By Brittany Burke
The CCSU ice hockey team skated away with a 5-2 win, at home against the University of Maine.
Coming off of a major win against the University of New Haven, 14-3, at home on Oct. 18 the Blue Devils took to the ice as a new team. For the most part the game was clean, with 10 penalties within the entire sixty minutes.
The team was in control of the puck more than they had been in past games and was able to get numerous chances at shot on goal. They got off to a slow start in the first period, being held to zero goals, while allowing the Black Bears the first point on the board.
After the first break CCSU came back and were rejuvenated. Their skating and puck handling improved, they were able to clear the net – something that Coach Adams had wanted his team to work on – and hold the Black Bears to the one goal from the previous period.
While the defense stepped up the team was able to get their first goal, made by Captain Joe Dabkowski, with 16:20 left in the period.
“We started off a little slow. Then our line started to pick it up, working down low, [Brett Holmes] took a good shot, missed the net scratched the net and put it in,” said Dabkowski.
The game started off at a slow pace, but after the first goal made by Dabkowski, from Holmes’ assist the Blue Devils seemed to really pick it up.
“We were flat footed for the first period and once we got that first goal we got a spark and just didn’t look back from there,” said sophomore forward Zack Vidmosko.
The outcome of the game was finally sealed for CCSU in the third when they were able to score three back to back goals within two minutes and twelve seconds of each other.
The first, a shorthanded goal was made by senior, Mike DiClemente while Jonathan Knobloch was in the penalty box with a minor tripping penalty. Diclemente made the goal from an assist by Joe Dabkowski with 18:38 left in the period. That goal was soon followed by junior Eric Blewett’s goal, assisted by Thomas Carroll to make the score 4-1.
The third goal of the period was also the second goal of the game for sophomore Zack Vidmosko, who’s first goal came in the second period.
“Well I was just workin’ hard in front of the net and the D did great work getting the puck in front and I was just there for the tip,” said Vidmosko. “I think I started off sloppy and then picked it up after I got confidence after that first goal.”
While the Blue Devils scored five goals, they were able to keep the puck away from their own zone. When the Black Bears crossed the neutral zone into the defending zone, it was the first year Blue Devil goalie, sophomore Ross Mocko who held them. Mocko only let the Black Bears score two goals on his net in the first and last period.
“It was kind of a slow game from my end of the ice. The guys played really well in front of me so I had to really stay focused for when the puck really did come into the zone,” said Mocko. “A couple of times I was a little hesitant as to what was going on but it’s just stay focused, battle hard and the team ended up coming out on top tonight with a good win.”
CCSU came out against the Black Bears conditioned and ready to play their brand of hockey.
“Started off with a lot of hard work – our line started to finally put it together. We had a couple of games where we were kind of shaky,” Dabkowski said.
CCSU will look to improve their record at home next on Nov. 6 against Holy Cross at 9:35 p.m.
