Lehigh University scored the first and last goals of the game, but Temple’s five goals in between gave the Owls a 5-2 win in the second game of a home-and-home series on Saturday at the Flyers Skate Zone in Northeast Philadelphia.
Temple (8-11-2, 1-5 Eastern Collegiate Hockey Association) “didn’t take the foot off the gas” and used all of its lines to wear out Lehigh, senior forward Joey Powell said.
“[We] just locked down the [defensive] zone,” Powell said. “I think we didn’t turn the puck over as much. We passed better and [sophomore goaltender] Ben [Auerbach] played really well.”
In the final five minutes of the second period, Powell scored his second goal of the night, and Auerbach made two quick consecutive pad saves to keep the score at 5-1.
Lehigh had several power-play opportunities in the final period, when Temple defenseman Jasen Ferguson took three penalties, and eventually broke through with three minutes, 15 seconds left to play.
Lehigh’s first power-play goal came just less than seven minutes into the game. Auerbach made the initial save, but the required acrobatic move took him out of position and Lehigh scored on the rebound.
With 11 minutes left in the first period, freshman forward Brendan Ondick started the scoring for Temple with a solo carry up the left wing as the referee signaled a delayed penalty on Lehigh.
With the score tied at one in the last 10 minutes of the period, freshman forward Eric DiPretoro speared Lehigh freshman defenseman Leo Pawlika. DiPretoro received a five-minute major penalty and an ejection.
With less than three and a half minutes remaining in the first period, junior forward Nick Van Allen scored his second shorthanded goal in as many nights, driving the net with senior defenseman Ryan Dumbach. Van Allen shot the puck low past Lehigh freshman goaltender Sean McGowan’s left leg.
In the last two minutes of the period, Powell beat McGowan on the power play with a point shot through traffic. Temple ended the first period with a 3-1 lead, but the team trailed in shots, 18-16.
Both teams took multiple penalties in the second period. Temple had a close call in the first five minutes when it allowed Lehigh a shorthanded breakaway which was shot wide.
Temple scored its second power-play goal of the game with just more than eight minutes to play in the second period. Sophomore forward Ryan Ploppert tipped the puck in the right corner after Powell’s shot created a rebound.
Two minutes later, Powell was sent off on a major penalty during a scrum near Auerbach. He said he doesn’t know what the official infraction was, but he will not be suspended.
“I was just protecting the goalie, my teammate,” Powell said. “It’s just hockey.”
The Owls will play one more game this semester before the winter break. on Friday against Penn State Berks at the Flyers Skate Zone in Northeast Philadelphia at 9:50 p.m.
Be the first to comment