Geib collects first collegiate point

WORCESTER, Mass. (January 4, 2014) – Senior forward Ted Walsh (Quincy, Mass.), sophomore forward Matt Batis (Lakewood, N.Y.) and freshman forward Aaron Blaker (Rolling Meadows, Ill.) all scored on Saturday afternoon -- with the latter netting the game-winning goal -- as the Franklin Pierce University men's ice hockey team opened the second half of its season with a 3-2 win at Assumption in Northeast-10 Conference play at Buffone Rink. Freshman forward Paul Amarone and senior forward Kyle Zobler each scored in the loss for Assumption.

With the win, Franklin Pierce improves to 2-8-1 (1-2-1 Northeast-10), while Assumption falls to 2-9-1 (0-4-1 Northeast-10). The two teams previously played to a 3-3 tie at Franklin Pierce on Nov. 9, which means the Ravens have clinched at least one point in the three-game season series. Either a win or a tie in the final meeting -- Jan. 25 at Assumption -- would give Franklin Pierce both points, while an Assumption victory would give each team a point.

Franklin Pierce finished 2-for-5 with the man-advantage on Saturday, as its embattled power-play unit began the work of erasing the first half's 3-for-39 mark. The unit set the tone early, capitalizing on 2014's first opportunity, after Assumption took a bench minor for too many men on the ice at the 6:34 mark of the first period. The Ravens' captain, Walsh, opened the scoring just over a minute later, as he tied for the team lead with his fourth goal of the campaign, off assists from senior forwards Ilester Little (Dallas Texas) and Roman Malyshev (Moscow, Russia) at 7:42.

The lead was short-lived in the first period however, as the Greyhounds tied things at 1-1 only 1:46 later on Amarone's first career marker. Junior forwards Brennan Shaw and Trevor Plante had the helpers at 9:28. Franklin Pierce would take a 2-1 lead into the locker room when Batis notched his first of the season at 15:22, off assists from freshman defenseman Matthew Geib (Cleveland, Ohio) and sophomore forward Brendan Glynn (Quincy, Mass.). For Geib, the assist marked his first collegiate point.

The lead would last slightly longer this time, but Assumption would again tie things up, this time at the 1:45 mark of the second stanza. Zobler netted his second of the season, while junior defenseman Ben Kuzma provided the lone assist.

Through the middle portions of the second frame, Assumption had several chances to take the lead, but could not capitalize. The Greyhounds saw three consecutive power plays -- all awarded in a span of 4:15 -- go by the boards, including 58 seconds of two-man advantage. The last of the three power plays would be cut short as junior defenseman Matt Dalton was whistled for slashing at 12:22.

The ensuing, shortened power-play chance was the edge the Ravens needed, as it led to the eventual game-winning goal. At the 13:49 mark, Blaker put away his first collegiate goal, with senior defenseman Tyler Cornele (Cape Coral, Fla.) chipping in the assist. After the final 6:11 of the second and the entirety of the third period went without further scoring, Franklin Pierce came away with the 3-2 victory.

A Franklin Pierce offense which averaged only 27 shots per game in the season's first half, showed a commitment to putting pucks on net throughout the second-half opener. The Ravens enjoyed a 35-22 advantage in shots in the game, including a dominant, 15-5 edge in the tone-setting first period.

In net, senior goaltender Dave O'Brien (Groton, Mass.) turned aside 20 shots to pick up the win (1-5-1) between the pipes for Franklin Pierce. Senior Bobby Bowden made 32 saves, but suffered the loss (2-7-0) at the other end for Assumption.

The Ravens return to the ice on Tuesday, Jan. 7, when they return home to host Saint Anselm in a Northeast-10 Conference contest. Opening faceoff is set for 7:30 p.m. at Jason Ritchie Ice Arena in Winchendon.

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).