PLYMOUTH, N.H. – Seniors
Will Pray (Prague, Czechia) and
David Matousek (Karlovy Vary, Czechia) each scored twice, and senior goaltender
Connor Strobel (Butler, Pa.) matched a career high with 40 saves as Plymouth State University defeated Curry College, 7-2, in the men's ice hockey season opener at Hanaway Rink on Friday evening.
Curry opened the scoring just 1:20 into the game, but Pray answered 12 seconds later, and sophomore
Kim Hilmersson (Uppsala, Sweden) gave the Panthers a 2-1 lead midway through the first period.
Second-period goals from senior
Andrew Stuckless (Conception Bay South, Newfoundland) and Matousek extended the margin to 4-1. Plymouth State then outscored the Colonels 3-1 in the final period to secure the victory.
Plymouth State opens the season 1-0-0, while Curry falls 0-1-0.
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 7, Curry 2
- Plymouth State (1-0-0)
- Curry (0-1-0)
How it Happened:
- Strobel made a save on a breakaway chance, but the Colonels stuffed in a rebound for a 1-0 lead just 1:20 into the game.
- Plymouth State responded immediately as Pray received a pass from junior Panayioti Efraimidis (Montréal, Québec) at the blue line. Pray ripped a shot from the top of the left circle that the goaltender initially stopped, but Pray collected the rebound and tucked it inside the right post to tie the game just 12 seconds later.
- Senior Byron Hartley (Philadelphia, Pa.) stole the puck in the defensive zone and sent Hilmersson on a breakaway midway through the period. Hilmersson stuffed the puck under the goaltender's right leg to give the Panthers a 2-1 lead at the 8:15 mark.
- Strobel made three big saves to preserve the lead as the Colonels generated extended offensive-zone pressure during a power play in the opening minute of the second period.
- The Panther forecheck created a turnover late in the period, and Stuckless slipped the puck past the goaltender to extend the lead to 3-1 with 5:46 remaining.
- Curry's goaltender stopped a penalty shot with a blocker save to keep it a two-goal game, but Matousek stuffed home the rebound of Pray's shot a minute later to push the margin to 4-1 heading into the third period.
- Curry scored a power-play goal less than two minutes into the final period, but senior Patrick O'Connell (West Chester, Pa.) answered just over a minute later to make it 5-2.
- Pray added an empty-net goal with 1:58 remaining, and Matousek capped the scoring in the final minute to seal the win.
By the Numbers:
- Pray finished with two goals and an assist, while Matousek scored twice.
- Junior Thomas Kaufield (Calgary, Alberta) also recorded a multi-point game with two assists.
- Strobel's 40 saves matched his career high.
- Curry held a 42-34 advantage in shots, including a 22-8 margin in the third period.
- Plymouth State went 0-for-3 on the power play, while the Colonels finished 1-for-8.
- The teams last met during the 2018-19 season.
Up Next:
- Plymouth State hosts Plattsburgh State on Saturday (Oct. 31) at 3 p.m.
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