WILKES-BARRE, PA (January 28, 2023) --- Sophomore forwards Denys Arkhypenko and Casey Gerstein both scored two goals, and senior goaltender Tyler Sayger made 47 saves as the King's College men's ice hockey team took down visiting Alvernia University 5-1 on Saturday night. With the win King's improves to 4-12-2 overall, 3-9-1 in United Collegiate Hockey Conference play, and 2-4-1 in MAC play, while Alvernia falls to 6-12-2 overall, 5-10-1 in UCHC play, and 1-7-0 in the MAC.
 
Alvernia (6-12-2, 5-10-1, 1-7-0) started quickly firing off the first four shots of the game, but Sayger was ready, turning all four aside. King's responded with their first shot of the contest coming from Arkhypenko, before the teams traded chances for most of the period. The Monarchs struck first though, as Arkhypenk took a pass from sophomore Alexander Ray, firing the puck across goal, to put King's up 1-0 at 15:11. Late in the period, with the Monarchs on a five-minute penalty kill, Gerstein got his first goal of the game, taking a pass from sophomore Jackson Grozelle, and slipping it past Alvernia goaltender Brandon Daigle, to put King's up 2-0 after the first. Both teams had chances to get on the board in the second period, but both goalies stood strong, as King's remained on top 2-0 after 40 minutes of play.
 
The Golden Wolves came out of the gates hard in the third period, looking to cut into the deficit, firing off the first six shots of the frame, but Sayger stayed sharp, stopping all of them. The Monarchs extended their lead at the 5:04 mark, as sophomore Brendan Krawczyk drove hard to the net and tipped home a pass from senior Rob Sheehan to put King's up 3-0. Alvernia got a goal back on the power play at 12:16 as Isaac Chapman's shot found its way through Sayger to cut the deficit to 3-1. That was as close as the Golden Wolves got, as the Monarchs iced the game away just under two minutes later, as Arkhypenko, tallying his second goal of the game, took a pass down the wall from first-year Samuel Libetti and beat Daigle to the near post, going off the crossbar and in to put King's up 4-1 at 14:06. Late in the game with Alvernia on the power play again and the net empty, sophomore Tyler Blanchard blocked a pass, and fed it to Gerstein who calmly walked around the defense, slipping the puck into the net for his second short-handed goal of the game to give the Monarchs the 5-1 win.
 
Sayger was fantastic in net, picking up the win, while stopping 47 of 48 shots. The Monarchs had three players tally two points in the contest, Arkhypenko and Gerstein with two goals, and first-year Matthew Metsa adding two assists. King's led in the face-off circle, winning 42 of 79 draws, led by Ray who won 14 of 28 and Blanchard who won 11 of 22. King's went 2-3 on the penalty kill while scoring two short-handed goals, going 0-2 on the power play.
 
Daigle got the start in goal, making 19 saves on 23 shots. Alvernia had three players tally one point, led by Chapman's goal, and Peter Falivena and Christian Dahl who both added an assist. The Golden Wolves went 1-3 on the power play and 2-2 on the penalty kill, while winning 37 of 79 face-offs.
 
King's will head out on the road to central New York to take on fist-ranked Utica University on Friday at 7 p.m.