Men’s Hockey Blanks Albertus Magnus at Tampa College Hockey Invitational, 1-0

WESLEY CHAPEL, Fla. – Scott McManus tipped in the lone goal and CJ Hapward compiled a 34-save shutout to send Suffolk men's hockey past Albertus Magnus, 1-0, in the opening game of the Tampa College Hockey Invitational Friday at the AdventHealth Center Ice.  

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 1 | Albertus Magnus 0
RECORDS: Suffolk (7-4-2) | Albertus Magnus (4-5-1)  

HOW IT HAPPENED
Suffolk capitalized on its first power play of the outing to gain a one-goal edge at the midway point of the opening period. Michael McEachern found Jake Grace, who sent a slap shot towards the cage. Scott McManus was in front and redirect the puck past the Falcons' netminder Chace Hale to make it 1-0 Rams.   

That's all the blue-and-gold's offense would need as Hapward took over from there. The Rams' goaltender denied all 34 shots he faced including four in the final three minutes when the Falcons pulled Hale from between the pipes for the extra skater to preserve the shutout victory.  

NETMINDER NOTES

• Hapward logged 34 saves in the cleansheet. 
• Hale registered 26 saves in the setback.  

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• McManus was responsible for Suffolk's goal. 
• Grace and MEachern assisted on the game's only strike. 
• Albertus Magnus outshot Suffolk, 34-27. 
• The Falcons also had the upperhand in the face-off dot, 36-32.
• The Rams went 1-for-3 on the power play. 
• Suffolk successfully skated off its three penalities.  

NOTEWORTHY

• Suffolk defeated Albertus Magnus for the first time. 
• The Rams moved to 1-1-0 all-time against the Falcons. 
• Suffolk played Albertus Magnus at a neutral site for the first time. 
• Both games between Suffolk and Albertus Magnus took place in the Shawn McEachern era.
• The cleansheet was the first in the all-time series between Suffolk and Albertus Magnus. 
• Suffolk has put together three consecutive shutouts. That is the most games in a row the Rams kept an opponent off the scoreboard in the game-by-game record books, which dates through the 1999-2000 season. 
• Hapward had his fourth shutout of the season and fifth of his Suffolk career. 
• McEachern has logged a point in three consecutive contests. In that span he has three goals and two assists.  

WHAT'S NEXT?
Suffolk will challenge either the Milwaukee School of Engineering or Tufts in the championship contest of the Tampa College Hockey Invitational tomorrow, Saturday, Jan. 4 at 7:30 p.m.