REISTERSTOWN, Md. - Stevenson Men's Hockey hosted the third-seeded Wilkes University Colonels this afternoon in the UCHC Semifinal round. Regulation ended in a 3-3 tie, forcing the first of unlimited 20-minute overtime periods. However, the Mustangs only needed two-and-a-half minutes to clinch themselves a spot in the championship game.
Wilkes scored in the first half of the first period, marking the start of a sixty minute back-and-forth battle. Before the opening period expired, senior Evan Beers notched his sixth goal of the season to erase Wilkes' lead. He was assisted by classmate Frank Vitucci for his 18th point of the season and junior Graeme McCrory for his ninth.
The Mustangs maintained the momentum heading into the second period as junior Kyle Lightfoot put Stevenson in the lead just two minutes in. Classmate Jake Roberts and senior Eric Olson were credited with assists on the play and now stand at seven and 13 points, respectively.
Wilkes scored within two minutes to re-tie the game. Sophomore John Musella would undo their work as he found the back of the net a minute later via first year Matt Yeager and junior Liam McCanney. The goal was Musella's tenth of the season and the assists were Yeager's ninth and McCanney's eighth.
Wilkes was only down for a few minutes as they knotted the game at three on the power-play. The third period went scoreless, forcing overtime.
The Colonels would get two shots off in overtime, both of which were turned away by junior Ty Outen. Stevenson would only tally one shot, but that was all it took to end the game. Kyle Lightfoot scored his second goal of the night just two minutes and 33 seconds into the period, sending the Mustangs to the UCHC title game for only the second time in program history. Lightfoot has three points in the conference tournament thus far.
Outen would end the game with 28 total saves, making 11 in the offense-heavy second period.
The win puts the Mustangs at a record-setting 21 on the season in 27 games played. The title game is set for Saturday, March 2nd where the Mustangs will face the winner of #1 Utica and #4 Alvernia.
