NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Phelps Thomas tied his career-high six points with four goals and two assists and Charles Moran posted a career-high seven points with three goals and four assists in Sewanee's 16-6 win over Capital in Nashville on Saturday night in day one of the Music City Classic.
Thomas and Niko Maheras recorded four goals and Zach Crain and Moran posted three goals apiece as JM DuPree and Hank Walsh collected Sewanee's final two goals of the game. 11 of the 16 goals from Sewanee were tallied off assists.
Thomas collected the first two goals for the Tigers with an assist from Sage Cookerly and Charles Moran.
Capital answered back with a goal of their own a little less than three minutes later from a goal by Charlie Howenstine.
A turnover by Capital led to a blocked shot from Thomas, and another wide shot from Moran before the Tigers finally capitalized with a goal from JM DuPree off an assist from Zach Crain.
The Comets again had an answer about two minutes later from Ty Chase, getting within one, but the Tigers won the faceoff and found the back of the net again, this time from Crain gaining back a two-goal lead.
Niko Maheras collected his first of four goals with 15 seconds left in the first period from an assist from Moran.
Capital opened the second period as they capitalized on a turnover from Sewanee and picked up their third point of the day.
After a kill of an extra-man opportunity from the Tiger's defense, Crain registered two shots and Moran tallied another before Crain found the back of the net from Thomas for Sewanee's sixth goal.
A face-off win by Drew Perun and a ground ball by Alec Jazaeri created another opportunity for Sewanee which Thomas took advantage of and Moran collected another assist.
A new Sewanee freshman duo of Hank Walsh and Will Kennedy added another point for the Tigers with 5:42 in the second, as Walsh scored the first goal of his collegiate career and Kennedy collected the first assist of his collegiate career.
What seemed like a last-minute goal of the half from Ty Chase with 25 seconds on the clock cut Sewanee's lead to half, but Moran had other plans, as he registered a goal with eight seconds from Thomas to build their lead back to five.
Less than two minutes into the second half, Maheras collected his second of the day for a six-goal lead for Sewanee.
Capital cut the lead to five, but Sewanee took advantage of a turnover from Capital and Maheras again earned a six-goal advantage for the Tigers.
Another turnover from the Comets provided another opportunity for Crain, to collect the last goal of the period with 1:46 on the clock.
Freshman Asa Nischwitz took his second face-off with his second FO win of the day. A ground ball from Jake Cohen created another opportunity for Sewanee as Devon Root recorded his first assist for the day connecting with Maheras.
The Tigers created an extra-man opportunity when Mason Patrick of Capital was called for slashing, but a costly Sewanee turnover led to a man-down goal by Capital.
The Tigers didn't let the Comets gain any momentum, as they again shut Capital down off another goal and assisted duo by Thomas and Moran immediately after the face-off win by Nischwitz.
Moran collected the Tiger's final two goals of the day just over a minute and a half between the two. The first, coming off a failed clear from the Comets, and the second on a man-up opportunity after another slashing call against Capital. Root picked up the final assist of the night.
Sewanee won 20-of-26 faceoffs for the game, as
Drew Perun led the Tigers winning 15-of-21, freshman Nischwitz and
Clay Upchurch both excelled. Nischwitz was 4-of-4 and Upchurch was 1-of-1.
Sewanee plays again at Ensworth High School tomorrow at 4 against LaGrange on the second day of the Music City Classic.
