Schultz
scores four goals, 49ers topple Palmer
Hockey
• Senior forward Matt Schultz scored
four goals in the 49ers 8-1 victory over
Palmer College Saturday night. Claire
Howie/Online Forty-Niner
By
Claire Howie
Online Forty-Niner
Staff Writer
The
Long Beach State ice hockey team had four
players contribute multiple-goal games
over the weekend, including a four-goal
game by senior forward Matt Schultz to
defeat Palmer College Friday and Saturday
night.
Despite
the absence of Schultz on Friday night,
the team's leading scorer, the 49ers tallied
seven goals in a decisive 7-2 victory
over Palmer College. Six different players
found the net for the Beach and Pete Kotowski
found it twice. On the defensive side,
LBSU goaltender Duncan MacEwan had a solid
game, stopping 28 of 30 shots, improving
his save percentage to .885.
Less
than five minutes into the game Kotowski
controlled Alex Florio's rebound and found
the net for the first goal of the game.
At 5:51 forward Keith Wallace found the
net on a similar play.
Despite
a strong offensive attack from Palmer,
they did not manage to find the net until
half way into the second period. Palmer
center Cory Hewko went on a break away
and found the open net behind MacEwan
to cut the 49ers' lead in half, 2-1, with
9:44 on the clock in the second period.
Hewko's
goal lit a fire under the 49ers' offense
as LBSU forward Todd Schapmire sent the
puck past Palmer goaltender Mike Ayhiffe
at 9:26. Just 26 seconds later, team captain
Gene Schneider tallied another goal for
the Beach. Before the period was over,
forward Kevin Lighter scored a backhand
off an assist from Joe Reinke. The Beach
went into the locker room with a 5-1 lead
after two periods.
During
the third period Palmer began to get rough.
Two 49ers sustained injuries substantial
enough to keep them out of the following
night's game. Todd Schapmire suffered
a concussion and Phil Brown separated
his shoulder.
After
the penalties were assigned, play resumed
with a 49er goal from Kotowski assisted
by Florio. Palmer's Brent Brown answered
with a goal at 3:58. With less than a
minute to play, Andrew Kobzi and Lighter
combined to get the puck to Florio, who
sent it into the Palmer goal to make the
final score 7-2.
It
was more of the same for the 49ers Saturday
night as they cruised to an 8-1 victory
over Palmer College.
LBSU
came out strong, scoring the first three
goals of the game. Schneider found the
net off an assist from Brian Weinstein
at 13:30. Schultz tallied his first goal
of the game at 8:49 off an assist from
Florio. Not even two-minutes later, during
four-on-four play, Weinstein and Florio
picked up assists as Schultz scored his
second goal of the game. As the first
period concluded the Beach had a solid
3-0 lead.
Palmer
kicked up the intensity in the second
period. Palmer defensemen Scott Taylor
scored the first goal of the period and
their only goal of the game at the 16:28
mark. 49er Kotowski found the net behind
Ayhiffe at 11:20 to give LBSU a 4-1 lead
after two periods.
Long
Beach took advantage of the remaining
20 minutes and exploited every error Palmer
made. At 16:02 Schultz found Florio for
a shorthanded goal.
At
the 9:45 mark Schultz scored another goal
to make it a hat trick. An event Schultz's
roommate, Matt Biby predicted earlier
in the evening.
"I
said, ‘hey, you're gonna get a hat
trick tonight,' as he was leaving for
the game," Biby recalls.
Apparently
Schultz wanted more, with less then a
minute to play Schultz tallied his fourth
goal of the evening for an "upgraded
hat trick." With just 26 seconds
remaining, 49er defensemen Martin Lavertu
scored his first goal of the season to
conclude the game.
"I
think these two wins will serve as a moral
booster for us as we head into the big
game against EWU," Schapmire said.
The
49ers have their last match of the semester
this Saturday night. They will play host
to No.6 Eastern Washington University
at Glacial Garden in Lakewood.
"I
believe we can run with anybody in this
division," Head Coach John Caccaitore
said. "I think we can win out the
remainder of the schedule."
