Alex Kotelnikov scored three goals and added four assists for a seven-point night as The College of New Jersey beat Temple University 9-1 on Saturday at TSAI Field House. Kotelnikov entered the game without a point through one game. He finished with a hand in seven of TCNJ’s nine goals.
The game was tied 1-1 after one period. Josh Kushnir gave TCNJ the lead on a power-play goal with 15:36 left in the first, assisted by Kotelnikov and Kyle Gregory. Temple answered when Tristan Fallon scored unassisted with 12:37 remaining in the period.
TCNJ took control in the second with five unanswered goals. Albert Scarmato’s power-play goal with 18:53 left proved to be the game-winner, and Gregory added another power-play goal with 16:20 remaining to make it 3-1. Kotelnikov then scored three straight goals, with 11:34, 7:38 and 3:55 left in the period, to complete his hat trick and push the lead to 6-1. Nicholas Gallo assisted on two of those goals.
TCNJ added two short-handed goals in the third. Rocco Malandro scored the first with 16:53 left, and Zach Duggan added the other with 3:53 remaining. Gallo also scored in the period and finished with a goal and three assists, while Kushnir had a goal and two assists. TCNJ finished with three power-play goals and two short-handed goals.
Christian Esposito made 34 saves on 35 shots to earn the win for TCNJ. Nick Golis stopped 37 of 46 shots for Temple. TCNJ improved to 1-1-0, and Temple fell to 0-2-0 as it looks for its first win of the season.
