January
10, 2004
Duke rams VCU 7-2
HILLSBOROUGH, NC -- Duke kicked off 2004 with a 7-2 victory
over VCU in its first game of the new year. The Blue Devils
had "holiday legs" early in the contest but eventually
picked up steam and rolled to the win.
Joe Crotty scored the game's first goal at the 13:25 mark of the opening period.
Crotty stuffed home an impressive backhanded wrap-around after
picking up the puck from behind the net. Ryan Eick then gave
Duke a 2-0 lead on a shot from the point. The slapper pinballed
off a baffled VCU player for Eick's third goal of the year,
and Duke took the 2-0 into the first period intermission.
The second period opened with the Rams getting on the board
on the power play. However, Duke responded as Dave Bradley
scored the eventual game-winner to put Duke ahead 3-1. Bradley
took a great feed from linemate Ben Peterson to the net and
then slid in a backhander. VCU scored the next goal to make
the score 3-2 before Duke closed out the period with goals
from Jeff Lake and Dave Rabin.
Duke iced the game in the third by scoring two more goals.
Bert Maidment netted Duke's sixth goal and Bradley scored
again to give the Blue Devils the 7-2 victory.
GAME NOTES
Joe Crotty and Dave Bradley were Duke's Mad Dog Players of
the Game... Duke had 10 penalty minutes in the game and VCU
had eight... Sophomore Joe Freimuth wore the Duke sweater
for the first time this season after being sidelined during
the first half of the year with an upper body injury... VCU
is a former member of the ACCHL. The Rams left the conference
in 2001 and are now members of the Blue Ridge Hockey Conference...
Duke will next hit the ice against N.C. State in the first
game of the highly anticipated 2004 Canes Cup. The Blue Devils
last won the event in 2002 and have not faced the Wolfpack
this season. The Canes Cup is an annual round robin tournament
that features the triangle's three teams (Duke, N.C. State
and UNC) along with an additional team that changes each season.
This year's fourth team is Virginia Tech. |
