COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Senior Nick Sorkin (Rockville, Md.) recorded a pair of goals while junior goalie Casey DeSmith (Rochester, N.H.) made 31 saves to help the University of New Hampshire men's hockey team to a 6-2 victory at Colorado College Friday night at World Arena.
At the 5:53 mark of the first period, Sorkin gave the Wildcats a 1-0 lead with his ninth goal of the season. The play started when Willows fed linemate Kevin Goumas (Long Beach, N.Y.) a pass across the ice to in the left faceoff circle in the CC zone. Goumas hit Sorkin's stick with a pass in the slot. Sorkin faked left and dragged the puck across the face of the goal and put it home. All five Wildcats touched the puck on the play in a well orchestrated play.
Matt Willows (Congers, N.Y.) nearly got an early goal as Dalton Speelman (San Jose, Calif.) fed him a pass in stride that was received at the blueline. Willows skated in with the puck and fired at the goal, but the shot was turned aside by Tiger goalie Josh Thorimbert. CC created an offensive flurry on the other end of the ice with consecutive shots. However, each attempt was denied by netminder Casey DeSmith (Rochester, N.H.).
At the end of the first period, UNH held a 1-0 lead. DeSmith held the Tigers without a goal on the 10 shots he faced. UNH converted on one of the eight shots Thorimbert saw come at him.
CC's Archie Skalbeck got the Tigers on the board and tied the game at 1-1 at the 6:29 mark of the second period with a power play goal. The play started when Ian Young played a pass up to Skalbeck, who skated in alone on a breakaway. Skalbeck shot the puck into the left corner of the net and into the goal. At the 8-minute mark, the Tigers took a 2-1 lead on a goal by Sam Rothstein. The goal came as a result of a scrum in front of the net with chances by the Tigers. Rothstein managed to find the puck and jam it into the net. After the original call was made, the play was placed under review by the officials. After deliberation, the call stood.
With 6:43 remaining in the second period, Harry Quast (Chagrin Falls, Ohio) ripped a shot from just inside the blueline that rung the post and bounced away from the net. Kyle Smith (Lumberton, N.J.) responded with his third goal of the season and the tying goal with 2:05 remaining in the second period. Smith received a pass in the neutral zone and blasted a shot at Thorimbert that was saved. The rebound squirted out to Trevor van Riemsdyk (Middletown, N.J.) just inside the blueline. van Riemsdyk sent a shot that was saved by Thorimbert, but Smith garnered the rebound and buried the shot in the net.
At the end of the second period, the score was tied, 2-2. DeSmith had made 23 saves through two periods of play.
Grayson Downing (Abbottsford, British Columbia) regained the lead for the Wildcats at the 7:05 mark of the third period with his ninth goal of the season. Dan Correale (Prince George, British Columbia) saucered a pass to Speelman who in turn laced the puck to Downing. Downing took aim at the CC net and blasted a shot past Thorimbert. Just 42 seconds later, Sorkin registered his second goal of the night to give UNH a 4-2 lead. van Riemdyk and Eric Knodel (West Chester, Pa.) set up the play to earn the assists on the play.
Just under a minute after Sorkin's goal, Jeff Silengo (Madison, Conn.) scored his fourth goal of the year and the fifth of the game for the Wildcats. Colorado native Matias Cleland (Longmont, Colo.) played a pass to Casey Thrush (Easton, Md.) in the CC zone. Thrush slid the puck to Silengo in front of the net who in turn buried the shot for the goal. New Hampshire extended its lead to 6-2 with its fourth goal of the period as Speelman earned his second point of the night with his third goal of the season. Quast earned his second assist of the season and of his career on the play as he fed the puck to Speelman on the play. Speelman ripped a shot past relief goalie Courtney Lockwood for the goal.
At the end of the third period, the 'Cats prevailed for a 6-2 victory. DeSmith made 31 saves on 33 shots faced to pick up his sixth win of the season as his record improves to 6-5-0. Thorimbert received the loss in net for the Tigers as he allowed five goals on 28 shots faced. Relief goalie Lockwood made five saves on the six shots he faced.
The Wildcats were unable to convert on power play opportunities (0-for-3) while the Tigers took advantage of the one they had (1-for-1). UNH blocked a total of 24 shots in the game.
UNH improves to 8-7-1 on the year while Colorado College falls to 1-9-2.
The two teams will conclude the weekend series with game two Saturday night at 9:07 EST.