Last weekend the D3 Hens participated in the Aston Ice Works Pre-Season Showcase in Aston, PA.
The Hens kicked off the Showcase with a game against Fordham University. The game was hard fought, and after three periods the score was finished at 6-1. Nathan Kanter scored the first goal of the game for the Blue Hens 3:50 into the second with assists coming from Matt Bishop. The Rams evened the game up at 12:31 in the second period and the game remained tied until Kenneth Elliott put one in with 2 minutes’ left in the second. After the third began, Freshman Nicholas Scafidi put away his first goal of his Blue Hens career to start the goal parade for the Hens. Forrest Hines played very well in net, and had a .938 save percentage on the night.
The Blue Hens second game of the showcase was against a much improved Bucknell University team. Sadly, this game was pretty boring to watch but in the end Bucknell put one top shelf late in the third to take the game.
The third game matched the Blue Hens against their DVCHC rival, The University of Maryland. The Hens got on the board first with a goal from Marty Coverdale. The team kept the offense rolling but came up empty handed from multiple scoring opportunities. The Hens held the lead late into the second, but surrendered a two goals to the Terps off of defensive breakdowns. The tie was finally broke early in the third when a fluttering puck took an indirect bounce past the Maryland goalie. Forrest Hine’s goaltending cemented the Blue Hens to a 3-2 win.
The final game of the showcase for the Blue Hens was a showdown against another DVCHC opponent Alvernia. As the first period started, it took no time for the scoring to begin. The Hens broke the ice with a goal a little under two minutes in from Dylan Garrett. It took the Hens another period to find the back of the net. Jonathan Madia ripped a missile past the Alvernia goalie. A couple minutes later the Crusaders managed to cut the lead in half. The Hens rolled in the third with goals from Steve Cacchioli and Kenneth Elliot, who slid in an empty net goal.
The Blue Hens ended the Pre-Season Showcase with a great record of 3-1, and it was a big step forward for the team. Great goaltending, team defense, and the hard work the boys have been putting in is starting to pay off.
