Power-play goals fuel home win

The Kent State hockey team (6-4) converted on four power plays to skate past Iowa State last night, 5-2.

With the teams playing again night, Kent State coach Jarret Whidden was cautiously pleased with tonight’s win.

“It’s a great win,” Whidden said. “It’s a good win, but one win doesn’t make a season.”

Junior forward Eric Horschler scored twice and senior goalie Ryan Gregory turned away 39 Cyclone shots in the win.

Gregory was sharp all night. A good stick handler for a goalie, he jump started the transition game with end-to-end passes and made key saves at times.

“They’re a tall team, so you know for a smaller goalie it’s a little hard to see through screens,” Gregory said. “They’re tall enough I can see right through their legs.”

Horschler opened the scoring two minutes in the first period, bursting into the zone and edging an Iowa State defender before backhanding the puck top shelf.

Junior forward/defender Josh Martin tallied the Flashes’ second goal after Gregory came up with a breakaway save with six minutes remaining in the first.

The Flashes extended the lead in the second period after goals from Horschler and sophomore forward Justin Phenney.

Iowa State got on the board late in the second and then held a two-man advantage. But Kent State killed the penalties, preserving a three-goal lead heading into the final frame.

A quick power-play shot by Iowa State at the start of the third trickled through Gregory’s five-hole and made the score 4-2. But the Cyclones frequented the penalty box far too often, and senior forward David Bruder’s slap shot from the point with just less than seven minutes left iced the game for Kent State.

Tonight, Kent State and Iowa State will face off again at 7:15.

Contact sports correspondent Jeremy Juhasz at [email protected].