MIDDLEBURY, Vt. - The No. 15 Wesleyan men's hockey team extended its win streak to six with a 2-0 shutout at Middlebury on Friday. The Cardinals recorded their seventh shutout of the season, improving to 13-4-2 overall, as they remain unbeaten in NESCAC play with a mark of 11-0-2.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- The visitors opened the scoring at the 7:52 mark of the first period, as Walker Harris showed good patience coming out from behind the cage and sliding a shot into the net for his team-leading 14th tally of the season.
- Wesleyan made a bid to double the lead with 2:42 remaining in the period when Tyler Levine redirected a centering pass from Tyler Wyatt, but Middlebury goalie Brian Ketchabaw quickly got the left post for the glove save.
- The hosts pressed late in the frame, as Mitchell Allen got a stab at a pass from Owen Powers at the top of the crease that Cardinal goalie Tim Sestak smothered.
- With 40 seconds on the clock, Conor Breen fired a snap shot off the post, keeping the difference at a goal at the first intermission.
- In the middle stanza, Wesleyan had a 5-on-3 power play for 1:31 in the opening minutes with Ketchabaw coming up big. The Panther made three saves on the two-man disadvantage and recorded a fourth once a player came back on the ice.
- The hosts had a power play with 14:11 on the clock and recorded several chances. Jimmy McKee blasted a slap shot from the point that Sestak turned away, while Cole Joslin was denied on his bid from the slot.
- Middlebury had another opportunity late in the frame, when McKee pushed the puck between the circles, where Emack Bentley swept a backhander just wide of the left post.
- In the final period, the visitors had a quality chance with just over a minute expired when Spencer Fox tipped a shot by Matthew Zandi that Ketchabaw corralled.
- The Panthers countered with an opportunity minutes later on a rush by Matt Danner off a nice stretch pass from Spencer Cage. Danner fired a shot from the slot that Sestak snared with his trapper.
- Vincent Lima gave the Cardinals a 2-0 cushion at the 11:42 mark, as he skated into the slot and tucked a shot into the upper-left corner of the net.
- Middlebury pulled Ketchabaw for an extra attacker twice in the closing minutes, but Sestak made four stops in that time, making the final score at 2-0.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
- Sestak stopped all 31 he faced to pick up the win in goal for the Cardinals.
- Ketchabaw suffered the loss for the Panthers, finishing with 24 saves.
UP NEXT:
- The Cardinals travel to Williams on Saturday for a 3:00 p.m. game.
