McKiernan Nets Hat Trick in Men’s Hockey’s 5-0 Shutout of Wentworth

EAST BOSTON – Daniel McKiernan rattled off three goals and Austin McNicholas denied all 15 shots he faced for the pair to anchor Suffolk men's hockey's 5-0 Conference of the New England (CNE) shutout win over Wentworth Saturday at Louis E. Porrazzo Memorial Skating Rink.

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 5 | Wentworth 0
RECORDS: Suffolk (2-1-0, 2-0-0 CNE) | Wentworth (1-2-1, 1-1-0 CNE)  

HOW IT HAPPENED

• A short-handed strike by Scott McManus at the 13:49 mark of the first frame got Suffolk's scoring underway. Ralph Berry picked up the puck in Suffolk's own zone and found a cutting McManus for a one-on-one with Jack McGovern. 
• McKiernan put his first tally of the day away 3:26 into the middle period. He converted on a breakaway that was set-up by Alex Ondos. 
• McKerian extended the margin to 3-0 in the blue-and-gold's favor when he turned a Bobby Lachance pass into his second strike of the night at the 12:24 mark of the second period. 
• Lachance put his own goal away 1:37 later on the power play thanks to help from Josh Milso and Quinn Booth to cushion Suffolk's advantage to 4-0. 
• McKiernan completed the hat trick 25 seconds into the third period on the power play for the final 5-0 margin. Lachance and Milso assisted on the goal. 

NETMINDER NOTES

• McNicholas recorded 15 saves to keep a clean sheet. 
• McGovern notched 34 stops in the setback. 

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• McKiernan paced Suffolk's scoring with three goals. 
• Lachance compiled a one-goal, two-assist stat line. 
• McManus added one strike.
• Milso dished out two assists. 
• Berry, Booth and Ondos had one helper each.
• Suffolk outshot Wentworth, 39-15. 
• The Rams went 2-for-6 on the power play and successfully skated off five penalties.

NOTEWORTHY

• The Rams are unbeaten in their first two conference contests of the season since they went 1-0-1 to get the 2021-22 league scheduel underway. 
• The blue-and-gold won its first two league games in a season for the first time since 2014-15 when it started its league calendar with three conference vicotires in a row.
• Suffolk and Wentworth met for the 50th time. 
• The Rams moved to 22-25-3 all-time against the Leopards. 
• The blue-and-gold is 9-1-1 in the last 11 battles with WIT, all of which have come in the CNE era. 
• Suffolk has strung together three wins in a row over Wentworth. 
• The have been nine shutouts in the all-time series. 
• Suffolk blanked WIT for the first time since Nov. 9, 2024, a 2-0 win. 
• Suffolk is 5-4-0 against WIT when a team is kept off the scoreboard. 
• Five clean sheets have come on the Rams' home ice (2-3-0). 
• Suffolk is 7-2-0 against the Leopards in the Shawn McEachern era. 
• McKiernan is the first player in the McEachern era to produce a hat trick. He is the first Ram with three or more goals in a game since Alex Kolowrat's hat trick effort in a 5-3 win over Nichols, Feb. 28, 2021. 
• McKiernan has logged at least one point in every game this season. In the first three games the junior has three goals and two assists. 
• Not only were the three goals a personal-best for McKiernan, but it also marked a career-high in points for the junior. 
• Lachance logged the first assist of his collegiate career and finished with a personal-best three points.
• McManus scored his first goal of the season.
• Quinn has produced at least one point in every game this season and in his collegiate career. In that stretch he has one goal and three assists. 
• Ondos registered his first collegiate point with one assist.
• McNicholas picked up his first collegiate shutout.

WHAT'S NEXT?
Suffolk is set to battle at No. 2 Curry Friday, Nov. 14, before it hosts Roger William in a rematch Saturday, Nov. 15 at 4:50 p.m.