MANCHESTER, N.H. – Senior Mark Meads (Middleton, Mass.) and junior Nick Leonard (Methuen, Mass.) each recorded a three-point night as the Saint Anselm College men's hockey team and a raucous crowd welcomed hockey season back to the Hilltop Friday night, blasting visiting Castleton University in its season-opener, 5-1.
STANDOUT PERFORMERS
• Meads recorded two goals and an assist to headline a very prolific Saint Anselm offense Friday night at Sullivan Arena, upping his career tally to 20 total points.
• Leonard's three points all came off assists, including the primary assist off both Meads' goals.
• Senior Bryan Sullivan (Burlington, Mass.) recorded a goal and an assist Friday, including an empty-net putaway late in the game.
• Juniors Brendon Kerrigan (Boston, Mass.) and Peter Sikalis (Acton, Mass.) each added a goal for the Hawks on opening night.
• Senior Tyler Estee (Bow, N.H.), Junior Vin D'Amato (Sutton, Mass.), Sophomore Nick Gorski (Sandown, N.H.) and freshman Jeremy Carignan (Amos, Quebec) all added an assist for a very balanced Saint Anselm attack.
• Sophomore Shane Joyce (Pembroke, Mass.) picked up where he left off last season, amassing 19 saves while taking the winning decision in net.
For the Spartans…
• Fabio Klay scored Castleton's lone tally on the night, assisted by Kevin Rosset and Patrick Thornton.
• Ryan Mulder took his second straight loss in goal for the Spartans, picking up 10 saves playing the first period. Brody Wagner appeared in the final two frames and collected a game-high 22 saves.
HOW IT HAPPENED
• Saint Anselm fed off an electric Sullivan Arena in the opening period, taking control with three quick goals. Kerrigan opened the scoring from just inside the left circle off assists from Carignan and Gorski just past the midpoint of the period. Sikalis stuffed home the Hawks' second goal three minutes later off D'Amato's assist, then Meads rocketed home a power play tally at the 17:29 mark off assists from Leonard and Estee to take a commanding 3-0 lead into the first intermission.
• Meads quickly made it 4-0 less than four minutes into the second period, again taking advantage of a power play opportunity from Leonard and Sullivan.
• After Klay spoiled Joyce's shutout bid in the third minute of the third period, Sullivan flipped home an empty net goal from Leonard and Meads at the 15:53 mark to seal up a resounding home-opening victory.
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE
• Saint Anselm produced two goals on six power-play opportunities while holding Castleton scoreless on its four man-up chances.
• The Hawks outshot the Spartans 34-20 on the evening, including a 10-4 advantage in the first period alone.
NOTES
• Saint Anselm evens the all-time series against Castleton, improving to 7-7-3 overall.
• The Hawks also snapped a three-year home-opening losing streak with Friday's win—the last home-opening victory came against Skidmore College back in the 2011-12 season.
UP NEXT
• Saint Anselm will finish up its opening weekend with a Saturday afternoon matchup against another league foe in the Thoroughbreds of Skidmore College, slated for a 3 p.m. start at Sullivan Arena.
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