SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. - The Saint Michael's College men's ice hockey team defeated the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, 4-0, Saturday night in Cairns Arena to sweep the first weekend series of the year. First-year Evan Plunkett (Charlotte, N.C./Holderness School) recorded a shutout and his first career win in his collegiate debut.
 
RECORDS

• Saint Michael's (2-0), MCLA (0-2)

SAINT MICHAEL'S LEADERS

• Sophomore Ty Bloom (Helena, Mont./Helena Bighorns), 1 goal, 1 assist, 11-for-19 faceoffs, 3 blocked shots
• Sophomore Hans Forselius (Guilford, Conn./Seahawks Hockey Club), 2 assists
• Junior Matti Tauriainen (Grapevine, Texas/Valley Jr. Warriors), 1 goal, 5-for-7 faceoffs
• First-year Patrick Last (Derry, N.H./Twin City Thunder), 1 goal (1st career)
• First-year Sj LeComte (Port Monmouth, N.J./Wisconsin Rapid Riverkings), 1 goal (1st career)
• Senior David Ciancio (Scituate, R.I./Seahawks Hockey Club), 1 assist, 3 blocked shots, +3
• Junior Jake Leale (Suffern, N.Y./Connecticut RoughRiders), 8-for-9 faceoffs, 4 blocked shots
• First-year Evan Plunkett (Charlotte, N.C./Holderness School), 19 saves

OPPONENT LEADERS

• Sophomore Mathew Gover, 33 saves
• Sophomore Easton Moore, 15-for-21 faceoffs

GAME FACTS

• The Purple and Gold held a 20-14 advantage in blocked shots and outshot the visitors 37-19.
• The Purple Knights' penalty kill was a perfect 4-for-4 on the night.
• The Trailblazers held a narrow edge in faceoffs, besting the hosts 34-32 during the series finale.
• Plunkett is the first Purple Knight to earn a shutout in his college debut since Dave Donzanti '15 blanked the State University of New York at Canton by the same 4-0 final on Nov. 20, 2012.

THE ACTION

• The Purple Knights killed off three penalties, including a two-man disadvantage that started at 14:27, to keep the Trailblazers off the scoreboard in the first period. 
• Plunkett and Gover both made eight saves in the first frame and negated several great chances from both squads.
• Junior Quinn McCarthy (Melrose, Mass./Holderness School) nearly converted for the first goal of the game with just 3:20 gone in the second period, but Gover made a lunging save across the crease to stop the winger's chance.
• The Purple Knights scored at 8:28 when Last notched his first career goal on a wrist shot from the right faceoff circle to make the score 1-0. Forselius added an assist for his first point of the season.

• The Purple and Gold broke it open in the third period, starting with Bloom's tally at 5:23 on assists from junior Ashton Allain (Brentwood, Tenn./Walpole Express) and Ciancio.
• LeComte scored his first career goal at 8:33 on helpers from senior Brennan McFarland (Greeley, Colo./Northern Colorado Eagles) and Bloom to make the score 3-0.

• Tauriainen scored the final goal of the day at 16:12 in front of the crease on assists from Forselius and first-year Ian Wolanin (Pomfret, Conn./HC Rhode Island).

NEXT SAINT MICHAEL'S GAME

• Friday at Post University, 2 p.m.