By Dan Curtis, '08 |Editor of sports

Freshman defenseman Evan Kernohan streaks down the ice during the Green and Gold Game, Morrisville State College’s annual intrasquad scrimmage prior to the start of the regular hockey season. The Mustangs, the reigning junior college national champions, are finding the going a little bit more difficult in their first year in NCAA Division III competition.

 Photo by Lucy Buck, '08

The Morrisville ice hockey team opened its inaugural season in Division III play Sunday October 15 with a 9-1 loss to Oswego State College.

After winning four championships in the National Junior College Athletic Association, the team is facing the daunting task of competing with National Collegiate Athletic Association programs for the first time in school history.

The team has shown dramatic improvement in the two games following the loss to Oswego. They kept it interesting against both 14th-ranked SUNY Geneseo, losing 5-3, and also against 12th-ranked SUNY Platts-burgh who beat the Mustangs 6-3.

The 7th-ranked Oswego Lakers got out to an early lead, scoring the game’s first goal on a shot by Brad Dormiedy with 3:43 remaining in the first period. The Lakers added two more goals before Morrisville was able to score its first goal of the game. After a two-minute interference call on Oswego's Ryan Woodward, Mustang Stefan Carnegie took advantage of the power play with his first goal of the season. Both Matt Damskov and Brent Quinn were credited with the assist.

The Mustangs’ offensive spark was short-lived, as the Lakers went on to score six more goals.

"We didn't accomplish the goals that we set out to," said head coach Earl Utter regarding the outcome the game. "We must improve on our speed, thought process, and overall physical play."

Morrisville lost its second game to SUNY Geneseo 5-3 and its third game to SUNY Plattsburgh 6-3. The Mustangs six goals throughout the two games were scored by Evan Kernhan, Patrick Morss, Tyler Fulton, Andrew Alarie, Steven Williams, and Matt Damskov.

The team will be at home this Friday at 7 p.m. and Saturday at 5 p.m. against Becker College.