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Panthers Sweep Weekend Double Header

Nov. 7, 2011

On Sunday, November 6, 2011,Slippery Rock University and the University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown visited the PITT campus for a weekend round robin of games with the Panthers in the second to last weekend of the fall season.  All games were played with 25 minute running halves.

SRU and UP-J faced off in the first game of the afternoon, and fought hard until the very end in a very close opening game.   SRU maintained at least a  one goal lead throughout the entire game, before pulling ahead in the final minutes of the second half, winning with a final score of 10-7.

After being idle for the first game, the Panthers first opponent of the afternoon was Slippery Rock University.  The Rock broke the ice early and scored first, a little over a minute into the game.  The Panther defense lead by senior goalie and Captain Chris Gorham quickly adjusted and held the Rock offense in check for the rest of the game.

Junior attack and Captain Tyler Novotny (4G) and sophomore Alex Powell (1G) quickly took control of the Panther offense and lead the Panthers to retake the lead by the 14 minute mark.  The Panthers held the lead for the remainder of the game after that point.  In total, eleven different Panthers recorded points in the 10-4 victory over Slippery Rock.

Next and after a short break between games, the Panthers squared up with their sister school, the UP-Johnstown Mountain Cats, as PITT earned a 13-0 victory and the first shut out of the fall. 

The Panther’s started a different line up for this second game, headlined by freshman goalie Nick Mankosa, freshmen defensemen Noah Rabin and Dan Deutsch, and Seton Hill transfer junior attackman Joe Grmusa getting their first career starts at PITT. 

Offensively, Novotny (4G, 1A) lead the Panthers to dominate possession of the game. Powell (2G, 1A) and Grmusa (2G) also played key roles in directing the offense as the coaching staff mixed up the midfield lines and went deep into the depth chart as the game progressed.

The Panther defense kept fresh legs throughout the UP-J game by rotating new defensemen into the line up every other possession, combining veterans and rookies alike.  The defense did not loose a step and helped give freshman goalie Mankosa his first career shut out.

“I thought the team showed a lot more balance on the offensive side of the ball than in the past,” says team president Brian Faber. “The line combinations are developing chemistry well and it showed in the extended offensive possessions during both games.”

All Panthers who dressed saw action through both games.

Next weekend marks the final game of the fall exhibition season with a game versus Robert Morris University (NCLL).  PITT faced off against the Colonials last spring, where PITT won with a 12-0 shut out. Game time is set for 6:00 PM on Saturday, November 12, 2011.