HERSHEY, Pa. -- A 4-1 wire-to-wire win for the Stevenson men's hockey team over Lebanon Valley handed the Mustangs their sixth consecutive victory. 

Employing a near-perfect road gameplan, Stevenson (15-5-1, 11-3-0) received a goal and assist from Frank Vitucci. The Mustangs opened the scoring just 19 seconds in and did not look back, insulating Ryan Kenny, who made 25 stops on the night. 

Meanwhile, Lebanon Valley (5-14-1, 4-10-1) broke through for a goal in the second period but could not overcome the early Stevenson tally. 

Malcolm Palmer provided Stevenson with an early 1-0 lead on the opening shot of the game just 19 seconds in, with assists from Brendan Rylott and Vitucci. Stevenson held a 6-3 edge in shots over the initial five minutes in the contest before Lebanon Valley started to settle in. 

Off a clean faceoff win from Ryan Patrick, the Mustangs gained possession as Vitucci hesitated for a moment before burying an attempt at the top of the right circle, doubling the lead at 2-0. It was the team-leading ninth goal of the season for Vitucci, who lit the lamp at the 12:42 mark of the opening stanza. Despite the strong start, Lebanon Valley held the narrow 13-12 margin in shots after the first 20 minutes.

The level of physicality picked up for both sides at the onset of the second period with the Mustangs whistled for a holding infraction about eight minutes in. Vitucci contributed on the defensive end this time on the Stevenson penalty kill, teaming with Patrick to cycle the puck and waste time on the LVC man advantage. 

Off a partial breakaway up the right wing, Kenny flicked aside a sharp-angle shot from Justin Hall as play began to open up. Kenny stayed square with a glove save, but Lebanon Valley trimmed the deficit to one off the ensuing faceoff moments later. Mac Diver sent a long floating shot that deflected in front at 13:51 with the Dutchmen trailing, 2-1.

Stevenson responded quickly on the power play as Blake Colman walked in from the left point and whistled a shot past the glove-hand side of Ty Franchi at the 15:02 mark of the second period for a 3-1 advantage. The Dutchmen were called for another infraction and Colman ripped a one-time attempt from the slot, creating a big rebound as Franchi froze the puck. 

LVC opened up the third period by ringing a shot off the post as Stevenson maintained its 3-1 edge. Stevenson was able to keep LVC on its heels after maintaining the puck in the offensive zone, holding possession for large chunks of time near the midway point of the period. The Mustangs called on its penalty kill once again, keeping the Dutchmen at bay with just over five minutes left. 

With the goalie pulled, Chad Watt raced to the loose puck and finished from a sharp angle for the 4-1 final.  

GAME NOTES 

• Stevenson has already clinched a spot in the UCHC playoffs following results from last weekend. 
• Patrick recorded his first assist since January 30, posting a point for the second consecutive contest for the Mustangs. It was the 60th helper of his Stevenson career, coming off a clean faceoff victory, placing him just three away from tying the program's all-time assist mark. 
• Vitucci earned his fifth multi-point contest of the season and first since December 3 at SUNY Cortland. 
• Stevenson has notched the first goal in each of its past six games during its most recent winning streak. 
• The Mustang blue line was strong on the defensive end, but also contributed two of the team's four goals on the night. 
• Stevenson has won six consecutive games against LVC, including a shootout victory back in March 2021. 

UP NEXT

• Stevenson: The Mustangs return home on Saturday, February 12 for a 7:00 p.m. Senior Night matchup with Arcadia. 
• Lebanon Valley: The Dutchmen head to Chatham on Saturday, February 12.