The Pioneers utilized their speed and physicality to dominate the Profs in a 9-3 victory on Friday night at the Ice Vault in Wayne.

Thanks to the speed of the Pioneers skaters, they had the edge for the duration of the matchup. By opening up holes in Rowan’s defense allowed William Paterson to create skilled passing plays that talented forwards James Bobb and Colin Edwards are known for. With the potent offense, the Pioneers cruised to a dominant win.

“We’re a pretty fast team in general, so when everyone gets the legs moving we’re a tough team to beat and a tough team to play against,” James Bobb, Pioneers forward said.

A number of goals and penalties came throughout the length of the game. William Paterson’s penalty kill took center stage in the middle of the second period. The skaters were forced to kill an abbreviated 5-on-3 penalty when the score was 3-1 Pioneers.

The Pioneers utilized a number of strategies ranging from soft dumps along the boards to something as simple as playing keep away.  Thanks to the puck possession of the Pioneers, the Profs failed to put on pressure and create scoring opportunities. Pioneers forward, senior, Hunter Ledwith, provided some insight on what the penalty killers go through on those stages.

“We want to do our best to kill it off and get the momentum back on our side,” Ledwith said. “You just have to do everything you can to keep the pucks out, block pucks and keep the game at 3-1 at that point.”

Despite the final score, there were times where the outcome was in doubt. Rowan continued to chip away at the William Paterson lead, but failed to get one of their own. There was a point in the second period where there five goals between the two teams in 10 minutes. One of the struggles Rowan endured was failing to have consistent puck control. William Paterson continued to win the loose puck battles and came away with possession from the corners. The Pioneers turned that possession into scoring chances throughout the night thanks to the passing and awareness. This constant pressure made it impossible for Rowan to get anything going.

“This team understands what it takes to win as they have a lot of experience,” Head Coach Joe Ballance said. “They know games can turn quickly.”

One of the main takeaways of the game is how deep William Paterson’s roster truly is. The Pioneers did not get nine goals from two or three players, instead, each goal was scored by a different player, which is simply remarkable. That type of depth throughout the lineup is unheard of in any league.

Bobb walked us through his goal with a pretty passing play from Colin Edwards for the assist.

“Everyone on the offense was going,” Bobb said. “For mine Edwards made a great pass and I was able to backhand it and get it up high on the goalie.”

The Pioneers would go on to win on Sunday as well against Marist improving their record to 12-0 in the Super East Collegiate Hockey League and 25-2 overall. William Paterson has two more games at the Ice Vault on Feb. 9 and 10 before the SECHL playoffs start on Feb. 17 in Danbury, Connecticut.