WEST CHESTER, Pa. — Cameron Crawford says he is not a morning person. His performance Friday morning to open the AAU College Hockey Division 2 championships did not show it.
Crawford stopped all 53 shots he faced as UAH opened play in Pool C with a 2-0 victory over Central Florida at the Ice Line Quad Rinks.
“I’m feeling pretty good,” Crawford said. “I’ve got a lot of adrenaline going right now and can’t wait to go sleep. I’m not a morning person. I was a little bit concerned (about the early start). I woke up this morning and had a lot of energy.”
The Chargers (11-10-1) take the early lead in Pool C with High Point taking on Farmingdale State later Friday night. UAH faces High Point, the top seed in the pool and No. 3 overall, on Saturday at 11:15 a.m. CST.
UAH had to deal with an atypical 9:15 a.m. local start, right after 13-hour bus ride into Pennsylvania last night.
“I don’t think we’ve played a 9:15 game since probably youth hockey,” UAH head coach Tim Flynn said. “Very proud with how everybody came out and competed. We got a lead and were able to just defend. That’s our mindset going into this tournament: Defense first, and then try to create offense that way.”
Kolton Watts got the Chargers on the board late in the first period, rifling the puck top shelf over UCF goalie Jackson Barton with 25.6 seconds remaining. It was Kolton’s 18th goal of the season.
“Kolton’s goal came off a transition play in the neutral zone that we practice a lot,” Flynn said. “You give them a little bit of ice and they will take advantage.”
UAH pushed the lead to 2-0 just 24 seconds into the second period after UCF got back-to-back penalties to end the first. Keaton Watts, on the doorstep after UCF failed to secure position in the circle, scored his 21st of the season on assists by Josh Corrow and Bradly Mcdonald.
The Chargers didn’t get many offensive chances in the third period — or any shots on goal for that matter. Central Florida (16-10-3), with the help of some power plays, got 22 in the final frame, more than the 20 UAH had for the game.
“We were killing a lot of penalties, and that just wears you down even more,” Flynn said. “They did a great job getting pucks out, making smart plays, and really making the most of their energy. It was desperate, but obviously ‘Craw’ was fantastic.”
Crawford attributed today’s performance to staying loose even as everything was frantic around him.
“I just try to stay in a good mood, and as long as I’m in a good mood, I just stayed in the zone,” Crawford said.
The shut out was the second for UAH’s current club program since it was re-established in 2018. Michael Fairbanks had the first, stopping 26 shots in a 5-0 win over Florida State on November 8, 2019.