Brian CoaryThe strong smells of sweat and victory were pulsating through the air at the Marple Sports Arena Sunday night as the Cabrini College men’s roller hockey team fought fiercely against the Drexel Dragons, ending their two-game losing streak with a decisive 6-3 win. This win brings the team to a 4-4 record for the season as they head into a month-long break. Their next game will not be until Feb. 12, 2006 at 11 p.m. against St. Joe’s.
The game got off to a good start with forward Brian Prospero putting the first point on the board within the opening three minutes of the game. Prospero, a junior accounting major, said, “The team brings it hard in the first period every time,” and this time it really paid off.
The game was a sentimental one for forward Clayton Cottman. Cottman, a junior biology/pre-medicine major, will be studying abroad in Australia next semester, so Sunday was his last game of the season. Cottman said he was sad to leave the team, but he went out on top, contributing one of the six goals and providing as assist for another.
Providing the rest of the team’s six goals against Drexel’s goalie Ken Gick were junior forward Josh Foley, with two goals, and sophomore forward Joe Zullo and senior forward Mike Stevens, with one goal a piece.
Goalie Steve Hughes, a junior special education major, shut out the Drexel team for the first period, before being scored on three times. Hughes played “ferociously,” Jen Pyott, a sophomore pre-nursing major and the team’s manager, said. DonnaMarie Leason, a junior marketing major and the team’s other manager, also felt that Hughes played an amazing game. “Steve had really good saves and played a really strong position,” Leason said.
Cabrini has a long-lasting history with the Drexel team, who were the Tier 1 league champions last year. Drexel defeated Cabrini in round one of the play-offs last year, crushing any championship hopes. This year, however, Cabrini has come out on top. Back in October, the Cavaliers beat the Drexel team 7-1.
This game helped to boost the team’s confidence after they were defeated twice two weeks ago by both Philadelphia University and Neumann College. Captain Mike Egan, a senior business administration major, feels that, with this win right before going into the month-long break, the team’s morale will be up, and they will be ready to take the next team.
Only about 10 fans were on hand to see the Cavaliers take on the Dragons. Lack of attendance is a problem that the team has been dealing with all season. Egan is depressed at the dwindling number of fans. “Last year there were at least 20 to 30 fans, and now we only get around five a game,” Egan said.
Posted to the web by Brian Coary
