Alex Schall Nets 4 Consecutive Goals in the Second Period against Akron
SVC Rips Zips 9-3.
The SVC Polar Beacrcats improved their 24-25 record to 6-2-1 with a statement win over visiting Akron University on Sunday. Before either team could break a sweat, two quick strike goals in the first two minutes by Saint Vincent (Shigo from Zach Ridilla and Holtzman from Motil and Costantino) quickly put the Zips on their heels. The rest of the period, though play being controlled by SVC, failed to produce additional scores. Stacked penalties by Rosato and Rendulich near the end of the period enabled Akron to score early in the second. It was then that Alex Schall took the game over with a remarkable 4 consecutive goals from his office in the slot area. Akron beat the Saint Vincent netminder Vinny Amatucci late in the period but Zach Motil quickly responded with time running down to create a 7-2 lead at the end of two. Akron switched goalies to start the third and it seemed to lift the visitors to play a bit tougher but the game was already well out of reach. Another Zach Motil goal that added to his team leading 11’th was countered punched by the Zips. After a series of odd penalties with each team getting multiple misconducts, Zach Ridilla iced the cake with a shorty with only seconds remaining. The score sheet counted 58 SVC shots to 28 for the visitors.
Game Notes: Junior goalie and former Latrobe Wildcat star Vinny Amatucci continued his assault on the club records for goaltenders. Credited with the win, he improved his all time record to 35-12-2, passing Andrew Tully’s all time 34 win mark held since 2004. First year defenseman Julian Taylor recorded assists in consecutive games for the first time. Multiple points in the game were recorded by Holtzman (1G 1A), Zach Ridilla (1 G 3A), Zach Motil (2G 1 A), Shigo (1 G 3A) and Rendulich (2A). Zach Ridilla lead all players with a +5, while, Varrati was tops on the blue line with a +4. He and Zach Ridilla are tied for the team lead in +/-, each with a +16. Alex Schall’s shooting percentage is an incredible 37.0% but still trails Nik Manolakos’ 41.2%.
Friday night, November 15, is a huge rematch at Palmer imaging arena in the first meeting between SVC and IUP since Saint Vincent defeated the Indiana School 3-2 to claim the College Hockey East Championship last season. Face off is 7:30 PM.
SVC Improves to 5-2-1 after Wilkes Barre Showcase
Playing against two teams who made Nationals last year, SVC had a strong showing in the Wilkes Barre ACHA D III showcase besting Sacred Heart 2-1, dropping a hard fought 4-1 decision against Central Maine and finishing with a 7-0 dominating win over York. Sacred Heart had no trouble upending IUP and took a hard fought win over Central Maine to give the SVC win over Sacred Heart extra credit in the National ranking system. Saint Vincent could not overcome three 5 on 3 Central Maine man advantages, which became the turning point of the contest as each team battled to 0-0 through the end of the first period. What was encouraging for SVC Coach Martz was how well distributed the scoring was throughout the tournament. Only two players did not collect a point in the 10 goals the Polar Bearcats put behind opposing net minders. Vinnie Amatucci’s second shutout of the season moved his career total to 6, two more than a record that was held at Saint Vincent since the 1975-1976 season by Ken Glinka.
Through eight games the Green and Gold have outscored its opponents by a 44 to 18 margin and have seven players with 10 or more points with Zach Motil (9G 4A), Nik Manolakos (7G 6A) and Tyler Shigo (4G 9A) tied for the team lead in scoring. Zach Motil (5) and Alex Schall (3) headline in power play scores while Zach Ridilla has two shorthanded goals. Louie Amatucci leads all blue liners with 10 points (3G 7A) and shots on goal with 31. Freshman defenseman Aaron Varrati leads all players in +/- with a +12 followed by senior defenseman Anthony Rendulich at +11.
The team looks to continue to build momentum this Sunday, November 10 at 2 PM against Akron and has two huge games the following weekend. The Friday night affair on November 15 at 7 PM is a rematch with IUP, the team Saint Vincent defeated in the College Hockey East Championship game last year and a Sunday matinee against Duquesne.
Polar Bearcats Drop to PW Cal after Great Start
Saint Vincent lost its first regulation game of the season in a frustrating 7-6 loss against Penn West California. The visiting Vulcans had the better play through the first few shifts, but SVC cranked up its game and put PW Cal down 2-0 on two goals by Zach Motil. But a lack of discipline and failure to capitalize on numerous Vulcan penalties saw SVC lose two goal leads three times early in the contest. Misreads, overhanding the puck, and failures to dump the biscuit and start forechecking created turnovers and odd man breaks that Cal seemed able to capitalize on at will with shots whipped by SVC goalie Vinny Amatucci by attackers that had too much time and space to unleash shots. Saint Vincent had numerous chances to take advantage of 9 power plays and gave up another short handed goal even though it dominated zone time and shots, ending the game with a 49 to 26 advantage with that stat. The 3’rd period killed the home team with the visitors scoring three times in succession. A valiant effort with the goalie pulled eventually pulled SVC back to within one, but Cal weathered a late push through the last minute to hang on for the victory. Three well timed dumps, two over carries, and one almost goal could have easily seen SVC leave the rink with a 8-3 win. How the team responds to getting back to a disciplined system of play will be a real test with three tournament games in the upcoming weekend against Sacred Heart, Central Maine, and York College at the Revolution Ice Center in Pittston, PA.
