Holy smokes, what an absolute beatdown we witnessed at Exton Power Play Rinks on Friday night. The University of Delaware Blue Hens came into this ECHC matchup sitting pretty at 9-5 and looking to keep their solid season rolling, while Kutztown entered with a rough 4-13 record that frankly tells you everything you need to know about how this one was gonna go. Spoiler alert: it went exactly as you’d expect.
Zachary Solomon put on an absolute clinic for Delaware, lighting the lamp twice and adding an assist for a monster three-point night. The kid came into this game with 6 goals and 4 assists in just 9 games, and he picked up right where he left off by absolutely torching poor Zach Ciucci in the Kutztown net. Solomon’s having himself a season, and performances like this are exactly why Delaware is sitting in a playoff position while Kutztown is… well, not.
The Blue Hens’ offensive depth was on full display as four different players found the back of the net. Michael DePrisco (who entered with a solid 5 goals and 7 assists in 9 games), Alex Birchard, and Michael Gibbons all chipped in goals to support Solomon’s heroics. Meanwhile, the assist parade featured Gavin Johns, Ryan Anatra, and Michael Romano all picking up helpers. When you’re getting production from that many different sources, you know it’s gonna be a long night for the opposition.
Let’s talk about the goaltending battle, because it was about as lopsided as a political debate in Alabama. Andrew Gatti was absolutely spectacular between the pipes for Delaware, stopping 40 of 41 shots for a ridiculous .976 save percentage. Meanwhile, Kutztown’s Zach Ciucci got absolutely peppered, facing 35 shots and allowing 5 goals for an .857 save percentage that honestly doesn’t tell the whole story of how dominant Delaware was.
Kutztown did manage to avoid the shutout thanks to Gaven Mollenkof, who came into the game as their leading scorer with 3 goals and 12 assists in 11 games. Mollenkof found the net once and Nick Leone picked up the lone assist, but that was about all the offense the Golden Bears could muster against Delaware’s suffocating defensive play.
This win keeps Delaware rolling in the right direction as they look to solidify their playoff positioning in the ECHC, while Kutztown continues to struggle mightily in what’s shaping up to be a long season. When you’re getting outshot 41-35 at home and still losing by four goals, that tells you everything you need to know about the talent gap between these two squads. Delaware came to play, and Kutztown… well, they showed up.