The MCLA Traiblazers fell 2-1 to the Westfield State Owls in a heartbreaking defeat, where most of the spotlight was on the officials and their 15 penalty calls (13 over the last two periods), despite being a very cleanly played game. I know, I’m asking for a challenge to my journalistic integrity for calling the officials into question, but having watched this game in person, there were a lot of calls that were made, and a lot of missed calls relating specifically to player safety (See the pile up in the MCLA crease in the 3^rd period that very easily could’ve become an Adam Johnson type of tragedy). My complaint here is not necessarily targeted at the NCAA-approved crew from last night, but at the hockey world in general (The NHL through Juniors) as there is seemingly no call for accountability from the officiating crews at the highest levels of play as opposed to other sports like American Football and Basketball. Well, that’s my rant onto that, let’s dive into the positives from last night for the Trailblazers.

              The first period saw Sean Schifferl record the opening goal of the night with assists from Charlie Addesa and Shane Green. Schifferl had been playing great since opening night, and it was only a matter of time before he got his first. Addesa has been playing a great 200-foot game since opening night as well, and it was great to see him get his first point of the season on the assist. Green, like his compatriots above, has been great for MCLA all season, and it’s great to see his effort and tenacity rewarded with a second assist of the season. Usually, we try not to gush about the goaltending play in these losses, but Mat Gover was playing on a completely different level in this game. Gover stopped 51 of 53 shots in the game, and if you have access to the video from last night, the second period of this game was one of the best goaltending performances that I’ve seen at any level of hockey in my 24 years of following the sport.

              Beyond the plays that show up on the stat sheet, there are a couple of players that had noteworthy performances in the game. Jack Bortle had a series of commendable blocks in the back-40 of the game where he put his body on the line to protect their lead. Colin Ogborn was phenomenal at supporting Gover by cleaning up second chance opportunities and resetting himself in the zone to limit quality scoring chances from the Owls. As has become his standard fare, Spencer Craig was remarkable with killing zone entries for Westfield and quickly shuttling the puck up through the neutral zone.

              Overall, there are a lot of things that need to be worked on for a team that was outshot 53 to 14, and Coach Ketts has the team trending in the right direction. The Trailblazers’ defensive structure has come together better following their tough defeat against Salem State on Thursday, and Gover’s play has continued to escalate with each game this season. Once the forward group can the speed of their game to connect with one another, the Trailblazers should be able to get their season back on track.

Link to the 2nd period:
https://www.youtube.com/live/nqtJbAUOoEQ?si=VnZt80kcgLM98oYr