Game Notes: On the plus side, Zach Motil had an offensive impact with a hat trick and assist, including two power play scores. Aaron Varrati was not on the ice for any goals against and now holds the team lead in +/ with a +10. He has yet to be on the ice when the other team has scored 5:5. Derek German, Nik Manolakos, Giovanni Porco and Luca Rosato were the other skaters who also were never on the ice for an even strength goal against in the game. Nikolas Guidos impressed with his speed. SVC has dominated play this season in the first two periods, outshooting and outscoring opponents 138 to 85 and 28 to 8, respectively. Future third period responses will be critical to getting back on track.
Overtime Shoot Out Loss at RMU
The large Olympic ice surface at the RMU Sports Complex has plagued SVC Teams for years. Saturday nights away game was no exception. In spite of holding the better play, failing to pay attention to the way a larger ice surface impacts a game detracted from the approach Coach Martz is using this season. Saint Vincent opened with a goal by Zach Ridilla on a nice long pass from Zach Motil feeding the puck after a Vinnie Amatucci save. The Polar Bearcats started to get into a rhythm when spark plug defenseman Hunter Bergman became tangled with an RMU skater on a puck retrieval play at 2:28 of the first. Hunter crashed into the boards in the RMU zone and sustained a lower body injury that required medical support and a long delay. An ice cut had both teams extend the second frame into a split first and second period and each team exchanged goals in an affair where SVC could not seem to break away. Although Zach Radilla had a nice shorthanded goal (again from Motil and Vinnie Amatucci) and Alex Schall put in a power play score, SVC penalties, including a 5:3 advantage for RMU, enabled the host Colonials to score 3 times to end the second period at 3-3. Saint Vincent got a 4’th goal from Schall on a nice set up by Tyler Shigo and seemed to be in good position when a penalty against RMU gave the visitors a great chance to pull ahead. Instead, in a play that had similarities to last season, the wide ice surface enabled a partial breakaway and a short handed score by Robert Morris. In overtime, Saint Vincent controlled the play more than not and with another RMU penalty had a great chance to win the game, but were unable to convert. That left a shootout. Misses by Zach Ridilla and Alex Schall were countered by saves from Vinnie Amatucci. Tyler Shigo gave SVC the go ahead, but RMU countered. Dom Costantino failed on SVC’s 4’th attempt but a conversion by RMU gave the extra point to the home team.
Game Notes: The 4’th line of Guidos, Marino and Mike Ridilla put together some nice back to back shifts to stabilize SVC at the end of the second period. The game was essentially decided by special teams play. The impact of the larger ice surface was evident in how few shots were made from the SVC blue line with only two hitting the net. Motil, Shigo and Vinnie Amatucci each had two assists. In a classy move by both teams, a group of players took a knee and said a prayer for Hunter as medical personnel assisted his injury. Here is to a speedy recovery Hunter. The way you carry yourself, your hustle and team play will be missed as you focus on gettin well.
Saint Vincent Bests Kent State 3-1 In Road Victory
In a close game that could have gone either way, SVC had a goal in each period while KSU managed a single score in the the first on an unfortunate blue line mistake. Each team cautiously played the opening minutes as coaches and players tried to find out what the other was bringing to the contest. A dump and chase game settled both squads until Alex Schall opened the scoring from the deep slot on some nifty passing from Tyler Shigo and Dom Constantino. The game returned to a chess match until standout first year defenseman Louie Amatucci made a rare mistake and left a puck at the SVC blue line that was converted on a short break away against his brother Vinnie Amatucci. The second period was much the same until Zach Motil was set up in the deep slot by Captain Jacob Holtzman. The third 20 minutes saw SVC run a 1:2:2 pattern to perfection. Kent consistently could not get the puck cleanly into the Saint Vincent zone. A huge factor in the win occurred when a questionable 5 minute penalty against Holtzman was called. The Polarbearcat penalty killers were outstanding. Rendulich blocked several shots and when Kent State was able to break through the neutral zone and establish possession, SVC was able to get timely clears. Anything that got through was taken care of by Amatucci in the net. With time running down, the Golden Eagles put an extra attacker on the ice. In short order, Shigo won a draw back to Louie Amatucci who laced a 200 foot shot into the open net to seal the deal. Kent kept the goalie pulled but never properly challenged SVC in the waning moments.
Game Notes: It was a good experience for the incoming freshman to get a real taste of CHE top level competition from what has become a nice rivalry over the last few seasons. Though not appearing on the scoresheets, Luca Rosato, Hunter Bergman, and Aaron Varrati deserve credit for solid blue line work. The same can be said for Nik Manolakos and Zack Ridilla, especially on the PK. The 4’th line of Nik Guidos, Rocco Marino and Mike Radilla were solid, executing their roles to perfection. SVC has not allowed a power play goal in 21 straight man disadvantages, totaling 39 minutes, including two 5:3 disadvantages and one 5 minute penalty. Kent State outshot SVC 29 to 23. Vinnie Amatucci got the win in goal as he continued his pursuit of all the SVC goaltender records. It was his 32’nd career win, two shy of the all-time record held by Andrew Tully since 2004. Next up Robert Morris in an away game on Saturday,October 19 at 7:30 PM.
