did very well this weekend on the penalty kill, the game got very chippy and a lot of penalties were thrown around.”
The Rams look on to prepare for their next home series against Syracuse on Friday at 7 p.m. and Saturday at 4 p.m. at Boss Ice Arena.