Stingy goaltending by Kevin LaPointe helped lead the visiting Sacred Heart Pioneers to a stunning 3-2 defeat of Miami on Saturday night in Goggin Ice Arena. Three different players scored for the Pioneers as a late third-period goal from Martin Paquet gave them the road victory.
One night earlier, Sacred Heart came close before losing 1-0, but followed up with the MAAC’s first-ever win over a CCHA opponent.
The Pioneers (10-13-6) got on the board first in the opening period when Rocco Molinaro won a faceoff in the RedHawks’ zone straight back to his defenseman, Les Hrapchak. Hrapchak wound up and rifled a slap shot into the back of the net to give Sacred Heart a 1-0 lead.
For the second straight night neither team could score in the second period, but that did not mean that Miami (18-14-2) did not have any chances. In fact, the RedHawks offense was so dominant in the second period that it held a 16-2 shot advantage in the frame.
The RedHawks wasted little time, to say the least, in scoring their first goal in the third period when junior Greg Hogeboom wristed a shot past the defense of LaPointe only 11 seconds in. Already on the power play to open the period, freshman defenseman Andy Greene started the breakout of the Miami zone and found Hogeboom open in the neutral zone for the lone assist.
Michael Forsland helped the Pioneers regain the lead, 2-1, when he stuffed home an errant rebound in front of the Miami net at 5:20.
Miami again tied up the game, 2-2, when Hogeboom netted his second power-play goal at 11:08. His 16th power-play goal of the season was scored when he stuffed home a loose puck in the crease.
Even though the RedHawks appeared to have some momentum on its home ice, Sacred Heart stole the lead back at 13:37 when Paquet netted his 12th goal of the season.
The RedHawks made one final surge at the end of the game with their goalie pulled for the final 1:18, but were unable to put anything substantial on net. LaPointe, who did not start in Friday’s 1-0 loss, stopped a total of 43 shots in the victory.
