McCarron puts away fourth goal of season

FOXBORO, Mass. (December 1, 2012) – A shorthanded goal by senior forward Michael Carr (South Boston, Mass.) at the 5:05 mark of the third period stood as the game-winning goal on Saturday evening, as the Franklin Pierce University men's ice hockey team notched 3-2 road win over Stonehill in Northeast-10 Conference play at Foxboro Sports Center. Senior forward Dana Borges had a goal and an assist in the third period as Stonehill mounted a late comeback.

With the win, Franklin Pierce improves to 4-3-0 (2-0-0 Northeast-10), while Stonehill falls to 4-7-0 (2-1-0 Northeast-10). The game was the first of a three-game season series, which will award two points in the Northeast-10 standings to the winner. With the victory, Franklin Pierce needs one win or two ties in the remaining two games to earn the two points. The teams will meet on Jan. 19 in Winchendon, Mass. and on Feb. 2 at Foxboro Sports Center.

Already leading 2-0, the Ravens appeared to salt the game away 5:05 into the third when Carr mustered his unassisted shorthanded tally, his second goal of the year. Later, however, the goal would prove pivotal. Just 49 seconds later, Stonehill cut the deficit to two goals once again, as Borges' eighth goal of the season ensured the power play was not a total disaster for the Skyhawks. Sophomore forward Stephen Balsamo and senior defenseman J.J. Sabin picked up the assists.

With 3:28 to play, Borges set up the third goal of the campaign for freshman forward Robbie Dorgan to pull Stonehill within a goal at 3-2. The Skyhawks would get freshman goaltender Matthew Palella to the bench in favor of the extra attacker for the final 34 seconds, but the Franklin Pierce defense was able to turn away all remaining threats and protect the lead to the final horn.

Earlier in the game, the Ravens had built the 2-0 lead with a goal each in the first and second periods. In the opening frame, at the 13:10 mark, freshman forward Matt Batis (Lakewood, N.Y.) scored his first career goal. Freshman forward Paddy Murphy (York, Maine) and junior forward Ted Walsh (Quincy, Mass.) provided the assists on the power-play goal. At the 2:51 mark of the second period, senior defenseman Brendan McCarron (Andover, Mass.) notched his team-leading fourth goal of the season, off assists from junior forward Bryan Colella (Medfield, Mass.) and senior forward Roscoe Sweeney (Falmouth, Mass.).

The two teams were credited with a plethora of shots on goal on the evening, as the final box score showed a 58-37 advantage for Stonehill. As a result, junior goaltender Dave O'Brien (Groton, Mass.) wound up with a career-best 56 saves to pick up the win (2-0-0) in net for Franklin Pierce. At the other end, Palella turned aside 34 shots and took the loss (0-1-0) between the pipes for Stonehill.

The Ravens return to the ice on Tuesday, Dec. 4, when they travel to Saint Anselm for a Northeast-10 Conference contest. Opening faceoff is scheduled for 4 p.m. at Sullivan Arena in Manchester, N.H.

For more information on Franklin Pierce Athletics, please visit the official website of Franklin Pierce Athletics (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu). Also be sure to follow the Ravens through the Department of Athletics' official Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/FranklinPierceRavens), its YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/franklinpiercesports) and its Twitter feed (http://twitter.com/FPUathletics). Fans wishing to purchase Franklin Pierce men's ice hockey apparel can do so at the Department of Athletics' brand new online store (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu/store).