Senior has second multi-point game of season

WINCHENDON, Mass. (December 13, 2013) – Senior defenseman Tyler Cornele (Cape Coral, Fla.) had a goal and an assist on Friday evening, but the Franklin Pierce University men's ice hockey team ultimately dropped a 4-2 decision to Morrisville State in non-conference play at Jason Ritchie Ice Arena. Sophomore defenseman Marc-Antoine Chaput and senior defenseman Daniel Morello had a goal and an assist each in the win for Morrisville State.

With the loss, Franklin Pierce falls to 1-8-1 (0-2-1 Northeast-10), while Morrisville State improves to 3-7-1 (1-6-1 SUNYAC). The two teams were originally scheduled to meet on Saturday night as well, but the game has been canceled as a result of Saturday's impending winter storm. As a result, the game closes out the first semester for Franklin Pierce, which will now be idle until Jan. 4.

The Ravens got on the board first, at the 15:28 mark of the first, when their embattled power-play unit converted on a tripping minor to Morrisville State sophomore forward Zach Baker. Senior defensemen Kyle Craig (Quincy, Mass.) and Cornele worked the puck out of the defensive end and onto the stick of freshman forward Brett Oldaker (Canonsburg, Pa.), who found a seam down the left side of the ice. He came into the offensive zone with a one-on-one situation in front of him, powered outside the defender to find a shooting lane and snapped home his first collegiate goal.

The game would go nearly 20 minutes without further scoring, until Morrisville State knotted things at 1-1 at the 15:21 mark of the middle stanza with a power-play goal of its own. Morello sent the puck to the left point for freshman forward Jordan Carvalho, who then worked his way across the point from right to left. Near the right point, Carvalho drew a defender toward him as he left the puck for Chaput, who now had room to step into the high slot, find a shooting lane and snap home his third goal of the year.

Less than two minutes after the Chaput goal, at 17:17, Morrisville State sophomore defenseman Matt Scherer took a penalty for boarding and the Franklin Pierce power play was able to convert again. Craig again had a helper, as he set up Cornele at the left point and the latter sniped a top corner from there to score his fourth of the campaign and give the Ravens a 2-1 lead.

Franklin Pierce would get in penalty trouble with a pair of minors in the first five minutes of the third period, and the Mustangs capitalized on both chances to turn a 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 lead over the frame's opening 3:51. Junior forward Bryan Gillentine (Atlanta, Ga.) took a boarding minor 98 seconds into the period and Morrisville State tied the game 1:09 later to tie the game at 2-2. Chaput worked the puck to the left point to Morello, who blasted home his third of the season from there. Only 29 seconds after the Morello goal, freshman forward Aaron Blaker (Rolling Meadows, Ill.) took a boarding minor of his own. At 3:51, just 35 seconds into the man-advantage, Morrisville State notched its third power-play goal of the night, which would ultimately stand as the game-winner. After a failed clearing attempt by the Franklin Pierce penalty kill, junior forward Matthew Beer finished off his fourth of the season from the slot. Senior forward Ryan Marcuz and sophomore forward Zach Bayer picked up the assists on the play.

Morrisville State picked up an insurance goal at the 7:48 mark to create the 4-2 final. Franklin Pierce senior goaltender Dave O'Brien (Groton, Mass.) made the initial save on the play, but was left sprawled out on the ice in the process, which ultimately led to a second-chance goal for the Mustangs after the defense was unable to shepherd the puck to safety. Eventually, the puck found its way to Marcuz off to the left-wing side of the net. Meanwhile, sophomore forward Steve Dol had made his way into an open area in front of the crease. Marcuz slipped the puck to Dol in the slot and the latter shoveled it into the gaping net for his second goal of the year.

O'Brien wound up with 25 saves and took the loss (0-5-1) in front of the Franklin Pierce net. Senior Chris Azzano made 17 saves between the pipes for Morrisville State to pick up the win (2-6-1).

The Ravens return to the ice on Saturday, Jan. 4, when they travel to Assumption for a Northeast-10 Conference contest. Opening faceoff is set for 4:35 p.m. at Buffone Rink in Worcester, Mass.

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).