Mauro strikes for Ravens

WINCHENDON, Mass. (January 20, 2015) – Southern New Hampshire senior forward Dane Caracino broke a 1-1 tie with a power-play goal with 34 seconds to play in regulation on Tuesday night, as the Franklin Pierce University men's ice hockey team dropped a 2-1 decision to Southern New Hampshire in Northeast-10 Conference play at Jason Ritchie Ice Arena. Sophomore forward Connor Mauro (Shrewsbury, Mass.) scored in defeat for Franklin Pierce.

With the loss, Franklin Pierce falls to 3-12-0 (2-4-0 Northeast-10), while Southern New Hampshire improves to 8-8-1 (2-4-0 Northeast-10). The two teams have now split the first two games of their three-game season series. As a result, the rubber game of the set -- on Feb. 10 in Hooksett, N.H. -- will determine who gets the series' Northeast-10 standings points.

After a scoreless first period went by the boards, SNHU opened the scoring at the 4:28 mark of the second period, on the fifth goal of the season for sophomore forward Jay Sylvia. With the puck in the left-wing corner, junior forward Joe Collins cut behind the net from left to right. As he exited on the right-wing side of the cage, he slipped a pass out front to Sylvia, who one-time finished from the slot.

Franklin Pierce evened the score at 1-1 less than three minutes later, at 7:05. Senior defenseman Brendan FitzPatrick (Winthrop, Mass.) and sophomore forward Michael Marchionda (Hyde Park, Mass.) teamed to work the puck out of the defensive end to Mauro in the neutral zone. Mauro attempted to dump the puck deep after he crossed center ice, but the dump-in was knocked down by the SNHU defense. The deflection came back to Mauro's feet as he worked around the defender and wound up with a partial breakaway inside the blue line. Mauro unleashed a low shot from the high slot which slipped between the pads of freshman goaltender Matthew MacInnis and into the net for Mauro's fifth goal of the campaign.

Each team had at least one golden opportunity in the third period before Caracino eventually found the game-winner. Just over a minute into the final stanza, Franklin Pierce freshman forward Anthony Langevin (Albany, N.Y.) had the puck on the left side on a rush into the offensive end and ripped a shot from the left circle which cleanly beat MacInnis on the far side, but rang off the right post and stayed out of the net. Near the midpoint of the period, some slick puck movement by SNHU while shorthanded left senior forward TJ Bond with the puck in the slot and only freshman goaltender Tom McGuckin (Clayton, N.J.) to beat. Bond deked to the forehand and then went around McGuckin on the left, but his backhand attempt missed the net.

Instead, the game remained 1-1 until the final minute of regulation. Mauro was whistled for slashing at 17:29, and the Ravens came within three seconds of killing off the penalty before Caracino capitalized. Senior forward Steven Berry and senior defenseman Casey Goll set up Caracino in the left circle. The latter's quick shot from there beat McGuckin on the far side, rang of the inside of the post and found the back of the net for Caracino's ninth goal of the season.

McGuckin finished with 32 saves against 34 shots and suffered the loss (1-4-0) in the crease for Franklin Pierce. MacInnis stopped 19 of the 20 shots sent his way to pick up the win (1-4-1) at the other end of the ice for SNHU.

The Ravens return to the ice on Saturday, Jan. 24, when they travel to Hamilton for a non-conference contest. Opening faceoff is set for 7 p.m. at Russell Sage Rink in Clinton, N.Y. Franklin Pierce next plays at home on Tuesday, Jan. 27 against Assumption at 7 p.m.

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).