Clash at Curry Up Next for Men’s Hockey

BOSTON – The Suffolk men's hockey team looks to put back-to-back wins together Thursday night as the Rams travel take winning momentum to Curry for a 6:45 p.m. Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) contest. 

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LAST TIME OUT
The Suffolk men's hockey team collected its first CCC victory Nov. 12 as the Rams defeated Wentworth, 2-1, inside Emmons Horrigan O'Neil Memorial Rink.   

MORE READING: Men's Hockey Skates Past Wentworth, 2-1

RUNDOWN ON THE RAMS
Thanks to its 2-1 win over Wentworth, Suffolk moved to 2-2-1 on the season and 1-2-1 against conference competition. The Rams look to win its first back-to-back game of the season and secure two more league points in the process. 

Offensively, Tommy Bishop has been the main ingredient to Suffolk's 10 goals (2.00 gpg). The sophomore forward has a team-best six points on two goals and a team-high four handouts. Classmate and linemate Justin Holliday has also put the puck in the back of the netting twice this season and is one of three Rams second on the squad with three points as sophomore defenseman Mikhail Bryan and junior forward Luke Miller, who each have one score and two assists on their stat line, also have three points to their credit. 

In net, Michael Levine has been the Rams go-to starter. The sophomore goalie boasts a 2-1-1 ledger with 134 saves (.937) and nine goals allowed (2.21 GAA). 

CATCH UP ON THE COLONELS
After dropping two games to open the season to UMass Boston (5-1) and Salve Regina (3-1), Curry has been on a roll as of late, rattling off three straight victories. The three wins include a 4-3 thriller at Wentworth, followed by offensive onslaughts at home against Becker, 11-3, and Western New England, 4-1.  Due to their three-game win streak, the Colonels bring a 3-2-0 overall record and a 3-1-0 mark into Thursday's meeting with Suffolk. 

Sean Nelson's team-leading eight points ranks third in the league with the senior forward pouring in three goals and dishing out five assists. A trio of Colonels has racked up six points in Adam Baladao (2-4-6), Shane Tracy (2-4-6) and Jake Heisinger (1-5-6). 

Brett Sinclair and Spencer Cookson have each seen action in between the pipes for Curry this season with Sinclari earning every start. The senior is 3-2-0 overall with a .906 save percentage (135 saves) and a 3.02 goals-against average (14 goals). 

THE SERIES
Despite splitting the two meetings a year ago, Curry still holds a commanding series lead over Suffolk, 21-5-2.   

EYES ON THE GAME

SHORT-HANDED
Luke Miller's first goal of the season came in short-handed fashion at Western New England Nov. 10. The junior forward is the first Ram to net a man-down score since Justin Selep '16 put one away in a 5-2 win at Nichols Jan. 16, 2016. 

CCC FROZEN FIRST
Simon Leahy's first goal of the season turned out to be a historic one as the senior from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was the first player across the CCC to find the back of the netting on the inaugural night of play for the first-year league. Since the tally was on the power play, he added to the historics, as the forward also became the first CCC skater to put one away on the man advantage opportunity. 

CCC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Tommy Bishop of the Suffolk men's hockey team will go down in history as the first-ever Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Player of the Week as the sophomore grabbed the initial award of the inaugural season after a career opening night, the conference office announced Monday afternoon. 

MORE READING: Bishop Grabs First-Ever CCC Player of the Week Nod

UP NEXT
Suffolk has just one day of prep before hosting Endicott Saturday, Nov. 19 at Emmons Horrigan O'Neil Memorial Rink at 7:15 p.m.