The rust of the holiday break showed on Saturday night as Sacred Heart ACHA ACDC B Men's Club Hockey team (MCHC) opened the spring semester with a hard-fought 4–3 road loss to Yeshiva University at Mackay Ice Arena in Englewood, NJ. With puck drop set for 8:45 PM, the Pioneers controlled the flow of play for long stretches, generated quality chances all night, and looked especially dangerous on the power play, but a pair of shorthanded breakdowns proved costly in a game that came down to the final minutes.

Despite the loss, Sacred Heart dictated the pace offensively and consistently pressured the Yeshiva zone. The Pioneers' power play unit moved the puck with confidence and created multiple prime opportunities, including a stretch where Sacred Heart hit three posts on the same man-advantage, narrowly missing what could have been a game-tying goal.

Sacred Heart got on the board first thanks to an incredible individual effort from #11 Shane Pourmaleki, who scored unassisted after a massive hit by #14 Zach Donahue which forced a turnover and sent Pourmaleki into open ice. Pourmaleki powered through a 1-on-3 rush and buried the finish to give the Pioneers an early spark.

Later, #10 Alex Goffredo added a key goal of his own, finishing a strong offensive sequence off a setup from #21 Joey Letizia and #26 Dylan Reader. Sacred Heart continued to push, and #22 Brandon Reader kept the Pioneers within striking distance with a power play goal assisted by #26 Dylan Reader and #10 Alex Goffredo.

Ultimately, the difference came on special teams the other way, as Sacred Heart surrendered two power-play goals against, and Yeshiva held on to edge the Pioneers 4–3.
The Pioneers will look to respond quickly next weekend with two big road matchups, traveling to Columbia University on Friday, 1/30/26, before heading to Brown University on Sunday, 2/1/26.

Photo Credit: @dr.todkphotography