Men’s Hockey Entertains Nichols Saturday

BOSTON – The Suffolk men's hockey team is back at Emmons Horrigan O'Neil Memorial Rink Saturday night as the Rams welcome Nichols for a Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) contest at 7:30 p.m. 

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LAST TIME OUT
The Suffolk men's hockey team fell in a hole early and could not climb out of it as the University of New England piled on the goals and kept he Rams off the scoreboard to blank the blue-and-gold, 8-0, in CCC action Thursday night at Harold Alfond Forum.  

MORE READING: UNE Shutouts Men's Hockey

RUNDOWN ON THE RAMS
Suffolk hit another bump in the road Thursday night to move to 3-6-1 on the year and 1-5-1 against conference competition. 

The Rams offense has put in 28 goals this season paced by Tommy Bishop's team-high five scores with the sophomore leading the way in points with seven handouts. Classmate Justin Holliday (5-2-7) and senior Danyil Medvedev (4-3-7) each have seven points to sit second on the squad. 

The Rams' three-headed goaltender contingent of senior Kevin Venturoso, sophomore Michael Levine and freshman Will Ribas have all seen action this season between the pipes. Levine has seen the majority of time and holds a 2-3-2 ledger with a .901 save percentage and a 3.71 goals-against average. Venturoso has 90 saves (.891) and 11 goals (4.15 GAA) allowed, while Ribas boasts 21 saves (.913) and two goals against (3.00 GAA). 

BITS 'BOUT THE BISON
Nichols returned to the win column Thursday night as the Bison skated past Johnson & Wales, 4-2, to improve to 6-3-1 overall and 5-1-1 against CCC competition. 

The Bison are potting 3.5 goals per game led by J.B. Baker's eight scores. The freshman forward also paves the way in points with 20 thanks to a team-high 12 handouts. Scott Cuthrell is the only other Bison with double figures in points on six goals and five assists. 

Colin Brennan is the main backstop for Nichols, boasting a 5-2-1 ledger with 243 saves (.931) and a 2.13 GAA (18). Patrick Salkind has also seen action in net for the Bision with 46 saves to his credit and a 4.33 GAA. 

THE SERIES
Suffolk and Nichols will meet for the 46th time since 1982 with the Rams leading the all-time series 25-17-3. The team's split the two meetings a year ago, with the blue and gold take the first 5-2, and losing the second, 5-1. 

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 Oct. 31.

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

UP NEXT
Suffolk stays at home Tuesday, Dec. 6 for out of league rematch with SNHU. Game time is set to begin at 7 p.m.