Hockey sees weekend sweep, player with 100th career game

Epiphany Graham, Reporter

October 22, 2023

Kent State hockey team members Mitch Gillespie (left), Zachary Barnes (center) and Nick Kreston (right) high-five their teammates on the bench alongside the rest of the players on the ice after a succesful goal during the home game against West Virginia University on Jan. 28th, 2023.

The show continued as Kent State’s hockey team took over this weekend with a sweep in both games against Towson University.

The Flashes won the first game 12-1 and the second 6-3, improving their record to 10-3-1.

GAME 1, FRIDAY:

Senior forward Tommy Kilway scored, putting the Flashes on the board to start the game. Following, senior forward Zachary Zwierecki scored, making the score 2-0.

The Flashes shot and scored again by way of freshman defenseman JJ Creighton.

At the end of the first period, the score was 3-1.

Sophomore forward Gabriel Lucchesi got one goal, bringing the score 4-1 in the second.

Junior forward Nick Krestan brought in the fifth goal for the Flashes. Lucchesi got his goal second of the night, bringing the score to 6-1.

Moments later, Lucchesi scored another, putting the seventh point on the board. Freshman forward Matthew Parker scored, bringing the end of the second score 8-1.

The Flashes didn’t stop there. Kilway shot and scored, making the score 9-1.

Creighton brought the Flashes to double digits, 10-1. With his fourth of the night, Lucchesi scored yet again.

Freshman forward TJ Avellino scored, bringing in the final shot, and the Flashes won with a score of 12-1.

GAME 2, SATURDAY:

Freshman forward Nick Falkowski brought in the first goal of the night.

Senior forward Jack Kinsman got one on the board, bringing the end of the first score to 2-0.

Freshman forward Eric Hambling put number three on the board, and then Kilway followed, making the score 4-2 at the end of the second. Zwierecki made the fifth score of the night.

Creighton closed out the game by adding a sixth goal, making the final score 6-3 Flashes.

The Flashes celebrated their weekend sweep and Zwierecki on his 100th career game as a golden flash.

Midseason check-in

The Kent State hockey team is coached by Zachary Nowak and assistant coaches Zach Barnes and Alex Sanchez.

Senior forward Zachary Zwierecki is head captain, followed by alternate captains and senior forwards Tommy Kilway and Jack Kinsman.

The team has won a two-game exhibition series against Israel Elite Select, two games against Northern Illinois University, two against Rochester University, one against Cleary University and its second-most recent game against Syracuse University.

The Flashes have recently seen their first scoreless weekend of the season against Indiana Tech University Oct. 13 and 14.

Coming into that weekend, Indiana Tech was rated No. 8 in the country.

“They’re a good team, and they’re where we want to be,” Nowak said. “We have a lot to work on in terms of discipline and our defensive areas to get there.”

Kent State is ranked first in the College Hockey Mid-America league, leading with 25 points this season.

Kinsman leads the team with 18 goals. Creighton is second with 12 points.

The team’s roster features a mix of rookie and vet players, with thirteen upperclassmen and sixteen underclassmen.

Kilway had uplifting notes to share about his experience on the team this year.

“It’s been different in a good way,” he said. “Our freshman class has been huge; they’ve stepped up and done what needs to be done for the team.”

With a little more maintenance toward the defense and continued knowledge of the game and bonds throughout the team, the Flashes could have a very successful season, coach Nowak said.

“We’re trending in the right direction towards becoming playoff, league, and national champions,” Nowak said. “The main goal for us right now is to continue to focus on winning that league championship.

“Continuing to do the extra things and the things the team might not want to do will continue to get us to where we want and need to be.”