by Jonathan Moniz, Staff Writer
This week, the UMass Dartmouth Corsairs ice hockey team took home two awards and two victories, claiming prestige and further adding on to their record for the season.
Starting off the week was the award of the Massachusetts Collegiate Athletic Conference (known informally as MASCAC) honors, for the awards of Player of the Week to Casey Shea and Rookie of the Week to Steven Leonard.
This was the first time for both of the players to collect the MASCAC awards, based on outstanding performance on the rink within their respective positions. Shea’s score for the season stood at sixteen points and ten assists, while Leonard scored three points in a game against the Rams on Saturday.
Shea is ranked ninth nationally, based on average points per game of which he has 1.78 as his score.
Both these players have been instrumental in continuing UMass Dartmouth’s four game winning streak, with the recent matches coming up at Fitchburg and Framingham State. The Corsairs stood poised to compete with Fitchburg at Hetland Arena.
The game started off with a tie that lasted three minutes into the game, with the Corsairs pressing aggressively for the goal. Leonard scored the first, aiming to the top side of the goal post to score.
Another ten minutes passed into the game before Brendan McDonough, with the assistance of Jerry Laakso and Leonard, scored off a bouncing puck and shot it into the net. The two point advantage they had now accumulated in the game lasted well into the ending time-frame.
From there, the Fitchburg Falcons embarked on a furious offensive, firing twenty shots to the Corsair’s seven, culminating with junior James Gordon scoring top side against Corsair goalkeeper Drew Michals. They traded out their goalee for an extra skater, but despite this, could not even out the score.
The Corsairs managed to take home another win, adding to their three win streak. And then it came head to head with Framingham State. The score was two to one, with the Corsairs emerging the victors.
Taking place on Saturday, December 3, this game started out with a very different tone compared to the last. Framingham State burst off the line scoring a goal in less than five minutes, with Mark Essery firing a slap shot, as Michals managed to initially stop the puck before it rebounded in.
Shea, however, managed to even the score with the assistance of Mike Sones and David Skarbek, sending the puck into the back of the net.
Leonard picked up on Shea’s lead and continued with the assistance of Laakso and McDonough, scoring and putting the Corsairs one ahead of Framingham.
The Rams managed to tie the score in the second phase, starting with a quick shot despite players arrayed in front of the net. Tyler Colacchio made the shot.
A mere minute and ten seconds later, senior Kyle Zacharewicz scored again, arcing the puck over the Rams defender and into the net. Brandon Berkeley then took advantage and pressed the score, with Shea passing to him and sent the puck into the net.
The Corsairs managed to take the victory home despite another score from the Framingham Rams.
Overall, during the match the score was four to three in favor of the UMass Dartmouth Corsairs.
The next game of the UMass Dartmouth Corsairs ice hockey team will be played at January 8, for the next semester with the Worcester State Lancers.