PITTSTON, PA (January 22, 2022) -- The King's College men's ice hockey team made some more program history on Saturday evening with a huge 3-2 victory over Neumann University at Revolution Ice Centre in Pittston.

The victory was the program's first home conference win and kept the Monarchs within reach of qualifying for the conference tournament. The season sweep over the Knights is the first-ever season sweep for the Monarchs and improved their all-time record to 3-5-0 against the 2009 National Champions.

Neumann got on the board first as Tyler Kulas scored a short-handed goal at 6:12 of the first period on a breakaway off a two-line pass from Richie Brusco. The Monarchs controlled possession for much of the period and outshot the visitors 10-8 in the period but were unable to score.

The offensive struggles didn't last long into the second period as Kent Lee lit the lamp for the fourth time this year off a beautiful cross-ice pass from Corson Searles just 11 seconds into the period. Brett Dillon also assisted on the play feeding Searles down the right side of the ice. The assist was the second of the year and third of Searles' career while Dillon earned his fourth assist of the season and fifth of his career. The Monarchs kept the pressure on the Knights in a penalty-filled second period. Eight total penalties were called in the period with the Monarchs earning three power play opportunities.

KC took full advantage of their second opportunity as Jack Cooper scored his team-leading 10th goal of the year and seventh power play goal at 13:19 to give the Monarchs the lead. Tyler Blanchard sent a cross-ice pass to Michael DiSchiavi on the right side before Cooper and DiSchiavi passed back-and-forth to make some shooting space for Cooper who one-timed the puck inside the right post. The assist was Blanchard's team-leading 12th and 15th point of the year while DiSchiavi recorded his eighth assist of the year, program-leading 22nd of his career, and came within one point of the program record with his 29th career point.

The Monarchs would score the game-winner in the third period as Casey Gerstein knocked in a rebound on the left side for his third goal of the year. Jack O'Neil sent the puck towards goal from the blue line. Cooper attempted to knock in the rebound, but his shot was saved by Cal Ambrose. However, there was nothing the Knights could do as the puck bounced right to Gerstein who put it away for his first career game-winner.

The Knights made it a one-goal game at 13:47 as Brusco scored a power play goal. The Monarch defense tighten up and even withstood an aggressive attack in the final minutes as Neumann pulled their goalie for an extra attacker.

Matt Bidini was amazing in goal all game making a season-high 40 saves to earn his first win. The first year standout got better as the game went making seven stops in the first period, 12 in the second, and then finishing with an impressive 21 in the third. Neumann finished the game with a slight 42-40 shot advantage with more than half of their shots coming in the third period after the Monarchs took a two-goal lead.

Cooper is now one point shy of the program record for season points with 17 in just 15 games. He also broke the record for goals in a season with 10. Blanchard is one assist shy of tying the program record with 12 assists.

The Monarchs will look to ride the momentum of the huge win into next weekend when they face cross-town rival and ninth-ranked Wilkes on Friday night at 5 pm at the Toyota Sportsplex at Coal Street Park. King's nearly upset the Colonels earlier this season dropping a hard-fought 5-4 decision at Revolution Ice Centre in November.