Somerset, NJ – The Protec Jr. Ducks aim for consecutive wins when they face-off against the Connecticut RoughRiders on Saturday for a 7:30 p.m. puck drop at SoNo Ice House.
While the Jr. Ducks are fresh off a 7-5 victory over the Connecticut Chiefs, Protec hasn’t won back-to-back contests since the Eastern Hockey League’s (EHL) opening weekend in late September. The Mid-Atlantic Conference (MAC) rivals are also skating against one another for the third time this season, after splitting the first two games.
(Jr. Ducks/Graphics & Digital Media)
The Jr. Ducks suffered their worst loss on the season to Connecticut by a score of 6-1 back on Oct. 2, but head coach Terry Watt’s squad rebounded against the RoughRiders with an 8-4 victory five days later.
The two teams exchanged goals during the first period on Oct. 7, but the flock opened the flood gates during the second and third periods of play. Protec tallied four unanswered goals during the second period, which also witnessed four different goal-scorers.
Parker King, Samuel Shepard, Nick Newman and Brody Selman all found the back of the net in the contest’s second frame. As for Newman, the 6-foot-3 forward finished with two goals on the day.
Yet, Connecticut bounced back and came within one goal after netting three consecutive goals during the final frame. It seemed that the Jr. Ducks and goaltender Dylan Knighton recuperated and held off a resilient RoughRiders squad and Protec sealed the deal with three empty-net goals during the game’s final two minutes.
Keep in mind that Knighton recorded 51 saves on the day turned 25 away in the third period, alone.
Protec enters the contest with two of the Eastern Hockey League’s (EHL) top-points getter in forwards Brayden Patricia (8g-16a—28PTS) and Spencer Quinn (4g-10a—14PTS). Both skaters rank in the league’s top-15 for scoring, while Patricia sits in fifth.
Additionally, the Jr. Ducks have netted five-or-more goals in all four of their victories this season. Perhaps the squad can buckle down defensively on Saturday and turn the page of some its early-season struggles in D-zone.
The Jr. Ducks’ power-play will also be a key asset if they want to collect another two points in the MAC. Protec’s man-advantage is 19.1%, while Patricia, Quinn, Brody Selman, Daniel Schnack and Michael Villanova have all recorded multiple points on the power-play.
Fans can view the game here.
Jr. Ducks Digital Press Box
Connecticut RoughRiders (6-6-2--14pts) vs. JR. DUCKS (4-2-4--12PTS)
(The Protec Jr. Ducks can be followed on Twitter @ProtecJrDucks)
