Southern New Hampshire 4, American International 2
A pair of short-handed goals powered the Southern New Hampshire University ice hockey team past American International College 4-2 on Saturday night at The Ice Den Arena.
Sophomore Kenny Thurston of Plymouth, Massachusetts, tallied a goal and an assist to lead the Penmen. Southern New Hampshire earned its first Northeast 10 win of the season and its first conference victory under first-year head coach Brooks McQuade.
Special Teams Spark Penmen
Junior Dillon Phillips of Raleigh, North Carolina, pushed the Southern New Hampshire lead to 3-0 in the second period with an unassisted short-handed goal at the 9:34 mark. It marked the second short-handed tally of the night for the hosts, following an opening-period goal by sophomore Jory Veenstra of Kansas City, Missouri, who was assisted by junior Kyle Slingerland of Stittsville, Ontario.
Thurston had previously given the Penmen a 2-0 advantage at 3:41 of the second period off an assist from freshman Nolan Nemecek of Hudsonville, Michigan. Southern New Hampshire scored twice while short-handed in a single game for the first time since January 22, 2022, against Franklin Pierce.
Closing Out The Yellow Jackets
American International College answered quickly after the third SNHU goal when Tyler Arthurs scored on the power play just 22 seconds later. Sophomore Aidan Rufa of Massena, New York, added a power-play goal for the Penmen at 3:54 of the third period, with an assist from freshman Ethan Hoff of Murrysville, Pennsylvania, earning his first collegiate point.
Egor Vinokurov capped the scoring for the Yellow Jackets at 14:23 of the third period. Senior Sean Guerin of Chicago, Illinois, stopped 11 shots to secure his second win of the season.
Southern New Hampshire Outshot American International in Victory
Southern New Hampshire outshot American International 30-13, including an 11-3 edge in the second period. The Penmen went 1-for-3 on the power play, while the Yellow Jackets finished 1-for-5.
Freshman Ethan McLean of St. John, New Brunswick, won 11 of 12 faceoffs as Southern New Hampshire claimed a 38-34 edge at the dot. Thurston earned the game’s first star, with Rufa taking second and Veenstra taking third.
The Penmen return to the ice to host Post University in a two-game series at The Ice Den Arena in Hooksett, New Hampshire. The teams play Friday, November 13, at 7:40 p.m., followed by a Saturday matchup on November 14 at 2:40 p.m.
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