SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (November 1, 2024) - The Golden Bears opened the season with their annual Western Massachusetts Invitational. They hosted Arcadia University in the first game. Arcadia jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period of play. WNE answered with a Nolan Dawson goal in the first and a Justin Sullivan goal at the beginning of the second. Then, goals from Jacob Costa, Everest Schneider, and Matt Dougherty in the third would lead WNE to a 5-3 win over Arcadia University and advance the team to the Western Massachusetts Invitational Championship game.

Records:

Western New England: 1-0-0 (0-0-0)

Arcadia University: 0-1-0 (0-0-0)

How it Happened:

Anthony Aureliano and Ryan Burgess led the Golden Bears and Knights onto the ice, respectively. Jordie Morgan won the opening faceoff, and the 2024 season was underway. The Golden Bears would concede the first two penalties of the game but also earn their first two penalty kills of the season to keep the score even early. They saw a shorthanded opportunity with a breakaway chance during the second penalty. However, Burgess would make a big save to keep the score tied at zero. Arcadia would send shot after shot at Aureliano and would eventually find an opening. Michael Hertzberg found CJ Bachman on the right side of the ice, crossing the midline. Bachman would feed a pass to Jack Quigley, who sent a shot past the WNE goalie to put Arcadia up 1-0 7:17 into the game. Arcadia kept the pressure up and found more success with 5:16 left in the opening period of play. Quigley got the puck behind the net and found Donnie Feldman in front of the WNE goal. Feldman sent a quick shot into the roof of the WNE goal to double the lead for Arcadia. WNE answered immediately. 1:04 after the Arcadia goal, Joshua Kingsbury moved the puck around the WNE attacking zone to Jimmy Mettler, who sent a shot at goal. However, the puck was saved. The puck fell to Nolan Dawson, who found the back of the net for WNE's first goal of the season. The score was 2-1, Arcadia. The teams traded the puck back and forth for the next 4:12, and the first period came to a close. The first-period stats saw Arcadia leading with 22 shots to 18 from WNE, 15 shots on goal to WNE's 8, and 14 faceoff wins to WNE's 8. WNE led in saves 13-7. Both teams had two power-play attempts. The score after one was 2-1, Arcadia.

The second period of play got out to a quick start. Matty Zdanowicz would win a faceoff in the Arcadia defensive zone and feed a pass to Justin Sullivan in front of the net. Sullivan would send a shot past the Arcadia goalie to tie the game at two goals per side 49 seconds into the second. Immediately following the ensuing faceoff were penalties for both sides, and the teams skated 4-on-4 for two minutes. Neither team would capitalize on the free ice, and it stayed 2-2. The second period went on without a goal as the teams each had a power play chance. However, neither could find the netting and gain a lead. The teams took turns trading shot chances. However, the goalies stood strong. The end of the second saw both teams pick up penalties, and the final period of play would start with the teams playing 4-on-4 hockey. The second-period stats saw both teams with 22 shots in the period. Arcadia led in shots on goal 17-10. Both teams had 11 faceoff wins, and the Golden Bears had more saves, 17-9, and power play chances, 2-1. The game was tied 2-2 going into the final period of play.

The teams played from one side of the ice to the other in the beginning of the third. Then, 3:18 into the final period of play, Jacob Costa struck. Matty Zdanowicz found Nolan Dawson behind the net. Dawson would send the puck out to Jacob Costa at the blue line. Costa fired a slap-shot into the back of the net to give WNE the 3-2 lead after being down 2-0 in the beginning of the game. That was Costa's first career Golden Bear goal. The Golden Bears had a major chance in the 11th minute as Matt Dougherty had a breakaway chance. However, Burgess made the save to keep Arcadia down by only one late in the contest. Arcadia was called for a penalty with 5:39 left in the game, and the Golden Bears took advantage of it. Owen Schmidt sent a shot wide of the goal. The puck found Jake Mendeszoon, who fired a shot at the net. Everest Schneider would knock the puck down and past the Arcadia goalie to give WNE a two-goal advantage. It was 4-2, WNE. Arcadia would not go down without a fight. They pulled the goalie after a WNE penalty was committed, and then Cody Mastay would score after Justin Song gave the puck to Bryce Battaglia, and Bryce sent the puck behind the WNE net. The puck took a bounce back to the front of the net, and Mastay sent the puck into the goal. The score was 4-3, with 2:16 left in the contest. After pulling the goalie once more, Arcadia would see Matt Dougherty receive a pass from Nolan Dawson, and Dougherty put the puck into the net to give WNE the 5-3 win. The final stats saw WNE leading in shots 66-59, saves 37-28, and faceoff wins 35-30. Arcadia had more shots on goal 40-33 and blocked shots 13-7. Both teams had six penalties and one power-play goal.

Coach's Corner:

Head coach Mike Young was asked for a comment on the game and what Young thought was the difference-maker for the team after falling behind 2-0 early in the game. "We don't want to—and we didn't—play the scoreboard. We just want to stay focused on the next shift, next play, next goal, regardless of what has happened, good or bad, and we did that. We have a saying, "What's better than the last one? The next one." Every player in uniform stuck to the plan, focused on next, and contributed to a full team win. We enjoyed it for a couple minutes and then turned our focus to the next," Young answered.

Nolan Dawson was asked for a comment on Dawson's and the team's performance on Friday. "After being down 2-0, I thought we battled back and after the first goal, the momentum started to change. I think that is a big character win for the group and really just exemplifies the past 7 weeks and the amount of work everyone has been putting in and the culture we are building here," Dawson noted.

Jacob Costa was asked how it felt to score Costa's first-career Golden Bear goal. "First goals are always special but this one meant a lot more than others. A home win and a goal in my first college game is the best start I could ask for. Definitely a goal and game that will stick with me forever," Costa replied.

Inside the Crease:

• The Golden Bears hosted the Knights of Arcadia University.
• 1st, 7:17 – Jack Quigley scored an even-strength goal off assists from CJ Bachman and Michael Hertzberg. Arcadia led 1-0.
• 1st, 14:44 – Donnie Feldman doubled the Knights' lead with a goal assisted by Jack Quigley. Arcadia led 2-0.
• 1st, 15:48 – Nolan Dawson netted the first Golden Bear goal of the season off assists from Jimmy Mettler and Joshua Kingsbury. Arcadia led 2-1.
• 2nd, 0:49 – Justin Sullivan tied the game up with a goal off an assist from Matty Zdanowicz. The game was tied 2-2.
• 3rd, 3:18 – Jacob Costa gave the Golden Bears the lead off assists from Nolan Dawson and Matty Zdanowicz. WNE led 3-2.
• 3rd, 15:32 – Everest Schneider gave WNE a two-goal lead with a goal assisted by Jake Mendeszoon and Owen Schmidt. WNE led 4-2.
• 3rd, 17:44 – Cody Mastay cut the deficit to one with a goal assisted by Bryce Battaglia. WNE led 4-3.
• 3rd, 18:54 – Matt Dougherty scored an unassisted, empty-net goal to give the Golden Bears the 5-3 win.
• Ryan Burgess made 28 saves.
• Anthony Aureliano made 37 saves to earn the Golden Bears their first win of the season.

Up Next on the Schedule:

The Golden Bears will be back in action on Saturday, November 1, 2024, as they take on Westfield State University in the championship game of the Western Massachusetts Invitational at 7:35 PM at Amelia Park Ice Rink in Westfield, Massachusetts.

Arcadia University will take on Franklin Pierce University on Saturday, November 1, 2024, at 4:35 PM in the consolation game of the Western Massachusetts Invitational at Amelia Park Ice Rink in Westfield, Massachusetts.