Jordan Kuhns
Team Broadcaster
VilleHockey.com Webmaster
Who said there was diplomacy in hockey? The Marauders sure didn’t think so.
Millersville picked up their eighth GNCHC win and continued their playoff push with a romp of the Franklin & Marshall Diplomats, 16-2. The Marauders, with a few healthy scratches, were up against a hapless Diplomats team with only eight skill players and two goaltenders.
All it took was three minutes for the Marauders to get on the board. Forwards Sean Darrah, Garth Bolin and Evan Miller gave the Marauders the only real push they needed and were in complete control of the game after that.
The Marauders were cruising along in the second period with a 6-1 lead, but when F&M forward Evan Jones found a rebound with a gaping net, senior goaltender Bryan DeMarco went all Tim Thomas on him, diving across the goal mouth and making a spectacular save.
“The guy took a shot from the point, and I was really far out of position,” said DeMarco. ”I got lucky with the leg pad … and then I went into a desperation split. [The puck] hit me in the face, and went out of play.”
Sophomore forward Josh Schultz picked up his first collegiate hat trick in his first game back from a wrist injury that kept him out for most of the first semester.
“It feels pretty good,” Schultz said of the hat trick. ”I’m feeling really good. [The wrist] is back to 90%. The doctor said that’s as good as it’s gonna get.”
It’s just the beginning of a tough weekend, however, as the Marauders will take on New Jersey Institute of Technology on Saturday, and Kutztown University on Sunday. The game on Sunday will be the most crucial of the weekend, and not just because it’s in enemy territory.
“We gotta try to get some of the younger guys in against NJIT so we can save some legs for Kutztown,” said Miller. ”It’s the league decider–whether or not we get into the playoffs.”
Before the playoffs, adjustments must be made.
“We gotta work better in the defensive zone,” said DeMarco. ”We gotta keep playing our game. We’re on a five-game winning streak, so we have to keep it going.”
The Marauders didn’t practice in their usual slot on Wednesday, so this game against an opponent like the winless Diplomats was a good test to get their legs under them.
“It was good to get some of the younger kids ice time,” said Miller. ”We got to work on some stuff, and get ready for the weekend.”
Let the playoff push continue.
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