Pelham, AL – The Bryn Athyn College men's ice hockey tied Hope College 3-3 in the third game of the National Tournament Thursday night. The Lions move on to win Pool C due to a tiebreaker of conceding the least goals in pool play.
Kyle Jennings, Justin Nugent and Paul Napierkowski scored one goal each. Sean Feyler, Jayson Marbach and Kyle Watters all notched one assist.
The Dutchmen scored first from the top of the right circle to take a 1-0 lead, 7:23 into the first period. Jennings scored on the power play 15:13 into the first period to make the score 1-1. An interference penalty on Hope had put Bryn Athyn on the power play. Feyler assisted on the tally.
The Dutchmen scored a short handed goal at 7:50 into the second period to make the score 2-1. An elbowing call on Hope put them on the penalty kill. Bryn Athyn tied the game at 2-2, Watters passed the puck of the board to Marbach, who tapped it down to Nugent for a breakaway who beat the Hope goalie five hole. 50 seconds later, Napierkowski scored to lift the Lions 3-2 for the first lead of the game. The Lions regrouped in the defensive zone, Napierkowski took the puck down the neutral zone into the offensive and beat the goalie right side high. With two minutes left in the second period, the Dutchmen picked up a loose puck in the neutral zone, beat the Lion defenseman and sniped the goal glove side. Both teams went into the second intermission tied at 2. Bryn Athyn out shot Hope 15-11 in the period.
Napierkowski stated, "It was an amazing game by all the boys tonight. We pulled for each other out there every shift and got the job done. Now our focus is on Michigan State tomorrow."
Both teams attacked the offensive zone in the third period to win the game outright. But both defenses and goalies played strong for their teams to take the game into overtime. Bryn Athyn out shot Hope, 11-3. Hope hit the Bryn Athyn goal post four times in the third period to take the lead, but the Lion's kept the puck from getting to the goal. Bryn Athyn had two break away chances to close the game, but Hope's goalie stepped up and made game changing saves to keep them in the game.
Hope came out in overtime, determined to end the Bryn Athyn national championship run early, but Bryn Athyn stepped up their neutral zone defense and forced the game to expire with a tie. The Lions win the pool due to least goals conceded tiebreaker.
Nugent expressed, "It was an amazing effort from our goalie tonight, but we are still not done and now our focus is on Michigan State."
Watters recorded 34 saves for Bryn Athyn, while the team in front of him threw 43 shots at Hope's goalie.
Bryn Athyn will face Michigan State tomorrow at 4:00 pm in the semifinal game of the National Tournament. The winner of the game, will play the winner of Florida Gulf Coast and Oakland for the National Championship.
Photo Credit: Fredrik Bryntesson