Men's Ice Hockey Kicks Off 2020-21 Season At Holy Cross
12/2/2020 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
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FAIRFIELD, Conn.- The Sacred Heart University Men's Ice Hockey team kicks off the 2020-21 regular season with a weekend series at Holy Cross, Friday at 6:00 p.m. This weekends games can be viewed on FloSports.
Last Time Out... After a long pause since March, the Pioneers take the ice for the first time since February 26 when SHU faced AIC at Webster Bank Arena and defeated the Yellow Jackets by a final score of 5-3. SHU finished the 2019-20 season with a program high record of 21-10-3.
Last Meeting... SHU last faced Holy Cross on Friday, November. 22 when the Pioneers defeated Holy Cross by a final score of 4-1. Matt Tugnutt led the way for the Pioneeers as he racked up two goals which included one that was shorthanded. Marcus Joseph and Austin McIlmurray also tallied goals in the win. The win was the beginning of a six game winning streak that ran through December 29.
Scouting The Crusaders.. Holy Cross is coming off a 2-1 overtime win a Bentley that occured on Tuesday night. The Crusaders come into this weekends series with a 2-1-0 overall record and a 1-0-0 record in Atlantic Hockey play. Holy Cross on the attacking front is led by senior forward Logan Ferguson who has tallied one goal and two assists for a total of three points on the season. The Crusaders top netminder is junior Eric Gordon who has recorded a GAA of 1.48 and an overall save percentage of .923. He currently holds a record of 2-0-0 when he is in net.
Adding A Local Winner To The Coaching Staff .... SHU was proud to welcome in Steve Bergin as the teams new assistant coach for the 2020-21 season. Bergin previously served as the head coach of the ECHL team South Carolina Stingrays. He was named ECHL coach of the year for the 2019-20 season. He had a 44-14-4 record, with a 25-5-4 road record. The 25 road wins is the second highest in ECHL history. The Stingrays also led the ECHL in team defense, allowing a league low of 2.37 goals per game, and tied for the best winning percentage in the league. Bergin, 32, of Groton, MA, played hockey for the University of Connecticut from 2007 to 2011 and was team captain his senior year. He went on to play minor league hockey for five years.
Still Earning Votes... The Pioneers recieved two votes in the most recent USCHO.com Coaches Poll this week. SHU also received votes in the October 26th poll in which they received nine. Last season, the Pioneers were ranked in the top 20 for the first time in program history on December 9, 2019 when SHU received 56 votes to place them at the 20 slot.
Johnstone Leading The Ship...Head coach CJ Marottolo announced the 2020-21 captain and alternate captains over the summer. Senior forward Marc Johnstone was tabbed captain while senior defensemen Max Luukko and Alex Bates were named alternate captains. Johnstone enters his second year as a captain as last season he skated in 34 games for the Pioneers in his junior season. He tallied nine goals, on career high 18 assists for 27 points while registering three power-play goals. His best games include his three assist showing in the Pioneers 4-0 shutout over Boston University. He ranked third on team in assists and ninth in Atlantic Hockey. Luukko skated in 31 games his junior season as he tallied a career high six assists and two goals for eight points. His most notable game came on Nov. 1 against Air Force when he scored his first career goal. Bates skated in 33 games, recording 14 points on two goals and career high 12 assists. He tallied a +/- of +7 and had a three point game at Mercyhurst as he tallied three assists.
Making History.....The Pioneers last season hit the program's history high in conference wins last year as SHU recorded 18 Atlantic Hockey victories in 2019-20. The closest the Pioneers have hit to the 18 mark is back in the 2005-06 when SHU tallied 18 as well. The team has also hit a high in most goals scored in program history with SHU tallying 132. As for the most wins in program history the Pioneers have tallied 21 wins which is tied for the most SHU has had in program history.
Pioneers Tabbed To Finish 2nd In Atlantic Hockey Preseason Poll..... SHU was selected second in the 2020-21 Atlantic Hockey Preseason Coaches' Poll back on November 10. This is the highest preseason ranking the Pioneers have received since the 2006-07 season when they were also picked second. SHU finished the 2019-20 campaign with a 21-10-3 record for its seventh-straight season with double-digit wins while recording a 18-8-2 conference record which propelled them to the Atlantic Hockey Quarterfinals. American International was selected to finish first with 96 points and seven first-place votes. The Pioneers take the second slot tallying 76 points and two first-place votes. Bentley rounds out the top three as they were selected to place third recording 75 points.
