EASTON, Mass. (February 25, 2022)-After a year's hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Stonehill College men's hockey team is back in the Northeast-10 Conference playoffs for the 20th time in program history. Overall on the year, the Skyhawks finished with a record of 6-18-2 (3-12-2, NE10) and are seeded in the seventh spot when they travel to number two seed Saint Anselm Saturday, February 26 for a 6 p.m. puck drop. The squad will be looking upon their two double-digit goal scorers, John Peloso and Brendan Nehmer who scored 13 and 12 goals respectively. On the defensive end, Stonehill has three solid options in John Day, Gavin FitzPatrick, and Chase McKay.

Peloso finished the season with a career-high 13 goals (previous high-seven) and also led the team in goals as well. Peloso had three games this season where he scored two or more goals that also included a hat trick against Franklin Pierce (November 6). He also set a career-high in points (23) after topping his previous total of 17. In eight of his last ten games, Peloso registered at least one point and was all over the ice for the Skyhawks. The three times Stonehill has played Saint Anselm this year, Peloso dished out two assists and netted one goal which helped Stonehill to a 0-1-2 record in hard-fought games against the Hawks. Coming into Saturday's contest, Peloso ranks within the top ten of many NE-10 offensive categories that include fourth in goals, sixth in shots (89), and eighth in points.  

Stonehill's other double-digit goal scorer (Nehmer) is also having a career year as the junior forward set a new high in goals (12), tied his career-best in points (23), and has also recorded double-digit assists in both seasons he has played in (11). Nehmer set single-game career-highs in an 8-1 victory over Johnson and Wales on December 3 when scored twice and recorded four assists. For his strong play against Johnson and Wales, Nehmer was named the NE10 Player of the Week (Week of December 6). In his three games against Saint Anselem this year, Nehmer scored twice and also had one assist. Overall in the conference, Nehmer is a top-10 player as he ranks highly within many offensive categories such as goals (fifth), points (eighth), and shots (tenth).

Senior team-captain Charles Page is also seen as a key piece to help make the Stonehill offense go as the forward set a new career-high in assists (11) which was also tied for the team-lead with Nehmer. Along with being one of the team's best facilitators, Page also added six goals during the regular season. Page had a career game when he scored twice against Johnson and Wales on December 3 and then earlier in the year, he tied his single-game career-high in assists when he dished out two at Assumption on November 5. Every year in his career, Page has scored five or more goals and handed out five or more assists. For his three games against Saint Anselem, Page has scored once and assisted once. When it comes to the conference, Page is ranked within the top-20 (16th). 

Goalie John Day, a two-time NE10 Goalie of the Week, played against Saint Anselm all three times Stonehill faced off with them this year. In his three games against the Hawks, Day made 112 saves (37.3 saves average) and has allowed an average of 3.33 goals in those matchups. Day made 44 saves in his first matchup against Saint Anselem which ended up being a career-high for the junior. Overall on the year, Day has made 408 saves, a save percentage of.905, and a goals-against-average of 3.39. In terms of the conference, Day is a top-ten goalie in multiple categories such as saves (sixth), save percentage (sixth), and goals-against-average (sixth). 

For Saint Anselm, they are paced by Andrew Andary who led the Hawks with 17 goals and has 19 assists for 36 points. Andary currently ranks second in the conference in goals and assists while leading the NE10 in points. In net for the Hawks, they are led by Nick Howard who leads the NE10 in saves with 666 and in goals-against average at 2.62. He also has the fourth-highest save percentage at .911. 

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