The success just keeps on rolling for Fairfield men’s club ice hockey team. Coming off a 9-3 victory over Columbia University, the team has found themselves in the midst of a 10-game winning streak.
Overall the team is 11-1 since the Penn State Berks Tournament and 8-1 in its division.
“The team has great depth,” said Justin Eisner ’08, “even the third and fourth lines are scoring and being productive.”
The Stags’ season-long success has brought the men to second place in their division of the Metropolitan Collegiate Hockey Conference (MCHC) with 16 points in nine conference games. The only conference loss had come at the hands of first place divisional opponent Fordham who has 22 points in 12 games.
The Stags have scored an astounding 77 goals over nine confernce games, an average of 8.6 per game.
“It’s always a good feeling to score a lot of goals against a team,” said Jim Pagliaro ’07, “it really shoots the confidence of the players up a lot.”
Not only has the team had success, but individual accolades have been awarded to the team as well.
Eisner, who was named player of the month by the MCHC, has played 15 games this season and recorded 24 goals, 24 assists and 48 points for an average of 3.2 points per game.
The Stags have four players in the top 25 in the nation in Division III points scoring: Eisner, Pagliaro, graduate student Thomas Murray, and Mike Chaconas.
Chaconas, one of two players still on the team from the former Division I program, has 15 assists this year and leads the team with 25 goals.
Another major component to the team’s success has been the stellar goaltending. With three viable goalies, the Stags have had interchangeable success.
Bill Dwyer ’08 is in the top of the league in saves with 202 over nine games with a 3.38 goals against average. Mirror sports writer Ryan Hull ’06 has one shutout as well as a 2.10 goals against average in eight games, which is the second best on the team. Third string goaltender Mark Rienzi has contributed with a 1.71 goals against average in two starts.
“The team’s goaltending has been great all season,” said Eisner. “All three goalies have played and played well.”
Pagliaro said he sees no reason why the Stags should not go all the way to the MCHC championship.
“There’s a good chance that if we carry it over next semester and into the playoffs, that we’ll have a good chance to win the league,” he said.
The team’s next game is Saturday at the Bridgeport Wonderland of Ice against divisional opponent Saint Thomas at 8:30 p.m.
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