The last weekend of October was a busy time for most with Homecoming Weekend being in full force across the University’s campus. This was especially true for the Mens and Womens club hockey teams as both teams had two games this weekend. The men’s team had back to back games against MD1 ESCHL division rivals Drexel. While the women’s team took on Nichols College at Boss Arena Saturday morning and then traveled to Nashua, NH to compete against Rivier University in a scrimmage. 

URI Dominates Drexel in Commanding 8-3 Victory Friday Night

The URI Men’s Hockey team took control against Drexel by opening the scoring in the first period and never looking back. The Rams capitalized on early power plays, starting with a goal from Zachary Bell with 6:35 remaining in the first period. This was followed by the captain, Jonathan Shaw, scoring another goal for the Rams, off the power play. URI’s offensive ambush continued with goals from Ryan Barlow and Shane Mulhern, closing the first period with a 4-0 lead and an impressive 18-4 shot advantage over Drexel.

The Rams’ dominance persisted in the second period, even after URI’s Bell missed a penalty shot that was awarded for being tripped on a fastbreak. Drexel continued to struggle to contain URI’s offense and found themselves shorthanded throughout. Ronan Judge extended URI’s lead with a goal, followed by a short handed goal from Shane Mulhern which was his second of the contest. URI capitalized on another power play with Zach Gold finding the back of the net with 1:37 remaining in the second. URI ended the second period up 7-0, with a commanding 29-11 shot advantage.

Drexel finally responded early in the third period, scoring with 19:11 remaining, but URI answered with a top-shelf goal from Kevin Kanaczet. Drexel then continued to push, scoring two more times, but it wasn’t enough to overcome URI’s early lead. URI finished with a decisive 8-3 win, outshooting Drexel 40-19 and showcasing their offensive depth and disciplined power play throughout the game.

URI Womens Edges Nichols in Tight 3-2 Victory Saturday Morning 

The University of Rhode Island women’s hockey team secured a narrow 3-2 win over Nichols in an intense matchup. URI struck in the first period with a goal by Lena Basis at 9:11, quickly followed by another from the teams point leader, Grace Gibbons at 8:41. After Nichols took back-to-back penalties, URI had a 5-on-3 advantage and capitalized with a smooth breakaway goal by Emily Jedson, ending the first period up 3-0 with both teams tied at 8 shots apiece.

Nichols fought back in the second period, scoring through the five-hole just 1:15 into the quarter. Nichols’ offense outshot URI 15-10 through the second period, but URI’s defense held steady, maintaining a 3-1 lead going into the third.

The final period saw Nichols closing in with a late goal with just under two minutes remaining, but URI’s goalie came up with a plethora of game-saving stops to preserve the lead. URI ended with a 3-2 victory despite being outshot 31-14, demonstrating their resilience and defensive strength to seal the win.

What’s Next for the Two Teams?

On Saturday October 26th, The Men’s team lost the second game of their back to back against Drexel with a score 5-2. The Men’s team then played two away games against Stony Brook University on November 1st and 2nd the next week. The Rams split this back to back as well and are 5-6-1 on the season. This upcoming weekend on the 8th and 9th the Rams travel to Drexel for another two games against their rivals. 

After the women’s team traveled to Nashua New Hampshire for a scrimmage against division III school Riviera University on Sunday the 27th, the team no longer had to worry about travel as Mount Holyoke College came to Boss Arena to face off against the Rams on Saturday November 2nd. The Women’s team’s next two games come against Michigan University on 10th and Liberty University on the 14th. The full season schedule for both teams is attached here by using the club selection drop down bar and clicking on Mens Hockey and Women’s Hockey.