WILKES-BARRE, Pa. - The Wilkes University men's ice hockey team started their season with a 4-1 victory over the Manhattanville University Valiants Friday afternoon at the Toyota SportsPlex.

The Colonels broke the scoreless tie at the 15:39 mark of the first period when Christian Blomquist (Wauwatosa, WI/) scored the first goal of the new season, set up by an assist from Matt Carlson (Delmar, NY/) to make it 1-0. The team kept their momentum rolling halfway through the period as first-year defensemen Liam O'Donoghue (Canonsburg, PA) scored his first collegiate goal off a pass from Patrick Roginski (Shelby Twp., MI/) to give the Colonels a 2-0 lead.

However, Manhattanville managed to hang around. With the Valiants on the power play after a cross checking penalty by Trevor Belak (Pittsburgh, PA), Johno Hoins delivered with a goal with just under two minutes to go in the first to cut the deficit in half.

Wilkes held the 2-1 lead at the first intermission, and that score held until the Colonels went on the power play after a Manhattanville holding penalty midway through the second period. Quick passes from Roginski and Tyler Boudreau (Edmonton, AB/) set up Cam Lowe (Lancaster, MA/) to score a power play goal with 11:51 remaining in the period, making it 3-1 Wilkes.

The finishing blow from the Colonels came early in the third period after Roginski scored his first goal of the season off timely passes from O'Donoghue and Daniel Nau (Wake Forest, NC/) to make it 4-1 Colonels, and that score held until the final buzzer.

Roginski led the way for Wilkes with one goal and two assists on five shots. O'Donoghue had a stellar game in his collegiate debut with a goal, an assist, and a +3 plus/minus. Lowe and Blomquist scored the remaining two goals, while Nau, Carlson, and Boudreau each had an assist. Between the pipes, Duncan Rolleman (New Hamburg, ON/) played a great game with 29 saves and allowed just one goal.

As a team, the Colonels were 31-66 on faceoffs and took 29 shots. They also went 1-5 on the power play, while holding the Valiants to 1-4 on the power play.

The Colonels look to carry this momentum into tomorrow's game against the No. 3 SUNY Geneseo Knights at 5:30 p.m. at the Toyota SportsPlex.