Ravens and Skyhawks draw in first game of season series

WINCHENDON, Mass. (January 28, 2016) – With the stage all to themselves on Thursday night -- no other Northeast-10 Conference teams in any sport played on the day -- the Franklin Pierce University men's ice hockey team and Stonehill put on a showcase contest at the Jason Ritchie Ice Arena. In a game which featured end-to-end rushes, 40-plus saves for each netminder and just two penalties, Stonehill senior forward Garrett White and Franklin Pierce sophomore forward Brad Riccardi (Scarsdale, N.Y.) traded third-period goals as the two teams played to a 1-1 tie.

With the tie, Franklin Pierce moves to 2-14-2 (0-4-2 Northeast-10), while Stonehill now stands at 9-8-4 (5-0-2 Northeast-10). It was the first of the three meetings which constitute the Northeast-10 season series between the two squads. The two will meet again on Feb. 2 at Stonehill and Feb. 16 back at Franklin Pierce.

The two teams played scoreless into the third period on Thursday night, before trading the game's only goals in a span of just 2:01. Stonehill struck first, at the 3:17 mark, on the eighth of the season for White. Senior forward Willy Baker and sophomore forward Tommy Newton combined to work the puck to White in the high slot. White took the shot through traffic from there, and it appeared Franklin Pierce senior goaltender Tom McGuckin (Clayton, N.J.) never saw the puck through the screen, as the shot found the net inside the left post.

Riccardi had the answer for Franklin Pierce at the 5:18 mark, after Franklin Pierce was able to force a turnover at its own blue line. Junior forward Connor Mauro (Shrewsbury, Mass.) led the 3-on-2 rush down the right side and into the offensive end, before dropping the puck for Riccardi in the high slot. Riccardi snapped a wrist shot from there and put it low and just inside the left post for his fourth goal of the campaign.

Stonehill had the best scoring opportunity down the stretch, with 4:25 to play in regulation. After Franklin Pierce failed to clear the defensive end, a partial 2-on-0 developed for the Skyhawks in the attacking end. Senior forward Richard Harris was on the receiving end of a cross-slot pass while crashing unchecked towards the right post. He quickly put the puck on net, but could not do so before McGuckin was able to slide across the crease and snare the shot with his glove.

Later, Franklin Pierce had the best opportunity to find the game-winning goal in overtime. With play low in the Stonehill defensive end, the puck wound up falling in the slot for sophomore forward Jonathan Haun (Buffalo, N.Y.). Haun quickly wound and fired from point-blank range at the top of the crease, but Stonehill freshman goaltender William Palmer was equal to the task, and made the save to keep the game level, headed towards the eventual 1-1 tie.

McGuckin (1-6-2) finished with 40 saves against 42 shots on goal between the pipes for Franklin Pierce. Palmer (8-4-3) collected 45 saves on 46 shots in the crease for Stonehill.

The Ravens return to the ice on Saturday, Jan. 30, when they travel to Daniel Webster for a non-conference contest. Opening faceoff is set for 7:30 p.m. at Conway Arena in Nashua, N.H.

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' online store (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu/store).