NEWARK, DEL (Friday, November 9, 2007) – The University of Delaware scored five consecutive goals to overcome an early one-goal deficit and defeat Navy’s ice hockey team, 5-3, Friday night at the Rust Arena in Newark.

 

With Friday night’s loss, the Midshipmen fell to 5-9 overall and 0-9 in the Eastern States Collegiate Hockey League (ESCHL).  Delaware’s Blue Hens, meanwhile, improved their league mark to 5-1-1.

 

The same two teams will face off in another ESCHL contest Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. in the McMullen Hockey Arena in Annapolis.

 

Unlike last weekend’s games with Penn State, Navy jumped out on top Friday night in Delaware, getting a goal from senior Brian Gleason at 9:53 of the first period, assisted by juniors Matt Swezey and Jeff Martin.  It was Gleason’s third goal of the season and the 10th of his Naval Academy career.

 

The Blue Hens bounced back to even the score at 1-1 with a Justin Sexton tally at 16:03 of the opening period.  Sexton is a native of Crofton, MD.

 

Delaware took control of the game in the second stanza, reeling off three unanswered goals: Kari Marttinen at 8:15, Joe Colletti at 16:24, and Andrew Bailey just over a minute later at 17:53.

 

Ahead 4-1, the Blue Hens increased their advantage to 5-1 early in the third period thanks to Marttinen’s second tally of the night, coming at the 5:56 mark.

 

Navy picked up a pair of late goals to narrow the gap to 5-3, the first coming from junior John Patrick Culliton at 17:53, assists going to classmates Matt Gross and Jon Westerman.  For Culliton, it was his third goal of the current campaign.

 

The Mids’ second goal of the third period came off the stick of senior Nick Schwob at 19:37, assisted by Swezey and freshman Sam Carlson.  Schwob’s goal was the team-leading 13th of the season and 66th of his USNA career.

 

Navy sophomore netminder Eric Anderson finished the night with 32 saves on 37 Delaware shots. A pair of Blue Hens split the goaltending duties for Delaware: Annapolis native Jimmy Depfer recorded 21 saves in 46 minutes of work, while his back-up was credited with eight saves in his 14 minutes between the pipes.

 

 

 SCORING SUMMARY

 

NAVY                         1          0          2          -           3

Delaware                      1          3          1          -           5

 

First Period

N – Gleason 3 (Swezey, Martin) 9:53

D – Sexton (Gardner, Marttinen) 16:03

 

Second Period

D – Marttinen (Sexton, Gardner)17:15

D – Colletti (Wehrenberg, Lankelis) 16:24

D – Bailey (Mason, Baumgartner) 17:53

 

Third Period

D – Marttinen (Gardner) 5:56

N – Culliton 3 (Gross, Westerman) 17:53

N – Schwob 13 (Swezey, Carlson) 19:36

 

 

SAVES

Anderson (NAVY)       13        12        7          -           32

Delaware                      8          7          13        -           28

 

SHOTS

NAVY                         9          7          15        -           31

Delaware                      14        15        8          -           37