LYNDHURST, N.J. - - The defense stiffened and allowed its fewest number of goals in a game in program history while the offense secured its largest margin of victory with a 15-1 Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference win at Felician on Saturday night.
The Wildcats (2-3, 2-1 CACC) were able to turn 26 Felician (2-5, 1-2 CACC) turnovers into offensive possessions, while only turning the ball over 14 times of their own. The Wildcats led in shots, 36-31, despite losing the face-off battle, 14-4.
TJ Caton opened the scoring for the Wildcats, turning the first Felician turnover into a goal with 14:13 showing on the clock. Noah Given made two saves in the next seven minutes before Logan Stinson was able to find the back of the net with 7:58 to play. Jake Copio scored three minutes later and TJ Maiura made it 4-0 in the first with a mark with 47 seconds left in the quarter. Noah Given made four saves in the frame to keep Felician off the board.
The Wildcats went down two men early in the second, but it didn't stop the offense, as Given record two saves, Jaeden Henson scooped up the ground ball and Logan Stinson converted at the other end for the 5-0 lead with 13:53 left in the half.
Felician got on the board with 7:13 left before the half, but Giovanni Marino scored off a feed from Jacob Herman to put the Wildcats ahead, 6-1, going into the break.
Giovanni Marino started the scoring in the third, and then defense turned to offense once again for the Wildcats. Noah Given came up with a save, and after a successful clear, Keeshawn Bell put his name in the scorecard with a goal with 7:50 left. Austin Wood found the back of the net with his first goal of the game with 2:56 to play in the third and Logan Stinson made it an 11-1 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
Miles Crouse scored his first of the game to start the fourth quarter on the man-advantage, and then Logan Stinson capped his scoring for the night to make it 13-1 with 11:03 to play in regulation. Cole Bauer etched his name in the scoresheet with a goal before Austin Wood capped the scoring with his second of the night with 3:16 showing on the clock, 15-1.
Logan Stinson led the Wildcats with eight points, scoring five goals while adding three assists. Giovanni Marino scored twice while adding an assist and Austin Wood was the third and final Wildcat to score multiple goals with two. Jacob Herman and Jimmy Cava dished out two assists each in the win.
Cava scooped up a team high four ground balls while Jaeden Henson added three ground balls and a caused turnover. Noah Given made 14 saves in the win.
Saturday night was a battle for third place, and now the Wildcats will take a stab at second place with their next contest on Tuesday afternoon. They head to Georgian Court (3-1 CACC) with the opening face-off set for 3:30 p.m.