Run Puts Sacred Heart in Thick of Chase

Run Puts Sacred Heart in Thick of Chase

Click here to read Ken McMillan's story on the Inside College Hockey website.

A lost weekend at West Point was all that Sacred Heart needed to turn around its season.

A Dec. 4-5 sweep by the Black Knights left the Pioneers with a 3-9-2 record and 2-6-1 mark in Atlantic Hockey.

“We had some decisions to make as a team. The season could go either way at that point,” said first-year coach C.J. Marottolo, who replaced Shaun Hannah right before the start of the season. “We sat down and talked about things as a team, got some things out on the table and had good discussions.”

Marottolo told his team it had to start playing more disciplined within its systems and it had to eliminate the unnecessary penalties from its game. “The captains galvanized the team, and we’ve ridden the horse,” Marottolo said.

The Pioneers are unbeaten in their last 12 games (10-0-2), and there are whispers that Sacred Heart is playing well enough to unseat three-time champion Air Force.

A big test arrives this weekend as the Pioneers host league-leading Rochester Institute of Technology on Friday evening and Saturday afternoon at the Milford Ice Pavilion.

Since the Army sweep, Sacred Heart has won at Dartmouth, swept Air Force, took three points from Army, swept Mercyhurst, took three more points from Canisius, beat American International on the road and swept two at Connecticut.

“Things are going well,” Marottolo said. “We’re playing hard, winning some games. We’re on a good run here. Our approach has been ‘Friday night,’ and after Friday night ends, it’s ‘just win Saturday.’ We’re not looking too far ahead. I know it’s cliche and boring, but that’s how our approach has been.”

Sacred Heart has a firm hold on coveted fourth place, the last of four home-ice berths for the quarterfinal round only a scant month away. The Pioneers trail Mercyhurst by one point, with two games at hand, and Air Force by five points, with four games at hand.

Marottolo is convinced the hardships of getting to know a new head coach and the 3-9-2 start has strengthened the resolve of this team.

“It takes time within a team,” he said. “I was new to them, they were new to me. Within a season you get to a point where things just click and you learn how to win. We had to go through some things as a team to get to that point.

“I think our team is playing with a lot of confidence right now and I think it’s because of what we have gone through. I don’t know what would have happened if we didn’t have those struggles.”

Senior Nick Johnson has enjoyed a phenomenal January, producing 11 goals and nine assists - he was named the Atlantic Hockey player of the month. Johnson leads the nation with 21 goals scored, and has already broken the school’s Division I record of 19 goals set by former all-stars Alexandre Parent and Pierre-Luc O’Brien.

“He could score goals,” Marottolo said. “He has a great release. He goes to areas that you have to go to in order to get goals. He pays a price to get them. He’s been playing just terrific for us.”

Senior Dave Jarman also has 36 points, with nine goals. Junior David Berube has 10 goals, senior Erik Boisvert has nine, freshman Eric Delong has nine and junior Patrick Knowlton has eight.

The Pioneers are also getting solid play in net. Freshman Steven Legatto posted at least 30 saves in six January contests - he was named the Atlantic Hockey goalie of the month. Legatto (12-6-3) holds the longest unbeaten streak for a goalie in school history. He ranks sixth in the league in goals against (2.93) and fifth in save percentage (.913).

“I think it is probably uncommon for a freshman to come in and take hold of a starting net,” Marottolo said. “It doesn’t totally surprise me. It takes a special kid to do that. He’s an unflappable kid - he doesn’t get too high and he doesn’t get too low.”

Marottolo said the play of senior defensemen Paul Ferraro, Gregg Rodriguez and Corey Laurysen have gone a long way in settling down the team and making the job easier for the rookie Legatto.

“When our season could have gone either way, they stepped up and really turned this team around,” Marottolo said of the trio.

Following the RIT series, Sacred Heart plays two home-and-homes with AIC and Holy Cross and closes the regular season with two games at Air Force.

“We’re having a lot of fun,” Marottolo said. “We work hard. I don’t talk to the guys about keeping the streak alive … it never comes out of my mouth. We just talk about our upcoming opponent. That’s what we do.”