WINCHENDON, Mass. (January 14, 2017) – A goal with 3:06 to play in regulation, and another just 67 seconds into overtime spelled disaster for the Franklin Pierce University men's ice hockey team on Saturday night at Jason Ritchie Ice Arena. A late, 2-1 lead quickly evaporated into a 3-2, overtime defeat for the Ravens, who fell to Stonehill in Northeast-10 Conference play. Freshman forward Connor Jewett tied the game in the third for the Skyhawks, while fellow freshman forward Cameron Wright followed with the game-winner in overtime.

With the loss, Franklin Pierce falls to 7-10-1 (2-5-0 NE10), while Stonehill improves to 5-10-3 (2-3-0 NE10). The Ravens had won the previous meeting between the two, 3-0, in Foxborough, Mass., on Nov. 19, which meant the late rally prevented Franklin Pierce from claiming the two standings points for winning the three-game season series. Instead, the points will go to the winner of the third and final game of the series, which is set for Jan. 28 at Stonehill.

The tables turned quickly down the stretch on Saturday night. Franklin Pierce held a 2-1 lead with five minutes to play. As time began to wind down, it appeared as if Stonehill -- which held a 32-20 advantage in shots on the night -- would likely need to pull sophomore goaltender Billy Palmer in favor of an extra attacker in order to force the issue and attempt to procure the tying goal. Instead, the Skyhawks were able to strike with 3:06 to play, before it would become a necessity.

Freshman forward Ryan Meade had the original shot on the play, from the right point, which was turned aside and rebounded away into the right-wing corner. Senior forward Brian Higgins tracked the puck down there, turned and fired a pass across the top of the crease to the bottom of the left-wing circle. Jewett was waiting there and buried his second of the season on a one-time shot before Franklin Pierce junior goaltender Tom McGuckin (Clayton, N.J.) could traverse his crease, tying the game at 2-2 at the 16:54 mark.

The final 3:06 would go without another goal, which meant overtime in Winchendon. Stonehill would need just 67 seconds to find the winner in the extra session. A centering pass which did not connect in the offensive zone for Franklin Pierce led to Wright leading a 2-on-2 the other way down the right-wing side. As he sped through the neutral zone, Wright cut to the middle of the ice and eventually entered the offensive zone heading left, into the left-wing circle. From the faceoff dot, he snapped a shot on the rush which cleanly beat McGuckin to set off the victory celebration for the Skyhawks. Junior forward Tommy Newton provided the lone assist on Wright's seventh of the campaign at 1:07.

Earlier in the night, Franklin Pierce opened the scoring with the first period's only goal, late in the frame. Freshman defenseman Cameron Shepardson (Albany, N.Y.) took a centering feed at the hashmarks on the right side of the slot and snapped the puck into the top-right corner for his first collegiate goal. Junior forward Jonathan Haun (Buffalo, N.Y.) and freshman forward James Morrissey (West Haven, Conn.) tallied the assists at 18:39.

Stonehill evened things at 1-1 at the 3:55 mark of the second stanza. A hustle play from freshman forward Ryan Smith allowed him to first beat out a potential icing call and then gain possession of the puck behind the net. He was able to clear the right-wing side of the cage and send a centering pass to freshman forward Jack Scannell. Scannell popped home his second goal of the season from there, while junior forward Austin Goldstein picked up an assist on the play as well.

Franklin Pierce staked itself to a 2-1 lead just 48 seconds into the third period, working on a 5-on-3 advantage, courtesy of a pair of Stonehill penalties in the final 30 seconds of the second frame. Morrissey had the power-play goal, his third goal of the season, by burying a wrist shot from the right circle, off of assists from Haun and senior defenseman Taylor Fletcher (Leominster, Mass.). The game would go without another goal until Jewett tied the game with the aforementioned goal with 3:06 to play.

McGuckin (7-10-1) finished with 29 saves against 32 shots on goal and suffered the loss in net for Franklin Pierce. Palmer (5-9-3) needed to make just 18 saves against 20 shots to pick up the win in the crease for Stonehill.

The Ravens return to the ice on Tuesday, Jan. 17, when they travel to Saint Anselm for an NE10 contest. Opening faceoff is set for 7 p.m. at Sullivan Arena in Manchester, 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).