McGuckin Stands Tall, Kilroy Strikes Late to Lift Men’s Ice Hockey Over Westfield State, 2-1

WINCHENDON, Mass. (November 22, 2016) – After the Franklin Pierce University men's ice hockey team surrendered a third-period lead on Tuesday night, sophomore defenseman Blaise Kilroy (Spring City, Pa.) put a shot through traffic which turned into a late game-winning goal, as the Ravens pulled out a 2-1 win over Westfield State in non-conference play at the Jason Ritchie Ice Arena. Junior goaltender Tom McGuckin (Clayton, N.J.) made 35 saves in net to pick up the win for the Ravens.

With the win, Franklin Pierce improves to 6-2-0 and has won five straight to establish a new program record. With the loss, Westfield State falls to 5-3-0.

The first period went scoreless on Tuesday night, without much to speak of in terms of quality scoring chances. Westfield State had a pair of power-play chances in the opening stanza, but came up empty, on the way to a 12-11 advantage in shots on goal. The Owls would finish the night with a 36-24 edge in shots on goal, to go with a more impressive, 70-37, edge in shot attempts.

Franklin Pierce opened the scoring with a power-play marker early in the second period to take a 1-0 lead. The Ravens worked the puck down low on the right side to sophomore forward Nate Indelicato (Pembroke, Mass.), who was along the goal line in the right-wing corner. He moved towards the net from there and ultimately stuffed his fifth goal of the season inside the right post to cash in the power-play chance. Sophomore forward Nick Indelicato (Pembroke, Mass.) and senior defenseman Taylor Fletcher (Leominster, Mass.) provided the assists at the 2:31 mark.

After the power-play goal on their first of six chances in the game, the Ravens would struggle with the man-advantage for the remainder of the night. The crimson and grey had back-to-back chances on the power play inside the final five minutes of the second period, but could not extend the lead and managed only three shots on goal between the two opportunities.

The struggles would continue for Franklin Pierce with the extra man in the third period. Not only would the Ravens go without a shot on goal on a pair of third-period power plays, but they would surrender a shorthanded goal -- and the lead as well -- at the 11:05 mark. On a faceoff in the right-wing circle of the offensive end, freshman forward Rob Neuwirth won the draw cleanly to junior forward Cody Campbell-Rich. Campbell-Rich immediately put a one-time shot on net and cleanly beat McGuckin for his second goal of the campaign to draw the game level at 1-1.

Having surrendered a deflating tying goal, and facing a mounting deficit in shot attempts as the third period wore on, Franklin Pierce looked to be in trouble heading down the stretch, particularly after back-to-back penalties gave Westfield State 56 seconds of 5-on-3 time beginning at the 12:51 mark. Instead of rolling over, the Ravens stood resilient on the penalty kill and struck for the game-winner just 28 seconds after killing off the duration of their shorthanded situation.

With the puck along the half-boards on the left-wing side, senior forward Connor Mauro (Shrewsbury, Mass.) sent the puck to Kilroy at the left point, and the latter flipped the puck towards the net from there. Kilroy used a Westfield State defender as a screen, and it appeared Owls freshman goaltender Kameron Limburg never saw the puck until it was too late. The puck slipped between Limburg's pads and into the goal for Kilroy's first collegiate goal, which would stand as the game-winner, at the 15:19 mark.

Westfield State would get Limburg to the bench for the extra attacker with 47 seconds to play, but McGuckin stopped the only shot on his goal the rest of the way to preserve the one-goal victory.

McGuckin (6-2-0) tallied 35 saves against 36 shots, including 12 saves each in the first and second periods, to pick up the win in the crease for Franklin Pierce. Limburg (4-2-0) collected 22 saves against 24 shots and suffered the loss between the pipes for Westfield State.

The Ravens return to the ice on Saturday, Nov. 26, when they travel to Trinity (Conn.) for a non-conference contest. Opening faceoff is set for 3 p.m. at Albert Creighton Williams Rink in Hartford, Conn.

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).