Box score
KALAMAZOO, Mich. - For the second time in as many nights, junior left wing Jeff LoVecchio tallied a goal and an assist to help lead Western Michigan's hockey team to a 3-1 victory over Bentley College in non-conference action at Lawson Ice Arena tonight. Freshman center Max Campbell also scored two points, netting his first career goal and adding an assist. WMU raises its record to 2-0-0 after completing the sweep, while Bentley falls to 0-4-0 on the year.
“I'm pleased to start the year with a weekend sweep. I said to the team after the game that we've all been around the game so long we know how difficult it is to win back-to-back nights against the same opponent. Bentley had a great effort and it was a really challenging game for us, and I thought the two best players on the ice for both teams were the goaltenders,” head coach Jim Culhane said.
After a scoreless first period in which the Falcons outshot WMU 12-5, Western Michigan took a 1-0 lead at 3:11 of the second when LoVecchio scored his second goal of the season, tipping a pass from sophomore Chris Clackson past Bentley netminder Joe Calvi. Campbell also earned an assist on the power-play marker.
However, the lead would not last long as Bentley answered two minutes later to even the score 1-1. Marc Menzione registered his first goal of the year at 5:11 off a turnover with assistance from Justin Kemmerer. Once again Bentley outshot the Broncos, but sophomore goaltender Riley Gill was solid, keeping the Falcons at bay.
Campbell regained the one-goal edge for WMU at the 1:00 mark of the third period, tapping the puck underneath Calvi's leg as the goaltender tried to recover from a barrage of shots by the Broncos. Campbell fired twice in quick succession, only to be stoned by Calvi. The rebound from Campbell's second shot riccocheted directly to sophomore Kevin O'Connor, who fired and was denied by the Bentley netminder. Freshman Mike Levendusky picked up the rebound and directed it toward the net, but his attempt was blocked by Bentley's Ian Dickhudt. Junior Patrick Galivan grabbed the puck and slid it to Campbell on the left side, who was finally able to beat Calvi as he tried to recover from Levendusky's shot from the opposite side. Galivan and Levendusky garnered the assists on what proved to be the game-winning goal.
Bentley had a chance to tie the game late in the period, springing a forward on a breakaway, but Gill stayed with him and got a pad on his shot aimed low just inside the right post. Junior Matt Clackson sealed the win for Western Michigan with an empty-net goal at 19:32 with help from LoVecchio and freshman Ryan Watson.
Gill made 33 saves to earn the win, while Calvi stopped 22 shots for the Falcons, who finished the game with a 34-25 advantage in shots. WMU was 1-3 on the power play while holding the Falcons scoreless in four chances with the man advantagen for the second straight night.
Western Michigan returns to action next weekend, traveling to Niagara for a two-game series against the Purple Eagles at Dwyer Arena Friday and Saturday nights.
