SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The Vermont State University Castleton men's ice hockey team braved snowy conditions to take on Skidmore College on Wednesday afternoon, claiming a 5-3 victory.
The Basics
• Final Score: VTSU Castleton 5, Skidmore 3
• Location: Saratoga City Rink – Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
• Records: Castleton 6-5-1 | Skidmore 4-5-2
How It Happened
The Spartans found themselves on the penalty kill early as Logan Dapprich was sent to the box at 1:30 for hooking. The penalty kill unit handled the disadvantage well, with Charles Watson making three saves and blocks coming from Marcus Bellomo and Holdin Getzlaf. Shortly after returning to full strength, Emmett McHardy fired a strong shot on goal that rang off the pipe.
Later in the opening period, David Coyle recorded his first collegiate goal after collecting a loose puck in the Thoroughbred zone for an unassisted tally, giving Castleton a 1-0 lead.
Two minutes later, Watson made a kicking save on a 1-on-1 attempt, and the rebound found Dapprich, who sprung McHardy through the neutral zone. McHardy beat the Skidmore goalie stick side to extend the lead to 2-0. Watson was outstanding in the period, making 18 saves to finish a perfect 18-for-18 through the first.
The scoring continued early in the second as Luke Chakrabarti found the back of the net just 21 seconds into the frame, assisted by Cam Reid and Dapprich. Skidmore responded with its first goal of the game in the 10th minute to cut the deficit to 3-1.
It took five minutes into the final period for Castleton to strike again, as Tyler Burke redirected a Cole Bowditch shot in front to make it 4-1.
Skidmore mounted a push in the 10th minute, scoring twice in a 53-second span to pull within 4-3 and force a Castleton timeout. Watson steadied the Spartans from there, making eight saves down the stretch as the Thoroughbreds pulled their goalie at 18:11.
Forty seconds later, Jason Atkinson sealed the win with a long, unassisted empty-net goal from the defensive zone, putting an exclamation point on the 5-3 victory over former NEHC foe Skidmore.
By the Numbers
• The first line delivered across the board, with all three forwards—Chakrabarti, McHardy, and Coyle—scoring goals.
• Dapprich led the team with two points on two assists.
• Despite allowing three goals, Watson was stellar throughout, finishing with 40 saves.
• Castleton blocked 14 shots, led by Trevor Castino with three.
• The Spartans snapped a five-game losing streak against the Thoroughbreds dating back to January 31, 2023.
• Castleton improved to 2-0 in Wednesday contests this season, following a 3-2 overtime win over Saint Michael's on December 3.
Up Next
The Spartans will take a longer pause for Winter Break before returning to the ice in the New Year, facing Framingham State at 8:40 p.m. on January 8.
