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Charlie Tuggey Goal vs Kent State
Cory Lizalde

#22 JCU Club Hockey Advances to 4-0 in CHMA Play Following Weekend Sweep of Rivals WVU and Kent

| By: Owen Close
Graduate forward Charlie Tuggey continues to find his name on the scoresheet, ranking 4th in the nation in terms of assists.

The Blue Streaks remain undefeated in-league and at home following two dominant performances away against WVU on Friday and home against Kent State on Saturday.


MORGANTOWN, W. Va & GATES MILLS, Ohio - #22 JCU Club Hockey remains undefeated both in CHMA play and at home following a weekend sweep against rivals West Virginia University and Kent State University on Friday and Saturday. Away in Morgantown, West Virginia on Friday, the Blue Streaks defeated the Mountaineers 5-2 before returning home on Saturday, taking down the Golden Flashes 3-1. 

On Friday evening the Blue Streaks traveled back to Morgantown to play West Virginia for the first time since last year's CHMA tournament final. John Carroll would waste no time getting on the board, with Charlie Tuggey scoring just 40 seconds into the contest, followed up by junior defenseman Hayden Strittmatter, who netted his first collegiate hockey goal, midway through the first period. The second period saw John Carroll pull away further, with senior forward Austin Malley recording his first and second goals of the season in his first game back for the Blue Streaks since returning from varsity golf. West Virginia responded early in the third period, but first year Cole Trainor erased any momentum by netting his first collegiate hockey goal in his first game for John Carroll just 2 minutes later. West Virginia struck back late in the third period, but time was not on their side and the Blue Streaks would emerge victorious in Morgantown by a margin of 5-2 on Friday.

Saturday's contest saw John Carroll return home to Gates Mills, taking on the Kent State Golden Flashes, a matchup between two undefeated CHMA rivals. A low-scoring affair saw the Blue Streaks open the scoring via a Matt Covelli shot from the far point, earning Covelli his second goal of the season and giving John Carroll a 1-0 lead, a score that would remain through both the first and second periods. The third period saw the game open up more, especially late in the period, with Charlie Tuggey doubling the lead for the Blue Streaks, netting his second goal of the weekend and eighth of the season. Kent State responded mere moments later, but similarly to Friday's contest, it was not enough to halt the Blue Streaks, and Colin Cronin would score on an empty net to give John Carroll a 3-1 victory.

This weekend's sweep places JCU firmly on top of the CHMA standings, as the Blue Streaks advance to a 4-0-0-0 record, good enough for 12 points on the season, and leaving them 6 points clear of second place Kent State. Solid play from the first line once again sees Charlie Tuggey and Colin Cronin towards the top of the national standings in terms of scoring. Tuggey currently ranks 4th in the nation in assists with 15, and 8th in total points with 23 points through 12 games played. Cronin, meanwhile, ranks 5th in the nation in total points with 25, and 9th in goals with 12 through the same span. Goalie Austin Muirhead continues to lead the nation in wins, earning both wins on the weekend and increasing his total to 9 on the season.

The Blue Streaks now turn to a home and home non-league series against the University of Toledo Rockets, playing at home on Friday before traveling to northwest Ohio on Saturday.
 
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