In their season debut, the men’s ice hockey team began their season by dominating the two-game series against Morrisville State College.
Although they got off to a slow start in the beginning of game one, the team quickly shook off their first-game nerves, as seven different players scored. Reflecting on the team’s success, head coach Dominick Dawes said, “It was good to see a lot of players put points on the board. Getting the monkey of that first goal of the season off your back can be tough.”
In the strong performance, the two freshman, forward Tyler Slusarczyk and goalie Dustyn Moyer, helped lead the team to victory. Slusarczyk led the team with two goals, and Moyer defended the net effectively, allowing only one goal. The Mustangs ended the first game with a decisive 7-1 victory over Morrisville State College.
Following the powerful performance of the first game of the series, the Mustangs returned to the ice intent on beating the Morrisville Mustangs for the second game of the series.
As Stevenson took the ice, they fell behind in a two-point deficit. The struggle to come out strong could have been attributed to having already beat the team so decisively the night before, according to Coach Dawes.
Although first faced with adversity, Stevenson Mustangs’ experienced junior forward Mike Davis helped the team rally, scoring three goals. In addition to a strong performance by Davis, freshman forward Nick Bohatiuk scored a hat trick. The Mustangs finished off Morrisville in another decisive victory, 5-2.
After an impressive season-opening series, the Mustangs continued their successful 2016-17 campaign against Elmira (NY) College. Going into the game, the Mustangs knew they were in for a tougher opponent facing the Soaring Eagles.
“I want to grow the foundation of the team by mastering the fundamentals of the game. If we can do that, we will player faster, tougher, and smarter,” said Dawes.
Even though it was expected to be a difficult win, the Mustangs kept the game close against Elmira, forcing an overtime period. In the last 28 seconds of overtime, junior forward Jordan Watt beat past the defense, scoring the decisive point, giving the Mustangs the 4-3 victory over the Soaring Eagles.
The new Stevenson team suffered their first defeat at the hand of No. 5 Hobart on Nov. 5. Although freshman Colin Woods scored his inaugural college goal, Hobart gave the Mustangs the loss in a 3-1 defeat in the ECAC West. Stevenson was unable to convert on any of their four power plays in the loss.
The Mustangs carry on their first season campaign against another challenging opponent, the Nazareth Golden Flyers in New York on Nov. 12.