Big Tom’s Night – Banners Raised – Huge SVC Win
Saturday’s Homecoming game against Case had multiple stories and headlines. The team recognized Tom Holowaty, retiring GM after 25 years at the helm, raised its CHE Championship banner, and made a statement with a 14-0 win over the Case Western Spartans.
The Polar Bearcats wasted little time against the visiting Spartans, who had numerous scratches from their line up, as Tyler Shigo took a pass from Hunter Bergman and made some slick moves to slip a puck behind the Case goalie at 18:53 of the first period. At the end of 20 minutes, SVC 8 Case 0. Zach Motil, Dom Costantino, Nik Manolakos, an in period hat trick, Louie Amatucci and Shigo (again), essentially put the game out of each. Saint Vincent eased up in the second but still has a short handed goal by Captain Jacob Holtzman, a 4’th score by Manolakos, and single tally by Nik Guidos. With an 11 goal lead going to the third, the new CHE running clock rule went into affect. During that accelerated time, Zach Motil popped in his second, Dom Costantino added his second and Nik Manolakos capped off an incredible 5 goal performance.
Game Notes: Goals and assists were well distributed throughout the line up. Manolakos (+7) had one of the best games in SVC history with 8 points, adding three assist to his 5 goals, Zach Ridilla had three assists, and each blue liner recorded points, including LouieAmatucci’s first goal. Also getting their first career goals were freshman Nik Guidos and Dom Costantino. Hunter Bergman lead all defenders with a +6. Vinny Amatucci broke a school record with his 5’th career shutout. That broke the mark that was held since 1976 by Ken Glinka. The team travels to Kent State for a Friday evening game as it heads into fall break.
It was fitting that the raised banners and a dominate win were connected to the recognition of “Big” Tom Holowaty and his retirement as the GM of the ice hockey program. Over 25 years, 494 games, three ACHA National Tournament appearances, one NCHA National appearance, and the CHE Championship in his final year, Tom’s dedication to the program will remain forever etched in the minds and hearts of all the players, parents and associates he interacted with. He holds the record for most pizza’s ordered on road trips, number too big to count. His night saw an appreciation plaque given to him by league Commissioner Dave Fryer with the honor of dropping the puck for a ceremonial face off to start the game. Cheers to Tom. We hope to keep seeing you around the rink!
Defense of CHE Title Begins. SVC Wins 7-1 on the Road at WVU
Can 16 minutes win a game? For now, yes. Once Saint Vincent established is rhythm in the opening 20 minutes, it looked like the CHE champions from last season in a dominate first period that saw 6 goals scored against the Mountaineers. Team speed, coordinated attacks, point shot tip-ins, two power play scores and a shorthanded marker contributed to one of the best 16 minutes in SVC hockey history. The score could have been worse for WVU as two back door opportunities were missed by SVC. But the rest of the game dropped Saint Vincent to mediocre status. Lack of discipline, committing lazy penalties, engaging West Virginia in tit-for tat chicanery, and two bench minors from bad line changes forced the Polar Bearcats to kill 25 minutes of penalty time throughout most of the second and third periods, including two extended overlapping 5:3 man disadvantages. The great bench rhythm established in the first period was destroyed by these self-inflicted wounds. Two bright sides. The PK was dominate, refusing to let WVU score and a 4:4 breakaway score by Zach Ridilla with a slap shot that exploded by the WVU goaltender.
What we learned about the team? The PK will be stellar. The power play can be deadly. The new freshman added great depth to a solid roster. The blue line is significantly better. Speed now has some balance with size. If a commitment can be made to remove poor personal decisions from the team concept put in place by Coach Martz, this team can go far. How far is the choice of the players.
Game Notes: Scoring was well distributed. Holtzman had the season opening goal and Motil’s powerplay tally ended as the game winner. Manolakos had two really nifty tip-ins and Zach Ridilla popped in two. Schall had a two point game with a power play score and an assist. Shigo led all scorers with 3 assists, and additional helpers were added by Rendulich (2) and Constantino, Louie Amatucci, Porco, Taylor, and Varrati. Louie Amatucci, Rendulich, and Varrati lead all players with a +3 rating.
Raisin the Banner
Come join in the homecoming game against Case Western this Saturday at 7:00 PM as SVC raises its 2023-2024 CHE Championship Banner! Get a chance to see the Championship belt and be part of a recognition ceremony you won’t want to miss!
Three significant road trips are in the process of being finalized, a multi-team tournament in Wilkes Barre, PA (Nov 1-3), Hope College in Michigan (Dec 6&7) and an exciting voyage to play Florida Gulf Coast (Jan 10 & 11) at the Hertz Arena!
Be prepared to cheer our Polar Bearcats as they get ready to defend their CHE title and position themselves to another trip to Nationals!