April 4, 2006

Box Score

PHILADELPHIA - Freshman Ian Kelly scored 1:22 into the third overtime period to lift Saint Joseph's (2-8) to a 7-6 victory over Villanova (5-5) on Finnesey Field. Mile O'Neill led the Crimson and Gray with three goals and an assist and freshman goaltender Erik Hotaling turned aside 17 shots.

A tight game throughout, the teams went back-and-forth exchanging goals in the second half and ended regulation knotted at 6-6. They then proceeded through two scoreless overtime periods until Kelly struck with an unassisted tally that snapped the deadlock and proelled SJU to the victory.

VU opened the game's scoring when Andy German netted a goal just 1:32 into the contest.

SJU then responded with three consecutive goals to take the lead, 3-1. Senior Andrew Four evened the game off an assist from junior Alex McColough just over three minutes after the Wildcat's goal. SJU went on top 2-1 on an unassisted goal by O'Neill late in the first quarter and then pushed out to their largest lead when McColough converted from O'Neill a the 9:15 mark of period two.

Villanova then ran off three goals of their own, two before the end of the half and one seconds into the third quarter to regain the lead. Eric Heidenberger, Matt Starker and German netted the tallies as VU went on top 4-3.

The teams traded goals the remainder of the second half. O'Neill scored a man-up goal from Steve Varga to tie it at 4-4 after three periods.

Starker's second goal gave VU back the lead early in the fourth. O'Neill then talied his third goal at the 6:59 mark to even the game at 5-5.

Starker's third goal came with 3:14 to go in regulation and gave the Wildcats their final lead at 6-5, but Varga responded off an assist from Four to force the extra sessions.

Hotaling was brilliant in net for SJU turning aside 17 shots. His counterpart, VU's Joe Canuso made nine saves.

The Wildcats outshot SJU, 41-34, and also held a 37-30 edge in groundballs and an 11-7 advantage on face-offs.