The No. 8 NC State hockey team pulled off a last-minute win as it defeated the No. 5 Rider University Broncs 7-6 in an offensively dominant game at LaHaye Ice Center in Lynchburg, Virginia Saturday.
The win is the Wolfpack’s first ever ACHL regional victory in club history, and also makes NC State the first team ever from the ACCHL to win an ACHL regional game.
Physical play and special teams highlighted the game as each side combined for seven power-play goals in a high offense back-and-forth game.
Rider struck first, capitalizing on a 5-on-3 powerplay, as Michael Dalfarra ripped the puck top-shelf past senior goaltender Joseph Cannon. NC State found itself in penalty trouble early in the game and that trend continued throughout as both teams became comfortable in the box.
The Wolfpack responded late in the first period as senior Ryan Kinney batted a loose puck out of the air and past Rider goaltender Angelo Perri to tie the game at one.
The floodgates were blown open in the second period as both teams combined for four power-play goals and eight total goals in an explosive period.
Senior captain Sam Banasiewicz gave the Wolfpack the early lead as junior Laythe Jadallah managed to shake off a defender and held the line, tossing the puck towards the net which Banasiewicz received and elevated over the sprawling goalie.
The lead was short lived as Rider’s Justin Tiso managed to cash in a rebound after Cannon made the initial stop on Christopher Johnson who skated around an NC State defenseman and got a shot off.
Freshman Parker Szarek took a necessary hooking penalty soon after as a Rider forward was in alone on Cannon. Rider capitalized on this power play however, as Vincent Arlotta’s shot managed to squeeze between Cannon’s arm and body, reclaiming its lead 3-2.
The Wolfpack answered the call again with a bit of puck luck as Szarek redeemed himself on the power play. After fanning initially on the yawning cage, Szarek stuck with it and scored on a wraparound off of the Rider goaltender’s skate.
Rider went up again as Cole Moskal was left all alone in the slot to deliver a clean wrist shot to the upper corner of the net.
NC State did not stay down for long. On a power play off of a blatant tripping call on Rider, senior Ellis Rushford skated the puck from the neutral zone deep into the offensive zone and delivered a seamless pass from below the goal-line to Jadallah who wasted no time slamming home the Wolfpack’s fourth goal of the afternoon.
The torrent of goals did not let up there, as in the last minutes of the second period, Rider captain Nicholas Leelum teed one up from the blueline and beat Cannon through a screen out in front to push his team back into what would be its final lead of the afternoon.
The Pack was unfazed however, as moments later, sophomore Trevor Merchant scored off a wide rebound from Rider’s goalie that found its way right onto his tape. Merchant’s goal marked the final one for the high-scoring second period.
The third period started much slower as both teams were wary of giving up the deciding goal. What seemed to be the dagger for Rider’s season came in the final five minutes of the game when freshman Alex Robinson deflected a shot from the blueline by graduate Eric Mura to give the Pack a 6-5 lead.
However; a minute later, Rider went to the power play on the first penalty call of the third period, a tripping call on Rushford. The tying goal came off a shot by Rider’s Cole Moksal which leaked through Cannon’s pads and slowly rolled past the line, his second of the game.
Just as it seemed that the game would be going to overtime, NC State was awarded the only other power play of the third on another tripping call with about two minutes left. With 41 seconds left on the clock, Rushford redeemed his earlier penalty with a blast that deflected off a Rider player and into the back of the net.
NC State held on in the final seconds to secure the 7-6 victory.
The Wolfpack moves on to the second round of regionals and will be facing the No. 3 Liberty University Flames Sunday at 2:45 p.m.
