Charlestown, MA- The Central Maine Community College ice hockey team battled to the final minute, escaping Emmons Horrigan O'Neill Memorial Rink with a 7-6 victory over Wentworth Institute of Technology Friday night. The Mustangs (5-6) showed grit and heart right till the final buzzer to hold onto the victory over Wentworth (0-1).
Wentworth came out in the first period and scored two quick goals to take an early 2-0 lead. The Mustangs battled back from the deficit cutting it in half with a goal by Sean Coleman, ending period one at a score of 2-1. "I thought we came out a little flat defensively, and Wentworth capitalized on our mistakes early. They did a good job of getting on us right away and dominated the first half of the period, but I am glad we picked it up in the second half of the period to finish strong going into the second," Coach Poulin added.
The second period brought a lot of offense from both sides. Pat Pearson, Collin Sheehan, Charles Campagna, and Jordin Eurenius all added goals for the Mustangs in the second period. Wentworth added three goals in the back-and-forth period. Going into the third period, the teams were tied 5-5. "I thought this was an important period for us because we have struggled in the second period this season. Being able to produce offensively like we did after putting ourselves into deficits all period was special and showed the grit we played with tonight," Coach Poulin mentioned about the second frame.
The third period was centered on conditioning and resilience. The Mustangs came out early and took the lead in the third with a goal from Jordin Eurenius. Two minutes later Jordin Eurenius finished off the hat trick to make it a 7-5 score. Wentworth added its lone tally at 12:32 of the third period, leaving just under eight minutes of game time. The Mustangs battled and fought hard for eight long minutes, holding off a late push to seal the game. "Our message in the late parts of the period was simple: defense first, backside pressure, and at all costs pucks had to be out of our zone. It wasn't a pretty win for us tonight, but we showed a lot of heart and that is a huge step for us at this point in the season," said Poulin.
Kenny Miller added 36 saves in net for Central Maine with another stellar performance in his return from injury. "Kenny does a lot of special things in net, and truly helps keep momentum our way and keeps the guys fighting every shift. It's great to have him back," Poulin commented.
Ryan Kelley (2), Alex Barone (2), Brandon Bertoni, Drake Goupil (4), Jacoby Robinson (2), and Nate Foye all added assists on the night.
The Mustangs take the ice Saturday night at Underhill Arena at Bates College at 7:00 PM EST and again on the road Sunday at the University of New England at 11:00 AM.
