ASTON, Pa. – The Neumann University men's ice hockey team blanked Utica College 9-0 in ECAC West action on Friday evening.

Zac Lazzaro led the Knights with a hat trick and an assist for four points. CJ Cruz tallied two goals. Casey Rogers scored a goal and handed out two assists. Doug Rose and Nick Perruccio each picked up a goal and an assist. Shayne Morrissey handed out two assists. Ben Curley started the game and made 13 saves en route to the split shutout. Tyler LeFebvre saw his first collegiate action and made six saves to help preserve the goose egg.

Lazzaro opened the scoring 2:14 into the game off passes from Jon Low and Rogers. Cruz put Neumann up 2-0 with his first goal of the game at the 8:09 mark off assists from Lazzaro and Perruccio. Lazzaro then netted his second goal of the game, unassisted, with 51 seconds left before the first intermission for a 3-0 Knights lead.

Lazzaro started the second period by completing his hat trick with a shorthanded goal. Chris Bournazos and Dan McDougall tallied the assists at the 7:42 mark. Rogers scored his first goal of the season with a slap shot from the blue line on the power play. Rose and Johannes Sallila drew the assists. Perruccio, from Rogers and Morrissey, increased the Knights lead to 6-0. Mike Davis connected on a wrist shot with 13 second left on the clock from Ryan Luiten and Morrissey, to round out the scoring for the second period.

Neumann put two more goals on the board in the third period in a minute in a minute-and-a-half span. Rose scored off an assist from Jory Mullin. Cruz capped the scoring with his second goal of the game from Anthony Pino and Brandon Gagne.

Neumann went 2-for-8 on the man advantage while Utica was 0-for-7. The Knights outshot the Pioneers 43-19.

Neumann (9-5-3, 5-2 ECAC West) and Utica (8-6-3, 1-5-1 ECAC West) will face-off again tomorrow evening beginning at 7:00 PM.

CHS Box Score