WORCESTER, Mass. - First-year Evan Plunkett (Charlotte, N.C./Holderness School) made 40 saves for his school-record-tying third shutout of the season in helping the Saint Michael's College men's ice hockey team blank first-place Assumption University, 2-0, during Northeast-10 Conference play on Saturday at the Worcester Ice Center.
 
RECORDS

• Saint Michael's (10-6-2, 6-4 NE10), Assumption (10-9, 7-3 NE10)

SAINT MICHAEL'S LEADERS

• First-year Evan Plunkett (Charlotte, N.C./Holderness School), 40 saves
• Senior Jack Macdonald (Baraboo, Wis./Seahawks Hockey Club), 1 goal, 15-for-23 faceoffs
• Sophomore Ty Bloom (Helena, Mont./Helena Bighorns), 1 goal, 9-for-18 faceoffs
• First-year Cole Douglas (Pittsburgh, Pa./Shady Side Academy), 1 assist, 3 blocked shots

OPPONENT LEADERS

• Sophomore Callum Welch, 35 saves

GAME FACTS

• Plunkett's three shutouts matched Dave Donzanti's '15 program record set in 2014-15, his senior season.
• Plunkett had totaled 48 saves in his prior two shutouts.
• Today is the earliest Saint Michael's has reached its 10th win in program history. The prior mark had been set on Jan. 17, 1998.
• Both teams won 35 faceoffs, while Assumption held a 40-37 edge in shots.
• Assumption, which entered the day averaging a league-high 3.7 goals, was shut out for the first time since the Purple Knights turned the trick in a 4-0 victory on Feb. 10, 2023. The Greyhounds had not been blanked at home since Feb. 19, 2022, against Franklin Pierce University.

THE ACTION

• Macdonald gave the Purple Knights a lead 13:30 into the contest, scoring from a wide angle outside the left post after senior Jack Bavis (West Roxbury, Mass./Valley Jr. Warriors) whipped a pass from the far boards. Douglas also assisted.
• Bloom converted a power-play goal 3:44 into the second period after taking junior Quinn McCarthy's (Melrose, Mass./Holderness School) drop pass into the left circle. First-year Roman Winicki (Setauket, N.Y./Philadelphia Hockey Club) added a helper.
• Plunkett made the 2-0 lead stand up thanks to making 18 of his saves in the third period alone, including three during an Assumption power play that began 58 seconds in.
• With Welch out of the net for an extra skater for the final 2:12, Plunkett made one stop - with five seconds left - and was aided by blocked shots from senior Moseley Schwartz (Philadelphia, Pa./Phillips Academy) and first-year Jack Tuite (Shrub Oak, N.Y./Springfield, Jr. Pics) in securing the shutout.

NEXT SAINT MICHAEL'S GAME

• Tuesday at Middlebury College, 7 p.m.