GREENVILLE, Pa. – The Thiel Tomcats opened the 2017 season Saturday with a 12-6 non-conference win over the University of Mount Union Purple Raiders at the Rissell-Schreyer Dome.
 
Chris Daley staked the Purple Raiders to an early lead roughly three minutes into the contest, but the Tomcats responded with seven straight goals to take a commanding lead that they would not relinquish the rest of the game.
 
Brennen O'Shea (Cranberry Township, Pa./Seneca Valley) and Jared Saffer (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills) each potted a pair of markers during Thiel's 7-0 run while Shawndel Evans II (New Haven, Conn./Notre Dame), Kyle Reib (Erie, Pa./McDowell) and Mike Bryant (Cleveland, Ohio/Cleveland Heights) also tickled the twine.
 
Saffer led the Tomcats with four goals and added a helper for a 5-point game. O'Shea finished with four points (2G, 2A) while Bryant tallied a hat trick.
 
Daley scored a goal and picked up a trio of assists to pace the Purple Raiders with four points. Derek Thomas also scored a pair of goals for Mount Union.
 
Charles Wistner (Buffalo, N.Y./Orchard Park) earned the win for the Tomcats with 14 saves. Jake Krone made 13 saves for Mount Union.
 
The Tomcats (1-0) will return to action Saturday when they host the La Roche Redhawks at the Rissell-Schreyer Dome. The non-conference game is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.