Nov. 29, 2008

Box Score

MILFORD, Conn. - Sophomore Mark Znutas (Emerson, N.J.) scored the game-winner at the 10:32 mark of the third period as the Holy Cross men's hockey team defeated Sacred Heart, 4-2, on Saturday afternoon at the Milford Ice Pavilion in Atlantic Hockey action. With the win, the Crusaders improve to 4-8-1 overall (4-6-1 Atlantic Hockey), while the Pioneers fall to 2-9-2 overall (2-7-2 Atlantic Hockey). These two teams will conclude the home-and-home series on Sunday when Holy Cross hosts Sacred Heart at 4:00 p.m.

The first period went scoreless as the Crusaders had five shots and went 0-2 on the power play, while the Pioneers had six shots.

Holy Cross took a 1-0 lead when freshman Jay Silvia (Burlington, Mass.) scored his third goal of the year at just 57 seconds into the second period. Silvia intercepted the puck from behind the goal and then from the left side of the net he sent the puck into the lower right corner of the goal. Sacred Heart tied the game at 1-1 at the 11:38 mark when Eric Giosa fired the puck into the net from right in front of the goal for his fifth goal of the season. At 13:52, Erik Boisvert scored from in front of the goal while on the power play for his third goal of the year to give the Pioneers a 2-1 lead. With 1:55 remaining in the period, freshman Luke Miller (Andover, Mass.) was tripped while on a breakaway and given a penalty shot but was unable to tie the game. The Crusaders outshot Sacred Heart, 16-11, while Holy Cross went 0-3 on the power play and the Pioneers went 1-2.

The Crusaders tied the game at 2-2 at 3:01 into the third period when sophomore Jordan Cyr (Winnipeg, Manitoba) scored his team-leading sixth goal of the season from in front of the net. Sophomore Everett Sheen (Lethbridge, Alberta) and junior Brodie Sheahan (Lethbridge, Alberta) were credited with assists. Holy Cross took the lead when Znutas scored the game-winner off a slap shot for his first goal of the year. Junior Rob Forshner (Sundre, Alberta) and freshman Matt Clune (Toronto, Ontario) had assists. The Crusaders increased their lead to 4-2 when junior Peter Lorinser (Marquette, Mich.) scored his first goal of the year when he sent a shot from a tough angle from the right side of the goal into the net. Forshner had an assist on the goal. Neither team scored again for the 4-2 final score.

Holy Cross sophomore goalie Adam Roy (Feeding Hills, Mass.) made 20 saves to improve to 4-7-1, while Stefan Drew stopped 27 shots and is now 1-8-2. The Crusaders outshot Sacred Heart by a 31-22 margin, while Holy Cross went 0-5 on the man-advantage and the Pioneers went 1-2. Before this win the Crusaders had lost seven straight games at the Milford Ice Pavilion.