Ravens cap home schedule with Senior Night on Monday

WINCHENDON, Mass. (February 12, 2015) – Senior forward Bryan Gillentine (Atlanta, Ga.) notched his first collegiate goal in the first period on Thursday night, but a pair of second-period tallies led to a 2-1 defeat for the Franklin Pierce University men's ice hockey team in Northeast-10 Conference play against Stonehill at the Jason Ritchie Ice Arena. Junior forwards Anthony D'Elia and Thomas Jenkins scored in the win for Stonehill.

With the loss, Franklin Pierce falls to 3-18-1 (2-6-1 Northeast-10), while Stonehill improves to 13-5-4 (7-0-2 Northeast-10). Stonehill has now taken the first two games of the three-game series between the two clubs, and earns the two points in the Northeast-10 standings at stake.

The first period saw a special moment for the senior Gillentine, who was playing the third-to-last game of his career. In the latter half of the first period, freshman forward Jonathan Haun (Buffalo, N.Y.) threw the puck towards the net from the left-wing side. Amid significant goalmouth traffic, Gillentine was able to get his stick to the puck and finish off his first career goal to give the Ravens the lead. Freshman forward Evan Marek (Enfield, Conn.) added an assist as well, as the whole line got in on the act at the 14:16 mark.

Franklin Pierce held the 1-0 lead through the first intermission, but Stonehill wasted no time evening things at 1-1 in the second period. On the stanza's first offensive rush, junior defenseman Travis Army got the puck to D'Elia in the right circle and then cut towards the goal. D'Elia threw the puck towards the net, in an apparent attempt to set up Army for the finish. Instead, the centering effort wound up behind junior goaltender Kyle Moran (Marshfield, Mass.) for D'Elia's 10th goal of the campaign, just 13 seconds into the frame. Junior forward Willy Baker added an assist on the play as well.

The Skyhawks would strike for the eventual game-winning goal just after the midway point of the contest. On a rush into the offensive end, freshman forward Tommy Newton got the puck to senior forward Stephen Balsamo in the right-wing circle. The latter laid the puck off for junior forward Thomas Jenkins, who rang a shot off of the post and into the net for his fifth goal of the season.

Franklin Pierce would open the third period with 1:56 of two-man advantage, after D'Elia was whistled for holding the stick at 19:56 of the second period and junior forward Dan Graham was called for delay of game at the expiration of the period, after using his hand to win the stanza's final faceoff. The Ravens were unable to put a shot on net during the extended 5-on-3 and would ultimately come up empty on 10 third-period shots.

With 15 seconds to play and Moran pulled for the extra attacker, Franklin Pierce won a neutral-zone faceoff to set up one last push for the tying goal. The Ravens were able to set up a final shot for senior forward Tim Sullivan (Rye, N.H.), but Stonehill senior goaltender Chris Tasiopoulos turned aside the final threat and the Skyhawks skated away with the 2-1 win.

Moran finished with 29 saves against 31 shots and suffered the loss (1-8-1) in the crease for Franklin Pierce. Tasiopoulos made 29 stop against 30 shots to pick up the win (12-3-3) in goal for Stonehill.

The Ravens return to the ice on Monday, Feb. 16, when they remain home to host Assumption in a Northeast-10 Conference contest. Opening faceoff is set for 7 p.m. at Jason Ritchie Ice Arena, and Franklin Pierce will honor its three-player senior class prior to the start of the game.

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).