The Sacred Heart University Men's Ice Hockey Team battled hard through a heated home-and-home series this past weekend against division rival Stony Brook University, earning a dominant win on the road Friday night and a hard-fought overtime point on Sunday at Martire Family Arena.
Friday Night – Road Dominance on Long Island
Friday's 9:30PM puck drop at the Islanders Iceworks set the stage for a fiery matchup between two top Atlantic Division teams—Sacred Heart entering in second place and Stony Brook close behind in third. From the opening faceoff, the game was intense and physical, with both benches vocal and engaged.
Sacred Heart struck first just six minutes into the period when #21 Joey Letizia buried a goal off a setup from #23 Chris Hahn and #28 Ben Hepler. The Pioneers carried a 1–0 lead into the intermission, energized by relentless pace and emotion.
In the second period, Letizia took control of the game—netting two more goals to complete a natural hat trick. His second came on the power play from #8 Drew Scalice, and his third was a highlight-reel unassisted breakaway goal after stripping a Stony Brook defender at center ice and going high blocker side.
Sacred Heart continued to pour it on. At 3:25 of the second, #20 Ben Bajzath Jr. scored from #26 Dylan Reader and #12 Alex Kurowski, followed less than a minute later by a goal from Hepler, assisted by Letizia and Hahn, giving SHU a commanding 5–0 lead.
Stony Brook broke through late in the period, but the Pioneers answered in the third. #7 Tim Ouellette tipped home a point shot from #6 Evan Vadola and #15 Brody Prendergast, and Kurowski capped the night with a rebound goal off a slapshot from #3 John Annis via Reader.
Goaltender #31 Tyler Armagan was outstanding, turning away 40+ shots to secure the 7–2 victory.
"This was a full team win," said Head Coach Steve Minichini. "We played disciplined, moved the puck beautifully, and trusted each other in all three zones. That kind of effort is what defines our identity as a program."
Sunday Night – Home Thriller at Martire Family Arena
On Sunday night, the two teams met again on Sacred Heart's home ice at Martire Family Arena. As expected, the game was physical from start to finish. Stony Brook capitalized on early chances to take a 2–0 lead heading into the third period.
But Sacred Heart, known for its third-period surges, was far from finished. At 16:38, #6 Evan Vadola led an end-to-end rush to score SHU's first goal, assisted by #22 Joe Capitano and #20 Ben Bajzath Jr. The goal reignited the home bench and swung the momentum.
#4 Kennedy Blue set the tone physically, delivering thunderous checks that changed the game's momentum. At 11:25, Kurowski evened the score on assists from #32 Wyatt Shea and #27 Sam Lescault, and just one minute later, Hahn gave SHU its first lead with a clutch goal assisted by Letizia.
Though Stony Brook clawed back with two late goals to reclaim a 4–3 lead, Sacred Heart refused to quit. With the goalie pulled and less than a minute remaining, #10 Alex Goffredo tied the game 4–4 on a feed from Ouellette and Bajzath Jr., sending the home bench into an uproar. Stony Brook eventually found the winner in overtime, but Sacred Heart earned a critical point in the standings after an inspiring comeback.
After the game, forward Kennedy Blue reflected: "This weekend, the games were competitive and physical. We dominated Stony Brook on Friday night, but we found ourselves behind against them on Sunday. I'm encouraged by our resilience as a team, coming back in the third period, scoring four goals, and proving we're never out of a game. Our team continues to learn and grow on and off the ice."
Coach Minichini added: "What I loved most about Sunday wasn't just the comeback, it was the heart behind it. Every player on that bench believed we were going to tie that game, and we did. That belief, that fight, is what winning teams are built on."
Photo Credit: @filmsreese