The University of Rhode Island men’s club hockey team’s season came to an end after losing its first-round matchup to Calvin University on March 12.
Rhode Island made it into the American Collegiate Hockey Association Nationals for the first time since 2015.
“It’s a huge accomplishment,” fourth-year defenseman Tim Crane said. “You can’t help but think about everyone who played here in the last 11 years that never had a chance to go, and how close we have been to going in my time here.”
Rhode Island entered its matchup as an underdog, ranked as the No. 22 seed in the tournament, and faced the No. 11-seeded Knights.
Midway through the first period, Calvin got the scoring started on a goal from fourth-year forward Krzysztof Petryla.
The Rams played a competitive first period with Calvin, keeping the game tight, but they were not able to match the Knights, leaving Calvin with a 1-0 lead going into the break.
Less than a minute into the second period, the Knights answered the bell again as second-year forward Tony Eaton gave the Knights a comfortable 2-0 advantage.
Second-year Aidan Darlington got called for a tripping penalty for the Rams, and Calvin responded. First-year Joshua Hooper put one into the back of the net to give the Knights a commanding 3-0 lead.
The Rams were put in a tough position again when second-year Zach Gold was called for a penalty late in the period, and Calvin took advantage once again as fourth-year Steven Ickes added another goal to make it 4-0.
“We made some mental mistakes during the game,” Crane said. “They capitalized on some of their opportunities, and their goalie was there to bail them out when we got our chances.”
As the second period came to a close, the Rams faced a significant deficit, with any hope of a comeback looking unlikely.
In the third, the Rams were outshot by the Knights 17-9 as Calvin tacked on a final goal from third-year defenseman Holden Pratt to seal the game and put the finishing touches for the Knights’ win, sending them onto the semifinals and sending Rhode Island packing.
For Rhode Island, this appearance in the National Tournament was a great learning experience for many of its young players who will be back with the team next year.
“They got to see what it’s like,” URI Head Coach Joe Augustine said. “They’ve got to know what it takes to get there.”
For the Rams, they will graduate five seniors this year, but they know it will take a lot from their next group, who are expected to step up.
“My time here is done,” Crane said. “It’s on the younger guys to learn the lessons we did throughout the season and to hopefully make some noise in the tournament in years to come.”
After winning the Eastern Collegiate Hockey Association regular season title and making the ACHA Nationals, the Rams will look to build off this historic season next year as they head into the offseason.
