November 24, 2007

Castleton to face-off versus Neumann in Championship of Rutland Herald Invitational
Heck becomes all-time leading goal-scorer in Castleton history with two-goal night

Rutland, VT-Junior captain, Brandon Heck became the all-time leading goal scorer in Castleton State College men’s ice hockey history, and the Spartans cruised to a 7-2 win in the second game of the Rutland Herald Invitational over Morrisville State. Heck Scored a pair of goals to surpass Joe Huchko as the all-time leader. Heck also holds the career-marks in points and assists at Castleton.

Morrisville State got on the board first as senior Joseph Herman tallied his second goal of the season just under five minutes into the contest, assisted by Keith Williams and Dave Schultz. From that point on it was all Heck and the Spartans.

Ross Carmichael evened the score at one-all with a wrist-shot that glanced high off the pad of Mustang goalie, Caylin Relkoff and into the net. Ryan Bartlett and Jared Lavender provided the assists on the goal.  Heck would take over with just under six minutes remaining in the period and send Castleton to its first victory of the season. With 6:17 remaining in the period, Castleton sent Heck on as an extra skater during a delayed penalty. The junior captain would make good at the 14:05 mark for his first goal of the season. Andy Brolsma and Nick Westcott provided the assists. Just over one minute later Heck would score again on the power-play this time assisted by Stuart Stefan and Travis Martell. Martell hit a rocket from the point that missed its target wide and ricocheted to a waiting Heck who rifled it past Relkoff.

Morrisville State would once again strike first in the second period as the Mustangs came out with a new-found intensity and applied early pressure to the Castleton defense and goalie Jeff Swanson. Just 3:39 into the second frame senior captain, Matt Damskov would beat Swanson assisted by Evan Kernohan and Brent Quinn. Castleton would get the goal back, once again striking on the power-play as Marlin Froese scored his first collegiate goal, assisted by Heck. The Mustangs would make a bid to bring the game back to within one, but Travis Martell saved a creeping puck just before it crossed the goal line behind Swanson with five minutes remaining.

In the third period it was all Castleton as the Spartans scored three unanswered goals to put the game away. Just one minute into the period Kirk Bolduc sent home Heck’s second assist of the night to give the team a 5-2 cushion. Just 2:36 later Castleton’s Ryan Bartlett tallied his first of the season assisted by Martell and Lavender short-handed. Finally, with 1:19 remaining Stuart Stefan scored his first collegiate goal on a 5 x 3 power-play assisted by Steve Culbertson and Martell.

Swanson stopped 19 shots for the 1-1-1 Spartans, while Relkoff stopped 31 for 2-8 Morrisville State. The Mustangs will take on Tufts tomorrow afternoon at 12:00 in the third-place game. Castleton will face-off with Neumann College at 4:00 pm in the tournament championship.

[Box Score]

###Spartans###