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Tanner Plinta Goal vs GVSU
Cory Lizalde

JCU Club Hockey Stuns #19 Grand Valley with Weekend Sweep, Remains Undefeated at Home

| By: Owen Close
Tanner Plinta scored twice in game 1 on Friday, including a shorthanded goal in the 3-2 victory.

The Blue Streaks move to a record of 4-2-0 overall and 4-0-0 at home following two regulation wins on the weekend.

GATES MILLS, OHIO - JCU Club Hockey stays undefeated at home following a two-game weekend sweep against the #19 ranked Grand Valley State University Lakers. The Blue Streaks won a close 3-2 contest on Friday, and built on that momentum into Saturday, winning the second game in a convincing 5-2 fashion. 

Forward Tanner Plinta led the way in Friday night's game scoring 2 goals including a shorthanded marker, leaving the Blue Streaks tied at 2 with the Lakers late in the 3rd period. The junior now has 3 goals and 7 total points, leaving him fourth overall in terms of points for John Carroll. 
Graduate student Charlie Tuggey cashed in the game-winning goal with 1:09 remaining in the 3rd period, giving Tuggey his 3rd goal of the season and giving the Blue Streaks a 3-2 regulation win.

Saturday's game saw the Blue Streaks fly to a 3-0 lead by the middle of the 2nd period. Freshman forward JD Sega opened the scoring on a backhand shot with 37 seconds remaining in the 1st period, marking Sega's first collegiate hockey goal. From there, junior Camden Martin would score early in the 2nd period followed up by senior Anthony Lagreca on the powerplay, leaving the game at 3-0 late in period 2.

The Lakers would then strike twice, once late in the 2nd period and again under a minute into the 3rd period to quickly get themselves back into the game. The Blue Streaks, however, would not let the weekend's momentum slip away, with sophomore goalie Austin Muirhead making two dramatic cross-crease saves to keep the Blue Streaks in front. From there, junior Colin Cronin would score the insurance marker, his 6th goal of the season, followed up by an empty net goal from Camden Martin, to give the Blue Streaks a 5-2 win and a series sweep against the #19 ranked team in the ACHA MD1 preseason poll.

The Blue Streaks would find success across multiple areas of their game this weekend, especially from the offense. Following a 3-point weekend, Colin Cronin now sits with 6 goals and 14 points across 6 games played thus far, placing him 7th across all of ACHA MD1 and 2nd in the CHMA division in terms of points. Charlie Tuggey was another leader in terms of the offense for John Carroll, recording a 4-point weekend, leaving the graduate student with 3 goals and 12 total points on the season, good enough for 4th in CHMA hockey.

Defenseman Henry Cseh has also found an offensive spark from the blue line, including a 3-point weekend against the Lakers. The captain leads John Carroll defensemen in terms of points with 8 on the season, also good enough for first in terms of points for defensemen across all CHMA teams. In the crease, sophomore Austin Muirhead has proven to be a reliable option for the Blue Streaks in terms of goaltending, having played every game so far this season, averaging 2.97 goals allowed per game and a 0.912 save percentage in that stretch.

The Blue Streaks with a 4-2-0 record and an unbeaten 4-0-0 home record head back on the road to Michigan for the second time this season, traveling to the #14 ranked Hope College Dutchmen for a two-game weekend series on Friday and Saturday. This will be the third time this season John Carroll has played a team ranked in the preseason top 25 for ACHA Men's Division 1 hockey.
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