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Power Surge

By Paul Evans, 09/25/17, 1:15PM EDT

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Trine Thunder takes the hockey world by storm

It’s a known fact that anytime you start a new venture, whether it be a business or a sports team, there is bound to be some growing pains.  The first few games of Trine University’s inaugural hockey season are no exception… only in this case, it’s their opponents who are suffering.

Last summer when the Thunder announced they were launching both men’s and women’s hockey programs, along with the construction of a $7 million on-campus ice arena, there was a great deal of excitement within the Indiana hockey community (see our original article "Storm Warning" from back in Oct. 2016.)  This news meant additional opportunities for graduating high school seniors to continue their hockey careers, while the formation of the youth program would bring both fans and young players to the northeast corner.

While neighbors of the small Angola school watched with anticipation as the Thunder Ice Arena visibly came to life over the past several months, few could know just what the recently hired coaching staff was quietly constructing in hotel rooms and home offices.  Yet it wouldn’t be long after students returned from the summer recess that hockey world would soon find out…


Opponents have often found themselves chasing Michael Rand (#18) and the rest of the Thunder lineup

Trine D2 @ Bowling Green (10-0 W)

The program launched on September 15th in rather unassuming fashion, with just the men’s ACHA D2 team playing a solitary road game several hours to the south.  This is not to say that the Bowling Green Falcons were taking the fledgling team lightly, but it would be understandable if they weren’t overly concerned about a club preparing to play their first-ever game in unfriendly territory.  Regardless of whether the Falcons assumed they would need to do little more than show up to win, it became painfully obvious from the opening whistle that the Thunder had other ideas.

A mere 92 seconds after the puck dropped, it found it’s way to the back of the Falcons net, courtesy of Niccolo Mombelli.  A few minutes later, Chris Timm would double that early lead.  And in the second half of the opening frame, the Thunder would go on to score four more times and erase any doubt that they would be easy pickings.  Bowling Green headed to the locker room trailing 6-0, stunned.  No one -- except perhaps those occupying the visitor’s bench -- could have expected a first period such as this.

The final two periods would see more of the same.  The Thunder took the ice following the break and took control of the action once more.  Trine would go on to score two goals in each of the remaining frame to complete the 10-0 obliteration.  Three players - Sean Schirripa, Gregory Mironovich, and Mombelli - would tally two goals each, while Mombelli and Schirripa would add two assists a piece.  All three goaltenders would combine to pitch the shutout.  Joe Longo would start the game in net and pick up the first win in team history, but both Aaron Brickman and Adam Conklin would each play a period between the pipes.  One game into their inaugural season and the bar had been set unbelievably high.

Akron @ Trine D2 (14-0 W)

The Trine University Men's Hockey Club (ACHA D2) had launched their season as best as any team could hope for.  The following weekend they came out determined to make their home opener even better.  To say they succeeded would be putting it mildly, as the raucous home crowd would see the Thunder lay a 14-0 pasting on the visiting Akron Zips.


Sophomore Brett Young (#29) was called in for mop up duty in the home opener

Controlling the action right from the get-go, Trine peppered starting goalie Doug Wild with a barrage of shots.  Freshman Spencer Johnson would finally break through at 5:34 into the game.  With the fans still on their feet celebrating the first goal, Braeden Pearl would take the face off and rocket into the Zips' zone to put the Thunder up 2-0 just eight seconds later.

For the next ten minutes, Trine would keep the pressure on.  Much like the first two goals, the Thunder would score the next pair in rapid succession.  Joe Laskero stretched the lead to three with 5:18 left in the first.  Pearl would net his second goal of the night a mere sixteen seconds later.  The final pair of the period would come just a couple minutes later.  Michael Rand and defenseman Grant Denton would score less than thirty seconds apart, and for the second time in as many games the Thunder would take a 6-0 lead to the locker room at the first intermission.

The Akron netminders would continue to face an unrelenting assault in the middle frame.  By the time Schirripa equalled Trine’s 10-goal output from their previous game with nearly eight minutes left in the period, the Zips had seemingly lost all hope.  Aside from the occasional rush, which was usually snuffed in short order, Akron would circle the wagons in their defensive zone while the Thunder would pass the puck around at will.  With his second goal of the period, Carmine Taffo would set the new team mark with the 11th goal.


