Feb. 7, 2004
The Gulls broke out of their post-January doldrums with a dazzling display of offensive fireworks on Saturday, Feb. 7, as they defeated Daniel Webster College, 10-1. In a penalty-marred affair in Nashua, N.H., the Gulls hit the double-digit mark for the first time this season, sparked by a hat trick from Casey Marini, while freshman goaltender Dan Rudy was solid between the pipes, allowing only a single first-period goal.
Scott Vaughan put Endicott on the board first, converting a feed from Kenny Dargon at the 14:26 mark of the opening stanza. Five minutes later, Jason Dana of the Eagles squared the game at 1-1 with a questionable goal, but it would be the only puck to get past Rudy for the rest of the night. Endicott's Marini netted the game-winner off a pass from Scott Vaughan with 3:25 left in the first, and the Gulls took a 2-1 lead into the break.
The rough stuff began in earnest in the second period, with 11 of the game's 28 penalties called. Only a minute-an-a-half into the second stanza, Marini added an insurance marker (with Mark Vaughan and Jason Fall registering assists), and the Gulls never looked back. By the end of the period, the gulls led 7-1, on scores by Josh Gilbert, Marini again (for his 3-goal hat trick), newcomer Mike Manfredi, and Jeff Clattenburg.
The third period proved to be gut-check time for the Gulls, as the play of Daniel Webster quickly deteriorated. The desperate Eagles became more and more frustrated trying to keep pace with the quicker Gulls, resulting in nine penalties being rung up on the host squad. Only four penalties were called against the Gulls, as the Endicott players kept their composure and added three more tallies, one each from Matt Scavo, Jason Fall and Derek Gagnon. Throughout the game, the Gulls kept steady pressure on Eagles netminder Dusty Mills, ending the night with a season-high 69 shots on goal. Rudy, though not nearly as busy as his counterpart from Daniel Webster, was called upon to make several tough stops, and finished with nine saves.
The Gulls are back in action at Babson College on Friday, Feb. 13, and at home in their final regular-season league match against Bates College on Saturday, Feb. 14. The Bates game is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Pingree School in Hamilton. A win in the season finale would assure the Gulls a spot in the NECHA playoffs for the second time in two years.
FINIS
