SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. - The Saint Michael's College men's ice hockey team defeated the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, 5-1, to open the 2024-25 season on Friday night in Cairns Arena. The two teams squared off for the first time in 21 years.
 
RECORDS

• Saint Michael's (1-0), MCLA (0-1)

SAINT MICHAEL'S LEADERS

• Senior Jack Bavis (West Roxbury, Mass./Valley Jr. Warriors), 1 goal, 1 assist
• Senior David Ciancio (Scituate, R.I./Seahawks Hockey Club), 1 goal, 1 assist
• Senior Brennan McFarland (Greeley, Colo./Northern Colorado Eagles), 1 goal, 1 assist
• Senior Case Kantgias (Bloomfield Hills, Mich./Northern Colorado Eagles), 2 assists
• First-year Sj LeComte (Port Monmouth, N.J./Wisconsin Rapid Riverkings), 2 assists
• Junior Cole Manahan (Hermantown, Minn./Vernal Oilers), 19 saves
• Sophomore Ty Bloom (Helena, Mont./Helena Bighorns), 12-for-20 faceoffs

OPPONENT LEADERS

• First-year Sam Zis, 1 goal
• Junior Connor Nagy, 1 assist
• Sophomore Charlie Addesa, 1 assist
• Sophomore Easton Moore, 11-for-22 faceoffs
• Sophomore Mathew Gover, 39 saves

GAME FACTS

• The Purple and Gold held a 38-28 advantage in faceoffs.
• Saint Michael's scored two of its goals on a power play.
• The Purple Knights only yielded two shots on goal in the final period, after allowing 18 between the first two periods.

THE ACTION

• Junior Quinn McCarthy (Melrose, Mass./Holderness School) started the scoring for the Purple Knights after recovering a loose puck from behind the net and slotting under the goalie to give the hosts a 1-0 lead 2:23 into the first period.
• The Trailblazers scored at 10:36 when Zis scooped the puck in the neutral zone and scored on a breakaway on assists from Nagy and Addesa.
• LeComte sent the puck over the heads of the MCLA defenders to find McFarland streaking up center ice, and McFarland scored his own breakaway goal to put the Purple and Gold up 2-1 at 12:32. Junior Ashton Allain (Brentwood, Tenn./Walpole Express) added a secondary assist.
• Ciancio doubled the lead at 14:07 in the second period on a slapshot from the top of the right faceoff circle on helpers from LeComte and Kantgias, making the score 3-1.
• Manahan made 10 of his 19 saves in the second period to keep the Trailblazers from shortening the lead.
• Bavis netted his first goal of the season on a forehand wraparound at 5:32 in the third period, getting help from junior Nick Wracker (Columbia, S.C./Northeast Generals) and senior Moseley Schwartz (Philadelphia, Pa./Phillips Academy).
• First-year Jack Tuite (Shrub Oak, N.Y./Springfield Jr. Pics) scored his first career goal just 39 seconds after Bavis by tapping in the rebound from Kantgias' prior attempt. Bavis also added a secondary assist.

NEXT SAINT MICHAEL'S GAME

• Saturday vs. MCLA at 6 p.m.