Friday evening, October 5th, featured the Penn Quakers vs. the pride of Poughkeepsie, New York – Marist College. While some of the boisterous Penn onlookers were wondering aloud whether or not Marist students had computer access and needed SAT scores for admission, Marist almost seemed to be taunting Penn by flexing their muscle on the ice with a couple of early goals. That rush set the stage for Penn’s ultimate defeat with a final score of 6-1. Continuing his great effort from last month’s Liberty Bell series was junior forward Andy Domont, the scorer of Penn’s only goal in the match up, who was assisted by sophomore forward William Deng. Noteworthy also was the performance of junior goaltender Pat Baude who fended off 36 shots by the opponents.

Fans in attendance on Saturday, October 6th, had their eyes focused on what appeared to be a formidable team from Penn State. Fast-skating and large, they proved to be domineering indeed slipping one past Quakers freshman goalie Adam Kweskin in the early minutes of the first period. Fortunately, fears were calmed somewhat when sophomore forward Michael Friedland put one between the pipes, thereby rounding out period one with a one-all tie. Equal numbers were found in the shots-on-goal tally as well with 15 shots for both teams. The Quakers’ most shining moments of the game were to come in period two: a goal by captain Whit Matthews, sandwiched between two more goals by Michael Friedland. The only downfall was that Penn State also scored three goals in the second, once again bringing a period to a close with a tied score (4-4). As the crowd sat almost literally on pins and needles anticipating the outcome of this fierce and frustrating game, the Quakers made a mental note of the increasingly tense situation in preparation for period three. Penn State had registered a good six or more shots on goal ahead of them in the second – and had become more physical in the process. The Quakers responded by stepping up their game and inflicting damage with a great goal by junior defenseman Craig White, assisted by junior forward Todd Leri and captain Whit Matthews. In the end though, a victory was not meant to be for the Quakers. Penn State withstood their momentum scoring three more goals and skated off as the victors with the final score of “7-5” looming at the home team from high above the ice. In spite of the loss, the Quakers’ individual efforts could not be erased, in particular the solid play by Adam Kweskin in goal and the prowess of Mr. Hat-Trick: Michael Friedland. Looking ahead…..the Quakers will need to regroup and recharge as they’re slated to face-off against Drexel University (once again) and Siena College during the first week after Fall Break (October 18th and 20th respectively.) Stay tuned!

                                                                          ~Timothy F. Fahey