Men’s Hockey Stops by Becker Saturday

BOSTON – Looking for its first win in the New Year, the Suffolk men's hockey team takes its talents to Becker Saturday for an 8:30 p.m. puck drop.  

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LAST TIME OUT
In its 2017 debut, the Suffolk men's hockey team could not overcome a two-goal first period deficit as Johnson & Wales held off a Rams comeback to defeat the blue-and-gold, 4-2, in Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) action Thursday night inside the Dunkin Donuts Center. 

MORE READING: JWU Holds Off Men's Hockey, 4-2

RUNDOWN ON THE RAMS
Suffolk has not marked a tally in the win column since Nov. 27 when the Rams defeated Southern New Hampshire, 5-1. Since then, Suffolk has dropped three contests and tied twice to bring a 3-8-4 overall mark and 1-6-2 league ledger into Saturday. 

Tommy Bishop paces the Rams offensively with the sophomore providing 13 points on five goals and a team-best eight handouts. Danyil Medvedev's nine points on four scores and five assists are good for second on the team with Justin Holliday rounding out the top three with eight points on five tallies and three set-ups. 

Michael Levine has been the staple in between the pipes for the Rams this season with Kevin Venturoso also seeing his fair share of action in net. Levine boasts a 2-3-3 record with a .897 save percentage and 3.71 GAA, while Venturoso is 1-4 thanks to a .910 save percentage and 3.44 GAA. 

FLYING WITH THE HAWKS
Since meeting the Rams in both teams' CCC opener Nov. 3, Becker has wavered between wins and losses including a 5-1 setback to #12 Endicott in its last outing to bring a 5-11 overall record and 4-5 CCC mark into Saturday's showdown. 

A trio of Hawks have registered double figure points on the season with Connor Merrick's 14 leading the way with the senior forward putting away seven pucks and handing out an identical number of assists. Corey Sherman is second on the squad thanks to three goals and a team-high eight assists for 11 points. Connor Allison rounds out the threesome with 10 points on seven handouts and three scores.

Tyler Stepke has been the go-to goalie for Becker this season. In 13 games the senior owns a 5-8 record with a .385 GAA and .896 save percentage. 

WE MEET AGAIN
The Suffolk men's hockey team played Becker even for the first two periods at Emmons Horrigan O'Neil Rink Nov. 3, but the Hawks tallied two third-period goals to take the Rams' inaugural CCC contest, 3-1. 

MORE READING: Becker Hands Men's Hockey 3-1 Loss in Home, CCC Opener 

INSIDE THE SERIES
Suffolk and Becker have taken the ice together since the 2007-08 season with the Hawks taking a 9-8-2 edge in the all-time meetings with a 3-1 victory over the Rams in the CCC opener this season (Nov. 3).   

EYES ON THE GAME

FROZEN FENWAY
Thursday, Jan. 5 will go inside Suffolk men's hockey record books as the Rams took the ice at legendary Fenway Park apart of the Capital One Frozen Fenway 2017. 

MORE READING: Men's Hockey Holds Intersquad Scrimmage at Frozen Fenway

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 will play in front of its home crowd for the first time in 2017 Thursday, Jan. 26 when the Rams entertain Salve Regina at 7 p.m.