Men’s Hockey Shutout by Vermont State University Castleton 1-0

RUTLAND, V.T.— For the second straight game the MCLA Men's Hockey team held an opponent to a single goal, however unlike their 5-1 victory over WNEU on Tuesday, the Trailblazers were held off the scoreboard by the Vermont State University Castleton Spartans.

THE BASICS:

• Date: Friday, November 24, 2023
• Score: MCLA 0, VTSU Castleton 1
• Records: MCLA Trailblazers 2-5-1 (MASCAC 0-4-1) | VTSU Castleton Spartans 4-4-0 (NEHC 2-2-0)

HOW IT HAPPENED

• With both teams allowing just around three goals per game, it was a surprise that the game's lone goal would be scored in the first period by VTSU Castelton's Anthony Persi, who was assisted by Jason Atkinson. The goal was Persi's third of the year and the assist was Atkinson's second.
• The game continued a trend of the Trailblazers being outshot by their opponents. Through the first seven games, MCLA has been outshot by the opponents by an average of about ten shots on goal per game (37.57 vs 22.57). The pattern continued with the Spartans enjoying a 31 to 22 edge in shots on goal. That said, the Trailblazers' Mat Gover stopped 30 of the 31 shots, while the Spartans' Simon Brenter stopped all 22.
• MCLA wasn't without their opportunities, mostly due to a lack of discipline on the part of the tournament host Spartans who picked up 21 penalty minutes on five infractions, including a 10-minute game misconduct to Cedrick Theodore and a 5-minute major for boarding by Josef Vyvial. The Trailblazers had multiple five-on-three opportunities in the third period but came away without a goal.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Shots: MCLA 22, VTSU Castleton 31
• Saves: MCLA 30, VTSU Castleton 22
• Faceoffs Won: MCLA 39, VTSU Castleton 27
• Penalty/Minutes: MCLA 3/6:00, VTSU Castleton 5/21:00
• Power Plays: MCLA 0 for 5, VTSU Castleton 0 for 2

UP NEXT:

On Saturday, MCLA will be back in action when they wrap up the Terry Moran Invitational Tournament, playing the consolation game against the SUNY Morrisville Mustangs at the Spartans Arena. The puck will drop at 1 p.m.

STAY CONNECTED:

For the latest on MCLA Athletics, follow the Trailblazers via our social media platforms on Facebook, Instagram, or X (formerly Twitter).