LaBreck scores twice, Fields ties the program points record as the Ravens rally with four goals in the third period

Boxscore

FRAMINGHAM, Mass. (December 1, 2007) – Franklin Pierce University exploded for four goals, including three unanswered tallies, in the third period as the Ravens defeated Framingham State College, 6-4, in an ECAC Northeast Conference men’s ice hockey contest on Saturday night at Loring Arena.

Sophomore Phil LaBreck (Thornton, N.H./Laconia Leafs) led the Raven attack with a career-high three points, assisting on a goal by senior captain Ben Reynolds (Wallingford, Pa./Green Mountain Glades) early in the third period and then scoring the final two Franklin Pierce goals to insure the victory. Junior Jeff Kasper (South Boston, Mass./Catholic Memorial) also had a three-point night, recording a career-high three assists.

Senior captain Pete Wilson (Marshfield, Mass./Marshfield) and sophomore Rob Perretta (Staten Island, N.Y./Brockville Tiki's) led the Raven attack from the blue line, as both defensemen recorded a goal and an assist on the evening. Senior captain Joe Fields (Towamencin, Pa./Green Mountain Glades) also scored in the first period, and with his goal tied former teammate Brian DelSavio for the school’s all-time record with 67 career points.

Freshman Matt McCarthy (Natick, Mass./New Hampton School) earned his second consecutive start in net for Franklin Pierce and picked up his first collegiate victory by turning away 30 shots. Framingham State’s Peter Dundovich (Philadelphia, Pa./UMass Boston) made 34 saves to keep his team in the game early. For the evening, Franklin Pierce held a slight 40-34 advantage in shots on goal.

Reynolds began the third-period rush with his first goal of the year only 2:42 into the period, temporarily tying the game at three. Framingham State struck back, however, as Tim Richard (Leominster, Mass./Leominster) scored on the power play less than four minutes later to give his team a short-lived lead at 4-3.

Down by a goal, the nation’s best power play then struck for two goals in 3:02 to put the Ravens back in front. With a 5-on-4 advantage following both a minor and major penalty on the Rams, Wilson scored his fourth of the season from Kasper and Perretta to knot the game at four 9:08 into the period. After a Raven bench minor expired and the team gained a two-man advantage, LaBreck found the net at the 12:10 mark to put the Ravens back ahead for good.

Franklin Pierce scored three times in nine opportunities with the man-advantage, actually lowering the team’s percentage on the season. Through eight games, the Ravens lead all NCAA hockey divisions with a 40.0 percent success rate (22-for-55) on the power play.

LaBreck added an insurance goal with 3:13 remaining in the third period to seal the game for Franklin Pierce.

The high-scoring third period mirrored the eventful first frame, as Franklin Pierce scored twice but the Rams responded with three goals to take a 3-2 lead after 20 minutes of play. Perretta began the scoring at the 4:07 mark, scoring a power-play off a pass from Wilson for his third goal of the season. After a Framingham State goal by Nicholas Glum (Bellingham, