Nick Ford '20 turned in the best performance of his collegiate career in the defeat of the Monarchs at the Murray Athletic Center on Saturday night. The second-year forward logged career highs with five points and four goals in the high-scoring victory. He became the first Soaring Eagle to post five points in a game since classmate Matthew Cuce '20 did so in a 7-4 win over Nichols in November of last season and the first EC skater to score four goals since former All-American Kevin Willer '12 matched the feat in a 6-3 victory over Manhattanville in November of 2011. Including Friday night's loss to the Valiants of Manhattanville, Ford's accumulated a total of five goals and two assists over the weekend.
Ford opened the scoring just 1:18 into the first period and he needed just 53 seconds after the start of the second period to notch his second goal. He then bookended the second with a last-minute goal, a hard-hit slap shot from the left wing, to complete his hat trick. He then beat the Monarchs' goalie with a top-shelf shot from the slot midway through the third period, which gave EC its largest lead of the night at 7-3.
The New Lenox, Illinois, native boasts a team-high six goals and nine points through the first four games of the season. Among national leaders, Ford is tied for second in goals per game (1.50) and tied for seventh in points per game (2.25).
The Soaring Eagles return to action to kick off a four-game road trip on Friday, November 10, with a 7:00 p.m. UCHC tilt against the Golden Flyers of Nazareth in Rochester, New York.
