WPU Hockey Continues to Roll

The William Paterson University hockey team extended its win streak to four games by defeating the fourth-ranked Central Connecticut State University Blue Devils 5-1 on Nov. 13.

The first period began and was quite the defensive battle. Both goalies saw a lot of action, as neither team could capitalize on numerous goal-scoring opportunities. WPU finally broke through in the final minute of play in the first, with John Gomez scoring his first goal of the night. WPU fired 13 shots on goal in the first, doubling the amount of shots CCSU had. WPU goalie Kyle Finnerty looked impressive in net once again, making several tough saves to keep the Pioneers in the lead going into the second period.

As the second period wore on, the Pioneers began to take control of the game, but it was once again a defensive battle. The WPU defense played strong all night, only allowing CCSU to get five shots in the second, as Finnerty looked well on his way to his second straight shutout. Much like in the first, the Pioneers scored late into the period, as Anthony Zipfel squeezed one past the Blue Devils' goalie on a power play.

The third period is when things began to get interesting. There were a total of 24 penalties in the game, with 13 coming in the third period alone, the majority against CCSU. With the score standing at 2-0 in favor of WPU, the Blue Devils started playing a much rougher and sloppier game than they did in the previous periods. The Pioneers took advantage of the penalties, scoring three power play goals in the third. Gomez netted his second goal of the game, this time on a Power Play, but CCSU answered right back as they scored less than a minute later. The shot clinked off the post, ending Finnerty's chances at a second straight shutout by the slightest of margins.

"The whole line is playing well. We're getting better each game," said Gomez after the game.

A few minutes later, captain Jason Fortino scored from his knees, and in keeping with the theme of the game, Lance Beckman added one more goal in the final minute of regulation. Both goals came on the power play. Matt Gillen also had a strong offensive showing as he racked up four points in the game, all assists. Finnerty once again played an excellent game, despite allowing one goal to get by him. Overall, he made 18 saves, showing off spectacular glove and stick work in the process. He often came out of net to help push the puck back up the ice to keep his team's momentum going, something few goal tenders feel comfortable doing.

"I like to come out," said Finnerty after the game. "I was caught out of position on that one shot and it got past me."

One thing of note about this game was the large crowd in attendance. A few CCSU parents and fans made the short trip down from Connecticut to watch their team play, and many WPU students and parents turned out to show their support as well. The WPU fans got louder and louder as the game went on, creating an electric atmosphere. On one of the Pioneer's defensive stands late into the third period, some WPU students standing behind the net loudly cheered on Finnerty as he made several saves after a flurry of CCSU shots.

"Yeah, I definitely heard them," said Finnerty. "But it didn't distract me at all. I tried tuning it out."