By Jim den Hollander 

Editor/Publisher 

Saukhockey.info 

Jack MacDonald and the St. Michael’s College Purple Knights finally hit the ice again this past Friday (Nov. 19) after a delay of almost a month due to COVID 19 Protocols. 

After opening the season with a 3-0 loss against SUNY Plattsburgh Oct. 23, the team postponed six straight games before finally returning on Friday for a 5-2 Northeast 10 Conference win against Franklin Pierce Ravens. 

Since then, the Purple Knights have dropped a 4-2 decision to the Assumption College Greyhounds and on Tuesday the Knights dropped a 5-1 decision to the Amherst College Mammoths 

Ravens 2 @ Purple Knights 5 

In the return to play, the Knights carried a 3-1 lead out of the opening period but the lead was cut to 3-2 by the start of the third.  

MacDonald, a freshman forward who collected 39 goals and 84 points in four seasons with the Baraboo/Portage Thunderbirds before his graduation in 2018, scored his first NCAA goal to put the Purple Knights up 3-0 in the first period. He wrapped up the game with a goal on his only shot and a +3 rating and he was 6-for-14 at the faceoff dot. 

Greyhounds 4 @ Purple Knights 2  

The following night, the Greyhounds spoiled the home opening weekend. Knights scored the lone first period goal and teams were even at 1-1 heading to the third. Teams were even at 2-2 halfway through the period but the game winner and an empty net clincher sent the Greyhounds home happy.  

MacDonald did not register a point and was 2-for-8 on faceoffs.  

Purple Knights 1 @ Mammoths 5 

The Knights hit the road to Amherst, MA, where the host Mammoths scored a pair of unanswered first period goals and added two more in the second before the Knights hit the scoreboard with its only goal on a powerplay.  

MacDonald picked up a couple more faceoff wins in the game.  

Knights are scheduled to return to Northeast 10 Conference play Friday, Dec. 3, hitting the road to Hooksett, NH to play the Southern New Hampshire Wildcats.