The University of Rhode Island men’s club hockey team secured first place in the Eastern Collegiate Hockey Association (ECHA) after sweeping George Mason in a pivotal weekend series. The division’s top two teams, competing under the ACHA Men’s Division 1 umbrella, faced off on Friday, Nov. 14, and Saturday, Nov. 15, at Boss Ice Arena.
Friday night came with an added boost of energy, as it was Greek Night at the rink, an event hosted by the Interfraternity Council (IFC) and the Panhellenic Council to kick off Philanthropy Week. The promotion drew a massive crowd of URI students involved in Greek life, providing the Rams with much-needed momentum against the division’s top team at the time.
Friday: George Mason 1, URI 3
The George Mason Patriots stuck first with an early goal off a power play just over four minutes into the first period. Rhode Island’s Cam Cyr tied the match with just over a minute remaining in the first, tying the game 1-1 going into the intermission.
The tightly contested second period saw great defense from both teams. A penalty on George Mason’s George Goodwin gave the Rams a power-play opportunity, which they capitalized on. Aidan Darlington cleaned up a rebound with eight minutes left in the period, giving URI a 2–1 advantage heading into the third.
The Rams’ defense held firm in the final period, shutting out the Patriots for the remainder of the night. Max Lockwood sealed the win with an empty-net goal in the closing minute. URI outshot George Mason 50–28, and goaltender Nicholas Maringola delivered a standout performance with 27 saves on 28 shots.
Saturday: George Mason 2, URI 4
Saturday’s matchup was another intense, physical battle. Cyr, now the ECHA’s leading goal scorer–opened the scoring once again, giving Rhode Island a 1–0 lead. George Mason’s Tyler Rothermund responded, scoring with just six seconds left in the first to tie the game.
URI regained the lead early in the second period with a goal from Corey Szabo. George Mason answered late in the frame, evening the score at 2–2. But just 30 seconds later, Shane Mulhern broke the tie, sending the Rams into the third period up 3–2.
The third period was another defensive grind, with both teams battling for every inch. Cyr eventually iced the game with his 18th goal of the season, an empty-net finish with nine seconds remaining. Goaltender James Hunt turned in another strong performance, stopping 31 of 33 shots. The Rams completed the sweep with a 4–2 victory, improving to 12–4 overall and 6–2 in ECHA play.
RI will now look to carry this momentum into the ACHA Chicago Classic, taking place Nov. 21–23. The Rams will play three games against MD1 opponents: Roosevelt University on Friday at 1:10 p.m., the University of Illinois on Saturday at 5:20 p.m., and Michigan–Dearborn to close out round-robin play.
URI will continue leaning on stars Cam Cyr and Shane Mulhern, who rank in the top five nationally in goals and assists, respectively. Under head coach Joseph Augustine, the Rams look to take their first-place form into Chicago and prove they belong among the nation’s best.
By John Almy
Class of 2026
Journalism Major