Lincoln Leads Drury Past Southwick

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. -- Brandon Lincoln recorded a hat trick, and the Drury hockey team Wednesday killed off a pair of 5-on-3 chances en route to a 7-3 win over Southwick.

 

Lincoln scored twice in the first nine minutes to help the Blue Devils take a 3-0 lead, and they never looked back in picking up its second win of the season.

 

Drury’s penalty killing unit came up big in preserving that lead midway through the second period.

 

The Rams got on the board early in the second to make it 3-1.

 

But in the eighth minute of the period, Drury drew a pair of minor penalties 32 seconds apart.

 

The Blue Devils managed to hold off Southwick for 1 minute, 28 seconds of 5-on-3 time, and Chase Vanderwoude capped the penalty kill with a short-handed goal to make it 4-1. An even-strength goal for the Rams in the final minute of the period sent Drury to locker room with a 4-2 lead. 

 

“Our special teams have been spectacular,” Drury coach Derek Durocher said. “We’ve killed off most of the penalties. And we get ourselves in penalty trouble. That’s no secret. We’re trying to fix that.

 

“But our special teams have been very good. And the power play, I think we were 2-for-2 tonight.”

 

Southwick took all its penalties in the third period.

 

Cam Abel made them pay with his second goal of the game in the 33rd minute, converting an assist from Nick Abuisi to make it 5-2.

 

It was 6-2 after Cam Taylor made a nifty backhanded shot on the doorstep after taking a pass from David Delisle.

 

Southwick scored with 5:17 on the clock and got another 5-on-3 chance -- this time for 1:24 -- in the 42nd minute.

 

But Drury’s penalty killers again came up big, and Lincoln finished his hat trick with an empty net goal to provide the final margin.

 

Drury got the win with a couple of its regulars, Omar Uqdah and Brian Czarnecki looking on in street clothes.

 

“It was a different look for us tonight,” Durocher said. “We’re battling through some injuries. We had some players in some different roles that they’re not ordinarily accustomed to.

 

“But it was the resolve. It wasn’t a great, beautiful hockey game. But it was the resolve. And we’ve been in some close games, and we haven’t been able to get over that hump. So it was good to see them fight through it.”