Men's Ice Hockey Upset Top Seed Plymouth State to Open MASCAC Playoffs

HOLDERNESS, N.H. – The MCLA Men's Ice Hockey team returned to the MASCAC playoffs for the first time since being reinstated this evening. Their reward was a trip to the top seed in the MASCAC playoffs, Plymouth State. With the MASCAC adding two hockey members to the conference this season, the playoff field was expanded from six teams qualifying for post season, to eight teams qualifying. The Trailblazers entered play tonight as the #8 seed and left a stunned Plymouth State team in their wake, following a 2-1 upset of the Panthers.

THE BASICS:

• Date: Thursday, February 27, 2025
• Score: MCLA 2, Plymouth State 1
• Records: #8 MCLA Trailblazers 5-12-2 (MASCAC 4-19-2) | #1 Plymouth State University Panthers 19-7-0 (MASCAC 16-2-0)

HIGHLIGHTS

• Following a scoreless first period in which MCLA was outshot by the Panthers 14 to 2, the Trailblazers flipped the ice in their favor in the second period. Outshooting the hosts 13-10 and taking advantage of four power play opportunities to take a 2-0 lead after two periods. Punishing the uncharacteristic sloppy play of the MASCAC leaders.
• With a minute already expired off a two minute penalty for tripping, Plymouth State felt they were in a good position when they cleared a puck from their defensive end, forcing MCLA sophomore goalie Mathew Gover (Atkinson, NH / East Coast Wizards) to have to play the puck and sophomore forward Luke Rhoss (Monroe, NY / Philadelphia H.C.) to retreat to recover it. Rhoss brought the puck back towards the neutral zone and passed it to sophomore forward Cody White (Orange, CT / East Coast Wizards) along the boards. White held the puck to allow the Trailblazers to get setup. White fed the puck to sophomore forward Christopher Gallagher (Albany. NY / Islanders H.C.) in the left corner. Gallagher skated out towards the left faceoff circle, and not finding an angle he liked left the puck at the left point for Rhoss. Rhoss (at 4:11, assisted by Gallagher and White) retraced Gallagher's path before find the angle he did like and fired a laser just below cross bar to put the visitors in front 1-0. The goal was Rhoss' fifth of the year while the assists were the sixth of the year for both White and Gallagher.
• It would be twelve minutes later when MCLA would double their lead. The play began with sophomore forward Cade Herrera (Brentwood, CA / Seahawks H.C) preventing a puck from escaping the Plymouth defensive zone and dumping it back behind the net before coming to the MCLA bench for freshman forward Sam Zis (Boulder, CO / Connecticut Chiefs). Sophomore forward Sean Schifferl (Fort Myers, FL / N.H. Monarchs) out raced a Panther defender behind the net to get the puck as it moved into the right side corner and sent it back to sophomore forward Easton Moore (Red Deer, AB / Florida Eels) behind the net. From there Moore saw a streaking Zis (16:11, Moore and Schifferl) crashing towards the net for a point blank one-timer from just to the right of the left faceoff dot that found it's mark. It was the third time that Zis had lit the lamp this season, while the helpers were the twelfth for Moore and fourth for Schifferl.
• Plymouth State cut the lead in half just after the midpoint of the third period, setting up an exciting finish to the game. The Panther's goal went to Brendan Doyle (11:10, unassisted) after he snuck up on an MCLA defender near the left corner, stole the puck off the Trailblazer's stick and lifted the puck into the cage.
• Over the final eight plus minutes, the Panthers held an 11 to one advantage in shots, including nine shots on goal, and a power play opportunity with just over three minutes to play. The Trailblazer would prove up to the task, allowing only four shots during the 120 second penalty kill.
• Gover recorded 44 saves and improved his record to 5-19-2, while Plymouth's Brandon Shantz fell to 16-6-0 following his 15 save performance.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Shots (Shots on Goal): MCLA 36 (17), Plymouth State 83 (44)
• Saves: MCLA 43, Plymouth State 15
• Faceoffs Won: MCLA 44, Plymouth State 39
• Penalty/Minutes: MCLA 4/8:00, Plymouth State 4/8:00
• Power Plays: MCLA 1 for 4, Plymouth State 0 for 4

UP NEXT:

On Saturday, MCLA will be back in action when they travel to the Horgan Arena and Anna Maria College for the MASCAC semi-final matchup with the #2 seeded AMCATs. The puck will drop at 5:40 p.m.

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