The No. 13 Arizona men’s club hockey team scorched the ice for 18 goals over the weekend against Saint Louis, sweeping the Billikens to move its season record to 5-2.
Senior defenseman Cole Dunlop, a St. Louis native, felt right at home in Saturday’s 6-2 victory, finishing with a hat trick.
Freshman defenseman Zack Stommen scored his first collegiate goal, and freshman forward Robbie Nowinski tacked on two more goals as Arizona kept the heat on Saint Louis, out-shooting them 45-23.
Dunlop netted five goals in Friday’s 12-9 victory, as the Icecats jumped out to a 4-0 lead after the first five minutes of the game.
Sophomore forward Scott Marshall added two goals, and seniors Mike and D.J. Pelletier, senior Tim Wochok, and Nowinski all lit the lamp for Arizona.
After the Billikens scored five times halfway through the game, Icecats head coach Leo Golembiewski switched freshman Nick Boddy with sophomore Luke Edwall, the winner in Arizona’s 3-1 over ASU on Oct. 29.
Edwall was only slightly more successful, stopping 23 of 27 shots.
After Arizona struggled on defense Friday, Golembiewski said he made some changes in the defensive pairings Saturday hoping for more consistency.
Some of the team’s defensive problems and uncharacteristically sloppy goaltending on Friday might have stemmed from the Icecats’ travel schedule, Golembiewski said.
The team was at Tucson International Airport at 4 a.m. Friday and traveled all day for the game, he said.
Golembiewski said that he will continue to tinker with the lines and defensive pairings as Arizona readies for its home series with Cal-State Long Beach on Friday and Saturday that begins a difficult stretch of the season.