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On Saturday November 14th, CSU had a rematch with the Pittsburgh Panthers, this time in Northeast Ohio at Winterhurst Ice Rink. The Vikings were trying to snap their 5 game losing streak and also take revenge on Pitt.
There was no shortage of offense in this game as both teams were scoring at a quick pace. The scoring began early when both teams traded goals early in the first. Then it seemed as if the Vikings had full control of the game when they scored 4 more in the first taking a 5-2 lead into the second period. However, the Panthers returned in the second to scoring 5 of their own with 2 Viking goals sandwiched in between. It looked like the momentum had fully switched in favor of the Panthers but CSU came right back to retake the lead with two goals to end the second. The Vikes shut down the Panthers in the third period and were able to stretch their lead with three more goals to win this one 12-7. There were two Viking hat-tricks in this one, coming from Mark Sharpnack and Nikita Goldman, while other goals came from McCann, Goldman, Kacsmarik, Suts, and Novakovic (2). Assists came from Narolewski, Foster, Sharpnack, Kacsmarik, Orahoske, Martineau (2), Suts (3), Goldman (4), and Curran (4). Kyle Seaman recorded a season-high 54 saves while getting the win in net for the Vikes.
On Saturday November 7th, the Penn State-Behrend Lions traveled to Strongsville to take on CSU. For the Vikings, this was their lone game of the weekend.
The contest began with two goals by Behrend before the Vikings' Mark Sharpnack scored his first of the game before the end of the first period. Then, 5 minutes into the second, Nikita Goldman had a chance to tie the game when he was awarded a penalty shot. He was able to capitalize on this opportunity by scoring a beauty of a goal, going between the legs and roofing the puck top shelf. However, Behrend responded with a quick two goals to stretch their lead in the second. The relentless Vikings would come back to tie it with goals from Kyle Suts and Brendan McCann. But the Lions retook the lead less than 20 seconds after McCann's goal to close out the second period up 5-3. Sharpnack scored his second of the game in the third period, but that would be the last one for the Vikings. Behrend was able to score 4 goals in the third to end up taking this one 9-5. Assists in this game came from Suts, Curran, Sharpnack, and Kacsmarik. Kyle Seaman made 34 saves in net for the Vikes.
These two teams will see eachother two more times this year, January 9th and 23rd, both at Mercyhurst Ice Arena in Erie, PA.
Tough Weekend for Vikings as they Drop Two to Pitt
As Halloween weekend arrived, the Vikings went to Pittsburgh to take on the D2 University of Pittsburgh hockey team. CSU tried to find success after an off weekend but Pitt had other plans as they were able to take two from the Vikes.
Game one on Friday night stayed close the entire game, but the Vikings could never grasp a lead. After Pitt scored their first of the game in the first, the two teams began to trade off goals until late in the second period when the Panthers were able to take a 4-2 lead before the intermission. The third period remained with this score until Greg Kacsmarik scored his second of the game at the 13 minute mark to cut the lead to one. However, Pittsburgh responded with a goal less than a minute later to regain their two goal lead. Eric Novakovic was able to score in the last minute to bring the Vikes back to within one, but the late comeback was unable to prevail as Pitt took this one 5-4. The other CSU goal was scored by Nikita Goldman while assists in this game came from Eisler(3), McCann(2), Curran, and Martineau. Kyle Seaman turned away 34 of his 39 shots in goal for the Vikings.
Game two on Saturday did not go well for the Vikings after a good start. Nate Wilkie scored 48 seconds into the game, but it was almost all Pittsburgh from then on. The Panthers scored 6 unanswered, including 5 in the first period. The deficit was simply just too much to come back from as the Vikings were only able to tap on 3 more the rest of the game. Pitt added on 4 more goals and were able to take a 10-4 win. Cleveland State goals in this were scored by Wilkie, Novakovic, McCann, and Curran. Assists came from Johnson, Trent, Draganic, and Martineau. Seaman recorded 26 saves in net.
