This weekend the Blue Hens faced the Lebanon Valley College Dutchmen. Friday night University of Delaware fell 6-2 at home, and Saturday night the Hens came away with a 5-3 win at the Lebanon Valley College Hersheypark Arena.
The last home game of the semester, the team collected canned goods for the Food Bank of Delaware, and promoted their “Movember” campaign. The puck dropped at 7:00 p.m. at the Fred Rust. The starting lineup for the game was Patrick Rochfort in goal, Alex Guerere and Cameron Bregenzer on defense, and John Redgate, Leo Skehan, and Shane Mullin on offense. The first period ended in a 0-0 tie. Both teams came out hard, and ready to put up a fight. There was a lot of movement up and down the ice, and possession of the puck was constantly changing. Delaware had quite a few opportunities in front of the net, but were blocked each time.
LVC scored the first two goals of the night within the first two minutes of the period. Delaware struggled to get themselves back in the game. Over the next few minutes of the period, the Blue Hens played hard both offensively and defensively. Despite their efforts, the Dutchmen scored another two goals towards the end of the period. The Blue Hens kept fighting, and finally put the puck in the back of the net. With 8 seconds left in the period, John Redgate scored the first UD goal of the night!
The Hens went into the third period down by three goals, the score being 4-1 LVC. With 14 minutes and 18 seconds left on the clock, the away team scored their fifth goal of the night. Less than two minutes later, they scored again. With a minute and 9 seconds left in the period, Vinny Zingarelli scored the last UD goal of the night. Making the final score of the game 6-2 Dutchmen.
After the game, I spoke to a few players. I asked both players what they were going to do differently going into Saturday’s game. Alex Guerere said, “Play with intensity, play physical.” Leo Skehan said, “Jump on them early.”
At 3:30 p.m. the game was underway. The starting lineup for the Blue Hens was Dylan Troiano in goal, Nick Ustaski and Justin Hoch on D, and Dan Going, Vinny Zingarelli, and Mike Conte on offense. Just under 8 minutes into the first period, UD got up on the board first. Matt Margolis scored unassisted, putting us in the lead. Both teams struggled to put one in the back of the net for the rest of the period, and the Hens went out on top.
With the second period underway, Delaware wanted to keep the momentum going. John Redgate scored the second goal of the night, assisted by Alex Guerere, early in the period. However, LVC responded by scoring three quick goals to put them in the lead. UD kept fighting and playing their best. They had many opportunities on goal, and our defense worked hard to keep the Dutchmen away.
Going into the third period down a goal, the Hens knew they needed to work hard the last twenty minutes. Matt Margolis scored his second goal of the night on the power play with assists from Nick Ustaski and Leo Skehan, and tied up the game! They continued to play well and kept the momentum going. They fought hard offensively. Leo Skehan scored the fourth UD goal of the night, and put the Hens in the lead! Mike Zidansek sealed the deal for us when he scored the fifth goal! The Blue Hens defeated the Dutchmen, and put an end to their win streak, 5-3!
I caught up with Brayden Penner to talk about the outcome of the game and what went well on Saturday! He said, “We came out pretty well and were able to get on the board twice to take a 2-0 lead. We had a bit of a lapse in focus for a moment in the second period, and LVC really made us pay by scoring three quick goals. Luckily we were able to settle down, and get back to our game. We fought back, regained the lead, and it felt great to be able to come out with a win. Leo and Margo both played really well, and Troiano’s play in the third period was tremendous. LVC has some big boys on their roster that can intimidate teams. I think we did a great job sticking up for one another when the game started to get chippy towards the end of the third. When the boys are all standing up for one another, it makes the win feel that much better. ”
Delaware is taking on Drexel University on Monday the 23rd at 1:00 p.m. at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. Keep up with our Twitter page for updates on the game! When we get back from break, the team will be on the road to play Stony Brook University in New York! Be sure to keep up with our Twitter page then as well. The team won’t be back home until January. UD will be playing Colorado State University at home the weekend of January 9th and 10th. We hope to see you at the game!
Written By: Analisa Vizzoni
