WORCESTER, Mass. – Freshman goalie Jakub Kubik (Uherske Hradiste, Czech Republic) made 34 saves, including several on breakaway attempts and point-blank opportunities, as the Worcester State men's ice hockey team defeated Stonehill College 2-1 in non-conference action on Friday night at Fidelity Bank Worcester Ice Center.
Now on a three-game win streak, the Lancers have climbed back to .500 for the season. They are 6-2 in their last eight games as they head into their winter break with a 6-6 record.
Max Roth (Chicago, Ill.) netted the eventual game-winner with 7:05 to play in the second period. It was the lone goal of the frame, and it gave Worcester a 2-0 lead. He was set up by Drew Eid (Gorham, Maine), who picked up his 2nd assist of the year.
The Skyhawks outshot Worcester 14-8 in the second period, but Kubik made back to back stops late in the stanza to preserve the lead.
Stonehill got on the board with under five minutes to play in the third period, as Brendan Nehmer (East Longmeadow, Mass.) picked a corner on Kubik for his seventh goal of the year.
However, Kubik and the Lancers held off a furious attempt by Stonehill to get the equalizer. The visitors outshot Worcester 35-28, but Worcester completed their second straight game of allowing just one goal.
Bridgham Neuhold (Edmond, Okla.) gave the home team an early lead when he got on the end of a shot from Mike Wilson (Alexandria, Va.), who earned the assist. The goal came at the 3:50 mark into the game, and was the only scoring of the opening 20 minutes.
Junior John Day (N. Reading, Mass.) made 26 saves, but fell to 2-5-1 in the Skyhawks net.
Worcester State returns to action on January 6th when they travel to UMass Dartmouth to resume MASCAC play.
Stonehill (4-8-1) is also done for the year, taking the ice again on January 7th with the first of a back to back at SUNY Potsdam.