The Vikings return home this Saturday 11/7 to take on Penn State-Behrend at OBM Arena at 8:40 PM.
This past weekend (10/16, 10/17), the hockey Vikings held their first homestand of the season as they set off for a pair of games against Lawrence Tech University (White). After having gone to Michigan two weeks earlier and splitting two games at LTU's home rink, the Vikings now hosted the Blue Devils at OBM Arena in Strongsville. However, the games didn't exactly go as planned for CSU on home ice.
Game one on Friday saw the Vikings come out of the gates with a hot start. After originally going down 2-1 midway through the first, the Vikes went on a 5-0 run that extended through the second period. The run was capped off by a pair of goals, including a shorty, by Ron Narolewski. After the second period ended with CSU up 6-3, LTU came back in the third scoring 3 goals and outshooting the vikings 9-3 for the period. Regulation ended in a tie and overtime went back and forth until the last few seconds. An odd man rush for LTU led to the game winner for the Devils with just 5 seconds remaining, ending the game with a score of 7-6 LTU. Other goals for CSU were scored by Eric Novakovic (assists: Nate Wilkie, Sam Eisler), Nikita Goldman, Mark Sharpnack (Mike Fuchs, Kyle Suts), and Fuchs (Novakovic) with other assists by Spencer Martineau, Nate Curran and Eisler. Kyle Seaman recorded 27 saves on 34 shots in goal for the Vikings.
Game two on the weekend had much of the same from the night before. LTU went up 2-0 early but the Vikings took control in the second period when they took the lead 3-2, led by two Sharpnack goals. Then in the third period when LTU scored once to tie the game back up, the Vikes again responed with two of their own to go up by two late in the game. However, CSU could not keep the lead as LTU scored twice to tie it and take it into OT. This game ended sooner in overtime than the night before as LTU scored just 1:49 into the period and won another overtime game 6-5. Other Viking goals were scored by Cody Orahoske (Jake Uhas), Sam Eisler (Brendan McCann), and Ryan Martin (Martineau, Sharpnack), with assists on Sharpnacks goals coming from Martineau, McCann, and Martin. Kyle Seaman also recored 33 saves on 39 shots on the afternoon.
The Vikings will get the following weekend off and will return to action when they travel to the University of Pittsburgh on Halloween weekend. CSU will take on the Panthers on 10/30 and 10/31. The puck will drop at 9:30 PM for both games at Alpha Ice Complex in Pittsburgh, PA.
On October 8th and 9th, the Vikings went to Columbus for a couple of games against Otterbein University. The Vikes would capitalize on the weekend coming away with two wins.
Game one on Friday went back and forth most of the game as neither team could pull away with the lead. Mark Sharpnack scored at the end of the first period for the Vikings giving them momentum but they could not gain complete control of the game throughout the night. The game stayed close as the Vikings gained the lead in the third period. With CSU up by a goal near the end of the third, Otterbein was forced to pull their goalie and play 6 on 4 hockey. However, Nate Curran scored his second of the night as he put away the game with an empty netter. The Vikings ultimately took this one 5-3.
Game two on the weekend ended up being similar to the first one as neither team had complete control of the game. Although the Vikings led almost the entire game, they struggled to run away with it. Greg Kacsmarik scored early in the first to put the Vikes up 1-0 and Eric Novakovic put one in halfway through the second to extend that lead. The third Vikings goal came in the third as defenseman Spencer Martineau scored just one minute after Otterbein had one of their own. Nate Curran scored his third of the weekend adding an empty netter in the last minute, giving the Vikings a 4-1 win. Kyle Seaman recorded two wins in goal for CSU on the weekend.
The two teams will play again later in the year as Otterbein will travel to Strongsville to play CSU January 29th. As for the near future, the Vikings will play Lawrence Tech this upcoming weekend (10-16,10-17) in their home openers at OBM Arena in Strongsville.
