By Arch Scurlock/Sports Columnist

NOVA’s co-ed ice hockey team began its season on Sept. 16, and has played eight regular games through Nov. 5. The NOVA team has the inherent disadvantage of playing against four-year college teams, which can have older and more experienced players as well as the possibility of drawing players from four academic classes. In addition, some of NOVA’s games this year have been against teams from a higher level of competition, but others have been against teams from their Atlantic Division of the Blue Ridge Hockey Conference.

As with most NOVA teams, new players greatly outnumber returning players, and putting together a cohesive team during the short practice season is difficult. This year seven players from last year’s team joined fifteen new players.

This year has been particularly difficult for the NOVA ice hockey team, as it has notched only a lone victory in its first eight games, with many of the contests being routs. For instance, NOVA has been on the short end of 4-19, 0-10, 1-8, 1-20, and 1-10 scores.

On Saturday, Oct. 29, NOVA hosted a new opponent, Bryn Athyn College of Pennsylvania at Prince William Ice Rink. Bryn Athyn scored the only goal of the first period at 12:05 with three seconds remaining in a power play. Bryn outshot NOVA 15-7.

In the second period, NOVA’s Casey Dunn scored from about six feet out to tie the score at 1-1. Bryn Athyn then responded with two quick close-in goals at 4:23 and 3:45 for a 3-1 lead after two periods. NOVA was again outshot 15-8.

Bryn Athyn upped its lead to 4-1 after a minute of the third period. Dunn then had the puck on a breakaway, eluded the last defender and scored from about three feet out, beating the goalie on a one-on-one encounter. NOVA peppered the goal with shots during the period, outshooting Athyn by 12-5, but no more were successful, and Athyn took the 4-2 win, its second of the year.

Afterwards, NOVA’s Barrett Haga remarked, “I think we played our first two periods very, very sloppy. The third period was very strong, We’ve got a very young team this year…It’s going to take some time… chemistry to come along ..hopefully by the end of the year.”

On Saturday, Nov. 5 NOVA hosted the James Madison hockey team at the Prince William Ice Rink in an 8 pm game. JMU dominated the action, and had taken 17 shots on goal before NOVA took its first shot of the first period. By that time, JMU led 3-0.

NOVA did score, however, on a power play goal with 5:29 left in the first period as Dunn took the pass from Chris Altice from a face-off all alone on the right side, drilling a shot into the upper right side of the goal. At that time, NOVA at least had a high efficiency in goals scored, as it had made one of three shots.

JMU came back to score about two minutes later to make it 4-1 JMU after one period. JMU had outshot NOVA 27-5 in the period.

The second period saw NOVA take more shots but with no success. JMU led at period end 7-1, again having outshot NOVA 25-11.

The third period saw the clock mercifully run continuously. Only a fight with about six minutes to go slowed the clock. JMU made three more goals for its 10-1 win, as it again outshot NOVA 18-5. For the game, JMU amassed 70 shots, a busy night for NOVA goalie Curtis Mason.

With the win, JMU’s record rose to 3-2, while NOVA’s fell to 1-7. Casey Dunn’s goal was his third in NOVA’s last two games, the only goals scored by NOVA in those games.

Afterwards, the NOVA coaches remarked “Wow,” and “No excuses.”

By: Arch Scurlock

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