Visit to Wentworth on Calendar for Men’s Hockey Thursday

BOSTON – The Suffolk men's hockey team hits the road Thursday (Feb. 2) night for a CCC clash at Wentworth. Game time is set for 7 p.m. 

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LAST TIME OUT
The Suffolk men's hockey team trailed 3-1 thanks to a two-goal second from Western New England and could not complete a comeback as the Rams fell to the Golden Bears, 4-2, in CCC action at Emmons Horrigan O'Neil Rink Saturday night.  

MORE READING: WNE Hands Men's Hockey 4-2 Setback

RUNDOWN ON THE RAMS
Suffolk is on a two-game slump heading into Thursday's tilt after dropping decisions to Salve Regina (5-0) and WNE (4-2). The Rams, who have been unable to couple back-to-back wins together this season, carry a 4-10-4 overall mark and 2-8-8 league ledger into the contest. 

Suffolk's 2.28 goals per outing are thanks to the tandem of Tommy Bishop and Justin Holliday. Both sophomore forwards have found the back of the net five times this season with Bishop leading the way in points with 14 thanks to his team-best nine assists, while Holliday is third on the squad with eight points. Danyil Medvedev is sandwiched around the two with the senior adding nine points off four scores and five helpers. 

The Rams' two headed goalie contingent is made up of sophomore Michael Levine and senior Kevin Venturoso. Levine sports a 2-4-3 record in between the pipes with a .898 save percentage and 3.68 goals-against average, while Venturoso holds a .912 save percentage and 3.26 goals-against average for a 2-5-0 mark.  

LOOK AT THE LEOPARDS
Similar to Suffolk, Wentworth has tacked on just four victories in the win column this campaign. As of late, the Leopards have traded two ties with two setbacks to bring a 4-12-3 overall mark and 2-8-2 conference record into Thursday night. 

The Leopards offense of 2.26 gpg is paced by sophomore Angus Johnston and Jake McDonough. Johnston has set up seven goals and put in four himself, while McDonough's stats are a mirror image of Johnston's with seven scores and four assists.

Kenny Graham and Ryan Hubbard have traded time in net for Wentworth this season. In 11 appearances and 10 starts, Graham owns the best netminders record of 3-5-2 with a .913 save percentage and 2.59 GAA. Hubbard, meanwhile, has started nine of the 10 games he appeared for a 1-7-1 record with a .883 save percentage and 3.52 GAA. 

WE MEET AGAIN
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 Rink.    

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

INSIDE THE SERIES
The Suffolk, Wentworth rivalry has a storied history dating back to 1999. Despite trailing the all-time series, 6-20-2, Suffolk picked up the win earlier this season, 2-1, thanks to Connor Henry's go-ahead goal in the second stanza.      

EYES ON THE GAME

HATS OFF
In his Suffolk debut Jackson Tucker registered a hat trick showing, scoring all three of Suffolk's goals in the 3-0 win at Becker. Tucker, the first Ram to pot three pucks in one game since Stanton Turner did so in a 7-2 win over the Hawks Nov. 11, 2014, grabbed CCC Player of the Week accolades for his three-goal game performance. 

MORE READING: Tucker Grabs CCC Player of the Week 

SHUTOUT
Kevin Venturoso turned aside 28 pucks Saturday night at Beckerto record his first collegiate shutout. He is the first Suffolk netminder to tally a cleansheet since Michael Levine blanked (1-0) Becker Feb. 13, 2016. 

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
Curry clashes with the Rams Saturday (Feb. 4) at Emmons Horrigan O'Neil Rink at 7:30 p.m.