NEWARK, NJ – The NJIT men's hockey team was hoping to bounce back after a tough season debut at the Montclair State Ice Arena against the Montclair State Red Hawks. Despite a much better performance, Montclair State was still able to get the better of the Highlanders 9-2 in their 1 st home game at RWJBarnabas Health Hockey House in this abbreviated season.
The Red Hawks sweep the season series 2-0 in the 1 st ever meetings between the New Jersey teams.
Montclair scored the only three goals in the 1 st period to lead 3-0 after the intermission. Defenseman
Dalton Smith got his 1 st goal of the season to get NJIT on the board early in the 2 nd
period.
Ted Lee and
Matthew Sendecki got the helpers on the goal to cut the lead to 3-1. The period was a very physical and chippy period from that point on. The Red Hawks would take
advantage scoring the three goals in the period (two on the power play) and they would take a five-goal lead into the 2 nd intermission.
Montclair State would continue the scoring barrage as they would score an additional three goals to make it 9-1 in the 3 rd period. The Highlanders were able to get the last goal of the night as
Ted Lee would be his 2 nd point of the night with a goal at 19:04 of the period. Newcomer
Ryan Downey and
John Jannone would get the assists on Lee's goal.
Brian Byrnes had a strong effort in goal making at least 30+ saves in his second start of the season.
NJIT will start a seven-game set against Colonial States College Hockey Conference foe, the Monmouth Hawks next Sunday at the RWJBarnabas Health Hockey House at 8:30.
