After going through the entire 2007-08 season with only nine losses, the Seawolves found themselves in an unfamiliar position. The team was still looking for its first win of the season as they hosted the Towson Tigers on Saturday night at the Rinx.
The Seawolves took nothing for granted and thoroughly dominated Towson on the way to a 6-2 victory.
“It’s a big relief off everyone’s shoulders,” said assistant coach Pete Hall. The last three games we played we out-shot the opponents, lost by one goal. The guys played good team defense and put these guys away.”
Stony Brook opened the scoring early with a power play goal by Tom Pacifico.
Greg Maggio added another goal later in the first period, and the Seawolves led 2-0 after one period.
In the second the Seawolves really started to turn it on, keeping the puck deep in the Towson end for most of the period.
After the Seawolves squandered a full two minute 5-on-3 in the second period, it looked very familiar to the team that dropped its first five games.
But after another Towson penalty, Phil Borner ripped a slap shot from the point to the back of the net just three seconds into the power play.
The game was put out of reach late in the second period. John Wong took a shot from a bad angle that squeezed through the pads of the Towson goaltender and just crept across the goal line.
Eight seconds later Jake Dietz brought the puck across the Towson blue line and fired an innocent looking wrist shot. The puck hit a Towson defender in front and changed direction, fooling the goaltender, and giving the Seawolves a 5-0 lead.
Head coach Buzz DeChamps was pleased with the way his team played in the game.
“Tonight the goaltending was exceptional,” he said. “Our forwards were playing really smart hockey. So were our defensemen.”
Stony Brook backup goaltender Jack Dagnese played the third period, and allowed two goals. The Seawolves added one of their own, providing the 6-2 final margin.
“It’s a monkey off our backs,” General Manager Chris Garofalo said after the game. “We’re not used to this. Every year we lose five or six games. It’s a little frustrating.
“But the boys played a really good game, solid up and down,” he said. “We were peppering the net. We just have to keep that momentum every game.”
