Reading, Pa. (Friday Jan. 23, 2009) - Alvernia opened the second half of the season with a key local match up with the Kutztown University Golden Bears. The long anticipated Sovereign Center game was the final chapter to the highly billed “Hockey Weekend in Berks County”. The ECHL Reading Royals sponsored the game which was played at the state of the art Sovereign Center Arena and home of the ECHL minor league hockey team Reading Royals. The ACHA inter-division clash between the two local Universities has quickly developed into a local rivalry and a great showcase for collegiate hockey talent.
The Vern, which finally returned from a long semester break managed to capitalize on sloppy Kutztown puck handling and defensive miscues with a 6-2 win. Despite looking somewhat out of sorts, the Crusader's deep bench wore down the Golden Bears. Alvernia's physical play and constant odd man offensive rushes proved too much for KU.

Alvernia opened the first period scoring just 80 seconds into the contest. Kutztown's goaltender made an ill-timed decision to play a puck well out of his comfort zone which happened to be between inside the right face off circle. Crusader forward Devon Coleman (Hamilton, NY/Hamilton) grabbed the loose puck and flipped a wrist shot into a wide open cage for a 1-0 lead. Alvernia tallied two more times in the first period which both came off the Power Play. Both goals came off the sticks from Crusader defensemen Eric Ryan (Aston, PA/Sun Valley) and Howard Bates (Philadelphia, PA/Father Judge). Ryan's specialty is quarterbacking the AU power play and he once again showcased his skill set with savvy puck handling and a power snap shot that ripped the twine from just inside the left face off circle.

Alvernia entered the first intermission with a 3-1 lead after literally giving up a last second goal with .7 seconds on the game clock. The Golden Bears out shot the Crusaders through two periods; however the great equalizer was Alvernia goaltender Jim Fynes (Philadelphia, PA/Roman Catholic). Fynes faced 22 shots over the first forty minutes surrendering only a power play goal and the late first period tally. Good positioning and a strong glove hand kept the KU offense to a minimum. Fynes, despite getting limited action this season has been more than equal to the task of handling these long layoffs while remaining sharp at game speed.

Alvernia lit the lamp with three more goals over the final 40 minutes. Crusader goals came from familiar faces. Leading goal scorer Anthony Froio (Glenside,PA/Interboro) slipped behind the Golden Bear defense in the second period and converted a breakaway with a backhand to forehand move finishing high in the top left corner. The Crusader's had a secure 4-1 lead but a KU power play goal cut the margin in half. Kutztown's late second period score could have provided a spark for a comeback but hard working second line center Christian Baron (Philadelphia, PA/ LaSalle College) quickly erased any momentum the Bears would mount. 13 seconds elapsed off the clock when the tenacious Alvernia center threw a turn around shot from between the circles just inside the left pipe of the KU goal. This proved to be the last chance for any Golden Bear comeback.

The Crusader's silenced the KU offense in the third period to a season low two shots. Eric Ryan finished off the scoring for Alvernia just over the ten minute mark of the third period. Other notable performances that would not be reflected on the score sheet were the play of third line defensive pairing Michael Smith (Philadelphia, PA/Roman Catholic) and Freshman Ian Meiskey (Lancaster, PA/Hempfield). Meiskey transitioned back to defense early in the second period when Crusader blueliner Ryan absorbed a wicked slap shot just above his knee in an unprotected spot. Meiskey's more than adequate versatility to defense may have earned him a regular shift on Alvernia's backline. The Crusaders finished off the season series with Kutztown with two convincing wins outscoring the Golden Bears 13-2 in those contests.

Special Team Kudo's:
-Crusader's Power Play defenseman scored 3 goals on the night
- PK Unit staved off 3 of 4 KU chances

Did You Notice?
-Coach Plue's new draw string White Board, could serve as a flotation device if the ice ever melts.
-New Look Uniforms, black makes everyone look thinner, that's good for Cirard and bad for Meiskey.
-Former Player R. Kelly in the crowd signing auto's in the Fan Friendly Zone
-The Pride of Briar's Cliff', KU's Gayle Scheuren was a NO-SHOW. Guess you traded those Golden Bears for those Grateful Dancing Bears.
-Yard Sale at Center Ice, courtesy of Michael Smith
-Peter Cirard with a text book Flag Pole courtesy of Shane Davis

Quotable Quotes
Alvernia Assistant Captain John Caputo commenting on the ECHL Skills Competition, “we could put on a better show than those ECHL All-Stars