Manginell nets first goal of season

WINCHENDON, Mass (January 9, 2016) – Leading 2-1 after the first period and 3-2 after the second, the Franklin Pierce University men's ice hockey team could not seal the deal on Saturday night at the Jason Ritchie Ice Arena. Instead, Suffolk rallied for the lead with a power-play marker and a shorthanded tally, and then added an empty-net insurance goal to skate away with a 5-3 win in non-conference play. Senior forward Justin Selep put home the empty-netter to cap his first collegiate hat trick.

With the loss, Franklin Pierce falls to 2-11-0, while Suffolk improves to 8-3-2. The two teams split their two-game season series, with each winning on the other's home ice, as the Ravens scored a 5-4 win at Suffolk on Dec. 12.

Trailing 3-2 coming out of the second intermission, Suffolk scored all three of the third period's goals on Saturday night. First, the Rams capitalized on their second power play of the stanza at the 7:23 mark, on the first goal of the season for senior defenseman Tyler Heineman. Junior forward Daniel Medvedev had the first of his three third-period assists, as he took the original shot on the play, which was turned aside by Franklin Pierce sophomore goaltender Tom McGuckin (Clayton, N.J.). The rebound came into the right circle for Heineman, who put it back on net and in, while Selep contributed an assist on the play as well.

Suffolk struck for the lead with a shorthanded tally at the 15:10 mark. Medvedev fed Selep, who was charging hard towards the right post. The latter continued hard to the net and stuffed the puck home for his second goal of the night and his eighth of the season.

The late lead change forced Franklin Pierce to lift McGuckin for the extra attacker in the final minutes, which ultimately allowed Suffolk to add an empty-net goal. Senior forward Mike Cherpak lost his stick in the neutral zone, but managed to kick the puck deep into the offensive zone and into the left-wing corner. Medvedev was able to chase the puck down and center it for Selep, who had the empty-net finish to cap a three-goal, four-point night (3-1-4). For Medvedev, it was his fourth assist of the game.

Earlier in the game, Suffolk outshot Franklin Pierce 20-7 in the first period, but the Ravens came out of the period with a 2-1 lead. The Rams struck first, with a power-play marker at the 10:11 mark. With the puck in the right circle, Medvedev fed a pass to the middle of the blue line for Heineman, who wound and fired a slap shot from there. McGuckin made the initial save, but Selep jammed home the rebound to open the scoring.

Franklin Pierce had the answer less than a minute later, at the 11:02 mark, off of a turnover deep in the Suffolk defensive end. Freshman forward Travis Geraci (Old Bridge, N.J.) took control of the puck in the right-wing corner and immediately fed the puck out front. Senior forward Matt Batis (Lakewood, N.Y.) was crashing the net and had the one-time finish for his second goal of the season.

The Ravens struck for the lead with a shorthanded tally at the 14:53 mark. A blocked shot in the defensive end ricocheted into the neutral zone and sent senior forward Brendan Glynn (Quincy, Mass.) and freshman defenseman Dylan Yameen (Methuen, Mass.) the other way, heading what was nearly a clean 2-on-0. As the Suffolk back-check attempted to track the two down, Yameen laid the puck off for Glynn on the right side, as the latter had a better angle to the net. Glynn crashed to the right post with the puck and put home his third of the season, as well as his second career shorthanded goal.

The two teams traded a goal each in the middle period, before Suffolk's third-period rally. The Rams struck first in the middle frame, at the 2:04 mark, on the fourth goal of the season for freshman forward Tommy Bishop. The goal would be unassisted, as Bishop walked the puck out front himself, cut in front of the goal and picked the top-right corner of the net.

Franklin Pierce reclaimed the lead at 3-2 on the first of the season for sophomore forward Blake Manginell (Troy, Mich.) at the 15:25 mark. Sophomore forward Anthony Langevin (Albany, N.Y.) worked the puck to freshman defenseman Jack Williams (Suffield, Conn.), and the latter led the rush into the offensive end on the right-wing side. The Ravens suddenly had numbers in the offensive end on the rush, and Williams slipped a pass to an uncovered Manginell in the slot for the quick finish.

McGuckin (1-6-0) finished with 36 saves against 40 shots on his goal for Franklin Pierce. Senior netminder Brandon Smolarek (7-2-2) made 22 saves against 25 shots in the crease for Suffolk.

The Ravens return to the ice on Friday, Jan. 15, when they travel to Nazareth for a non-conference contest. Opening faceoff is set for 7 p.m. at Bill Gray's Regional Iceplex in Rochester, N.Y.

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 soccer apparel can do so at the Department of Athletics' online store (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu/store).