Hockey Set for Clash with Curry Thursday

BOSTON – The Suffolk hockey team hits the road Thursday night for a ECAC Northeast clash at Curry. Game time is set for 6:45 p.m. 

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LAST TIME OUT
Freshman Justin Holliday netted a pair of goals, while fellow freshman Nick Mosher added a marker and two assists to lead Suffolk to a 4-2 ECAC Northeast ice hockey victory over Western New England Saturday evening at Emmons Horrigan O'Neil Memorial Rink.

MORE READING: Holliday Sends Hockey Past WNE, 4-2

RUN DOWN ON THE RAMS

• It was right back in the win column for Suffolk Saturday as Holliday propelled the Rams past Western New England, 4-2, to help the blue-and-gold improve to 12-5-2 overall and 7-2-2 in conference play.
• Justin Selep, who ranks in the top-20 national in points (1.32 – T18), goals (0.72 - 12) and short-handed goals (0.11 – T5) per game, leads the league and team in points (25), short-handled goals (2), game-winning goals (4) and hat tricks (1). His five game-winners tie six other skaters across the country for the second most nationally.  
• Danyil Medvedev is second on the team and sixth in the conference with 20 points on the second-most helpers among ECAC Northeast skaters with 13.  
• Overall, 26 different Rams have recorded a point this season, with 22 tallying multiple points and seven notching double figure points. As a team, Suffolk produces the third highest offense in the league with 3.74 goals per game.  
• The Rams have called upon each goalie of their three-headed netminder machine this season.  Brandon Smolarek has been Suffolk's go-to in 16 contests with the senior producing 463 saves (.913) and allowing just 44 pucks past him (2.80 GAA). Kevin Venturoso has 84 saves to his credit, while Michael Levine has stopped 23 pucks.  

CATCH UP ON THE COLONELS                                   

• After a slow start to the season, Curry has played to a 7-11-2 overall ledger and 3-7-1 mark in ECAC Northeast play. The Colonels have dropped two straight, including a 3-0 shutout to at Becker Saturday.
• Jake Heisinger and Mack Heisinger are leading the way for the Colonels in terms of scoring this season as they each have 15 points off an identical three goals and 12 helpers.
• Brett Sinclair has received the majority of the playing time in goal for Curry. The junior's numbersare high amongst ECAC Northeast top goalies with 517 saves (second) to go along with a 2.72 goals against average (fourth) and a .923 save percentage (second).

WE MEET AGAIN
When Suffolk and Curry first met November 14, the Rams liked to keep their fans on the edge of their seats until the final buzzer. With the game even at 2-2, Justin Selep scored with just 1:26 remaining to propel the Rams past Curry in ECAC Northeast action.

MORE READING: Selep Propels Hockey to 3-2 Victory Over Curry

RIGHT ON, ROOKIES
The freshman class has made a significant impact for Suffolk this season. Rookie forward Justin Holliday's 14 points off seven goals and seven assists, sit third on the team. Tommy Bishop's 12 points (4-8-12) ranks fifth on the team, while his forward counterparts of Nick Mosher (4-6-10) and Connor Parent (5-2-7) round out the Rams' top 10 point earners. Brendan Heinze has scored three goals and handed out two helpers and Mikhail Bryan has three assists to his credit. Connor Henry (1-0-1), Sean Henry (0-2-2) and Dominic Rovero (0-1-1) round out the rookies with points.

As a whole, the Class of 2019 accounts for 30.7 percent of the Rams' offense with 24 goals and 30 assists. 

SHOW STOPPER
Brandon Smolarek has stood tall for Suffolk between the pipes and is a major reason why the Rams are 11-5-2 this season. The senior netminder has turned away 464 attempts, the sixth most among ECAC Northeast goalies. Smoalrek boasts a 2.80 goals-against average and .913 save percentage, which both sit fifth and sixth in the league, respectively. 

Smolarek brought his career total to 2,005 saves Saturday, a milestone that was reached by just one other Ram since 1999-00, Jeff Rose '11 who owns Suffolk's all-time saves record with 2,799.

The Chesterfield, Michigan native steered away 46 shots against Salve Regina November 4, the most by a Suffolk keeper since junior Kevin Venturoso stopped 52 attempts against Tufts January 8, 2014. 

A HEAPIN' HELPIN' OF HELPERS
The Rams have done well to spread the puck around with 14 scorers registering multiple goals, led by Justin Selep's 14 and Danyil Medvedev's and Justin Holliday's seven. On 71 total goals this season, Suffolk has racked up 105 assists, led by Medvedev's 13 and Selep's 11.

GAME-WINNING GANG
Six of Suffolk's 12 game-winning goals this season have been scored by upperclassmen with the remaining three coming off the sticks of first-years. Junior Justin Selep leads the way with four, while freshman Justin Holliday has three. Junior Stanton Turner ach put in two with senior Zack Capozza, sophomore Luke Miller and freshman Nick Mosher each have game-winning scores to their credit.

NINE SCORES AND 14 YEARS AGO
For the first time in 14 years, Suffolk scored nine goals en route to a 9-5 trouncing of UMass Dartmouth January 21. Six skaters in blue-and-gold combined for the most scores by the Rams since December 4, 2002 in an 11-4 victory over Franklin Pierce. Twelve different players recorded a point to put in the most goals in the Chris Glionna era and the most tallies on the road in Suffolk history, according to the record books, which date back to the 1999-2000 season.

UP NEXT
Suffolk returns home Saturday, Jan. 6 when it hosts Wentworth. Prior to the 7 p.m contest, the Rams will honor the playing careers for six seniors and one graduating junior.