RUTLAND, Vt. – The Vermont State University Castleton men's ice hockey team opened its first Little East Conference season with a 5-3 win over New England College on Friday night.
The Basics
• Final Score: VTSU Castleton 5, New England College 3
• Location: Spartan Arena – Rutland, Vt.
• Records: Castleton 1-1-1 (1-0-0 LEC) | NEC 1-1-0 (0-1-0 LEC)
How It Happened
The teams traded early chances before New England College struck first in the ninth minute. Castleton answered five minutes later as
Holdin Getzlaf and
Jackson Edwards connected with
Josef Vyvial for the equalizer, sending the game into the first intermission tied 1-1.
The Spartans grabbed the lead early in the second period when
Marcus Bellomo netted his first collegiate goal from
Logan Dapprich to make it 2-1. NEC responded quickly, tying the game at 8:53 and then capitalizing on a power play moments later to go ahead 3-2.
With seven minutes left in the period,
Tyler Burke buried his first collegiate goal off feeds from Getzlaf and
Dylan Roebuck to even things at 3-3.
Castleton took control for good six minutes into the third when
Emmett McHardy redirected a Getzlaf pass for the go-ahead goal. NEC threatened late with a 5-on-3 advantage after penalties to McHardy and
Jason Atkinson, but the Spartans' penalty kill held firm. With the Pilgrims' net empty,
Trevor Castino sealed the win with a shorthanded empty-netter at 19:11.
By the Numbers
• A rookie, Getzlaf led the team with three assists.
• All five Castleton goals came from different skaters: Burke, Vyvial, McHardy, Bellomo, and Castino.
•
Charles Watson earned his first win of the year with 23 saves.
• The Spartans blocked seven shots, each by a different player.
• McHardy and Castino each won 11 faceoffs.
Up Next
The Spartans return to action tomorrow, Saturday, November 8, at 4 p.m. as they host Plymouth State in another LEC matchup. A food drive benefiting the Rutland County Parent-Child Center will also take place, with fans who donate a non-perishable food item receiving free admission.
