Lewiston, ME – CMCC Men's Hockey returned to the ice for their first game of the second semester, heading across the bridge for a battle with crosstown rival Bates College. The Mustangs put nine goals in the back of the net to complete a season sweep of the Bobcats and improve to 16-5 overall on the season. Mikita Kalmykov scored times including the game-winner for his first career hat trick.
The Minsk, Belarus native scored twice in a 12-second span in the first period to give Central Maine a 2-0 lead with 6:31 played. Bates pulled one back on a Darien Chiang tally with 53 seconds left in the frame to make it 2-1 heading into the intermission.
The Mustangs scored four times in the second period to pull away. Aaron Higgins scored his 22nd goal of the campaign midway through the frame off a setup from Brody Keefe and Jake Harshman. Evan Knowlton and Zach Jones each potted a goal 15 seconds apart to make it three quick strikes in less than two minutes, putting the visitors up 5-1. Senior forward Cody Ivey then capped scoring in the period with 1:49 left.
There was more offense in the third. Kalmykov completed his hat trick at the 3:12 mark to increase the lead to 7-1. CMCC also added two goals in the closing minutes. Ivey batted home a puck out of midair on a pass across the slot from Alex Alonso. Kalmykov finished it off with his 15th of the season on a shot just outside the hash marks with 53 seconds to play.
The Mustangs outshot the Bobcats 63-14. Goaltender Isaac White maintained his perfect record in his third start of the season. Central Maine remains in second place in the NECHA Colonial North standings with a 6-2-0 divisional record. A victory over Dartmouth College on Sunday, January 26th would clinch a spot in the postseason.
Before that, CMCC hosts Curry College on Saturday, January 25th where they will honor six members of their graduating class. Puck drop is slated for 7:30 pm, following the women's hockey match-up vs UNE as part of the program's first ever hockey doubleheader.
