While many were snuggled up by the fire (or heater) over the last few weeks, the Rowan ice hockey team stayed busy, playing a trio of games over winter break.

The winter fun began on Dec. 29 for the Profs with the Pond Hockey Classic, an outdoor exhibition game held at the Navesink Country Club in Middletown, NJ. All proceeds from the event went to help aid Multiple Sclerosis research.

In temperatures hanging around 20 degrees, the Profs’ sticks were on fire as they scored seven goals en route to a 7-3 win over the University of Delaware.

Rowan took close to two weeks off and, due to being idle in ACHA play since Dec. 9, fell to #7 in the MACH rankings.

“Idle hands are the devil’s workshop,” said head coach John Caulfield via the Rowan Ice Hockey Twitter handle.

Idle hands are the devils workshop. No games since December 9 we get some slippage and drop to 7. We are back at it this weekend on the road. We’re Still sitting top 10. @THE_MIDATLANTIC popular in the top 20 pic.twitter.com/Zmb0mDKFvS

— Rowan Hockey (@RowanHockey) January 10, 2018

On Jan. 12,  the Profs travelled to Liberty University to take on the Flames. They dropped the contest 5-3.

After slipping into a 2-0 hole in the first, Trevor Rucci got the brown and gold on the board in the second with the assist coming from Christopher McDermott.

There was plenty of scoring in the third as Liberty rattled off three straight goals. Rowan mounted a small comeback with goals from Bobby Penrod and Anthony Dellerose, but it was all the Profs could muster in the final frame.

Goalie Justin Natiello had 45 saves on 50 shots.

The next day, the team stayed in Lynchburg, VA, to take on the University of Louisville. Fortunes went more in Rowan’s favor in a 7-4 victory.

Anthony Yurkowski and team captain Peter Kaz tallied goals for Rowan in the first period.

In the second, Tucker Simmons, Lewis Claps, Dellerose and Rucci scored, giving the Profs a 6-3 lead heading into the final period.

In the third, Sam Meyer scored an unassisted goal to finalize the scoring for the team. Natiello stopped 40 out of 44 shots.

Going 1-1 in organized play as well as winning the outdoor game translated into a productive winter break for the brown and gold. The games will carry more importance as the Spring semester gets underway.

The team will travel to the University of Maryland on Friday, Jan. 19 to take on the Terrapins before heading home to Hollydell on Saturday, Jan. 20 for a match up against William Paterson University at 8:15 p.m.

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