Pressuring the opposing goaltender has been a constant theme for the Thunder

By the second break, the only suspense left was if Coach Dan Mayes was going to continue his goalie rotation and call on sophomore Brett Young (#29) to close it out.  True to form, Young was summoned from the bullpen but would see as little action as Conkling and Tyler Hough.  The Thunder would go on to score thrice more in the final frame, breaking the team record for goals scored set just one week prior in their first game.  Only two games into their inaugural season, and the Thunder had scored 24 goals and surrendered none.  It is hard to gauge at this point just how good Trine's five netminders might actually be with as dominant as the offense has been.

Western Michigan @ Trine D3  (22-2 W)

If the Broncos weren’t the slightest bit leary of the upstart Thunder, having had a front row seat to the massacre that occurred just moments ago, it would prove to be their first mistake.  The men's D3 team came out with guns blazing, determined to show they were just as formidable as their D2 counterparts.  Cameron Bopp would notch the first goal just shy of three minutes in, and Trine would streak to a 3-0 lead within the next 90 seconds.  Yet at 5:33 of the third game in Trine Hockey history, net minder Colin Kaminsky would surrender the first ever goal against on a breakaway by WMU’s Zack Mudge.


Celebrations have been plentiful in the early days of Trine's inaugural season

Despite having the scoreless streak snapped, the D3 team would obliterate the Thunder’s record book before the ink had even dried.  Howard Rose would score four goals and assist on two others to rack up six points in just the first period, and the home team would lead the hapless Broncos 9-1 at the break.

Five minutes ticked off the clock in the second period before Jacob Booge would pierce Trine’s armor once more.  Yet instead of boosting the Broncos’ confidence, the tally would reignite the Thunder as they proceeded to rain down eight more goals for a 17-2 lead.

With the Western Michigan defense providing little impediment, the Trine D3 men would finish with the program record for goals in a game to 22.  Among those would be eighth point of the game, having picked up another goal (5) and assist (3) in the middle frame.

Akron @ Trine D2 (18-0 W)

Saturday evening saw the ACHA D2 team take to the ice once again to wrap up the weekend series with the Akron Zips.  While the players approached the game with calculated preparation and would take nothing for granted, the buzz in the stands wasn't about whether the Thunder would win, but by how much.

Michael Rand erased any notion that the Thunder might go easy on their weary guests by taking the feed from frosh defenseman Cody Dombroski and depositing it in the back of the Zips net just 31 seconds after the opening face-off.  Rand would add two more goals to go along with four assists to pace the Thunder with seven points on the night.

Thunder Ice Arena proved to be a hospitable environment for the home team but not the guests

Thunder Ice Arena proved to be a hospitable environment for the home team but not the guests

Howard Rose, who racked up eight points with the D3 team the day before, would earn a spot in the D2 lineup for this one.  Rose was joined on the bench by fellow D3 forward Nick Anderson and defenseman Nolan Arbuckle.  All three would find their way on the scoresheet as well.  Rose and Arbuckle would each earn an assist in the second period, and Anderson would notch his first D2 goal late in the frame.

Yet it would be freshman forward Carmine Taffo who would steal the show.  Taffo would register a hat trick in the second period, scoring the third one with just 24 seconds left on the clock.  He would close out the scoresheet with two more in the final six minutes of the game, for a Trine record five goals in a single game.

Mayes would dress only two goaltenders this time around, seeing as though none of the five had taken many shots in the first three games.  Brickman would get the start and pick up the win, with Longo subbing in about halfway through to close things out.  Neither would be tested much in this game either, an 18-0 pasting of the overmatched Zips. 

Looking ahead

While the men's and women's NCAA teams are still a few weeks away from starting their seasons, the two ACHA teams have combined to win the first four games in program history by a jaw-dropping 64-2 margin.  The D3 squad has yet to surrender a goal in the first three games, and all eight goaltenders have managed to see at least a period of ice time each.

The D2 team will open conference play on September 29th, hosting Ferris State for a weekend series.  The Bulldogs bring a 1-1 record to Angola, having split their season opening series with Lawrence Tech.  It seems unlikely the Thunder will be tested in this one either, given Ferris State surrendered seven goals to the Blue Devils while scoring only seven of their own.  Rest assured, though, that Coach Mayes will make sure his players remain grounded and focused on the task at hand.

Purdue will have their hands full with the Trine D3 team, playing host in the first game of the series and finishing up the series on the visitors bench at Thunder Ice Arena.  The Boilermakers swept the Bradley Braves this past weekend, and expect to offer more of a challenge.

History suggests that its almost guaranteed this incredible run will come to an end at some point.  Yet at the rate things have been going thus far, the Sports Information Department at Trine would be wise to update the record books in pencil for the time being.



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