Four-Spot in Second Hurts as Men’s Ice Hockey Falls to Daniel Webster in 6-4 Barnburner

Riccardi notches goal, assist

WINCHENDON, Mass. (November 3, 2015) – The Franklin Pierce University men's ice hockey team built a 3-0 lead early in the second period on Tuesday night, but it all came undone from there at the Jason Ritchie Ice Arena. Daniel Webster took the lead before the period was out and scored the game's next six goals in all, en route to a 6-4 win in non-conference play. Franklin Pierce sophomore forward Brad Riccardi (Scarsdale, N.Y.) and Daniel Webster sophomore forwards Ryan Murray and Zach Paisley all had a goal and an assist each in the 10-goal adventure.

With the loss, Franklin Pierce falls to 0-2-0, while Daniel Webster improves to 1-2-0. For Daniel Webster, which is in its first year as a varsity program, the win stands as the first victory in program history.

Franklin Pierce started strong on Tuesday night, putting home the game's first goal less than a minute in. A quick neutral-zone feed from junior defenseman Dan Gibbons (Quincy, Mass.) to sophomore forward Jonathan Lee (Staten Island, N.Y.) allowed the latter to do the rest. Lee chipped the puck off the boards, around a defenseman and, once he caught back up to it, was leading a 2-on-1 into the offensive zone. Lee took the shot himself from the right-wing circle beat Daniel Webster junior goaltender Morgan Hudson for Lee's first of the season at just the 56-second mark.

The Lee marker would be the only goal of the first period, though the Ravens picked up two more in the first five minutes of the second stanza to balloon the lead to 3-0. First, with Franklin Pierce on the power play, a rebound popped up in the air in front of the goal, before falling in front of Riccardi in the slot. Before the defense could find its bearings, Riccardi put the one-time finish inside the left post for his first of the year, while freshman defenseman Dylan Yameen (Methuen, Mass.) and sophomore forward Sean Gargin (Staten Island, N.Y.) picked up the assists, as each earned their first collegiate point.

Just 94 seconds later, at the 4:15 mark, freshman forward Travis Geraci (Old Bridge, N.J.) notched his first career goal, as he finished off a loose puck at the left post. Senior forwards Brendan Glynn (Quincy, Mass.) and Matt Batis (Lakewood, N.Y.) picked up the helpers on the play.

Daniel Webster answered just 1:40 later, on a miscommunication by the Ravens defense, which may have foretold things coming apart at the seams for Franklin Pierce the rest of the way. Sophomore goalkeeper Étienne Roy (Saint-Henri, Quebec) came behind his net to play a loose puck, but collided with one of his own defenseman on the excursion from the crease. Paisley swooped in to force the turnover and put the puck into the vacated net for his first goal of the campaign.

The Eagles closed the gap to 3-2 less than three minutes later, when sophomore forward Joe Hawkins banged home a rebound at the right post. Murray and junior forward Will Humfryes notched the assists at the 8:08 mark.

Another turnover by the Ravens led to Daniel Webster drawing level at 3-3 at the 12:03 mark of the period. Taking possession while already in the attacking zone, junior forward David Downie found himself with the puck and suddenly in charge of a 2-on-1. Downie fed to Paisley, who put home the one-time finish for his first of the year.

Franklin Pierce freshman forward Lucas Luppino (Wyckoff, N.J.) took a boarding penalty at 18:21, which set the stage for the goal which would put the Eagles ahead to stay. Sophomore defenseman Ryan McCarthy finished off a rebound on the power play at the 19:32 mark to cap the six-goal stanza, while junior defenseman Matt Rasimowicz-Howell provided the lone helper.

Daniel Webster would tack on a pair of important insurance markers over the opening 13:12 of the third frame, pushing the lead as high as 6-3. First, on a quick rush into the zone, freshman forward Dan Bellafiore put a snapshot to the top-left corner from the left circle for his second of the campaign at the 6:40 mark, with the eventual game-winner coming off an assist from Paisley. Later, at 13:12, a pass through the neutral zone by sophomore forward Matt Fitzpatrick sprung sophomore forward Jeremy Hannah in on a breakaway. Hannah deked and finished at the right post for his first of the season.

Franklin Pierce got one goal back in the final six minutes, but not the other two, resulting in the 6-4 final. On the power play at the 14:05 mark, junior forward Connor Mauro (Shrewsbury, Mass.) put home a rebound from the bottom of the left circle for his first of the season, while Riccardi was credited with the assist.

Roy (0-1-0) finished with 23 saves against 29 shots on goal in the loss for Franklin Pierce. At the other end of the ice, Hudson (1-2-0) tallied 33 saves against 37 shots in the victory for Daniel Webster.

The Ravens return to the ice on Wednesday, Nov. 4, when they travel to Framingham State for a non-conference contest. Opening faceoff is set for 7:40 p.m. at Loring Arena in Framingham, 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 soccer apparel can do so at the Department of Athletics' online store (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu/store).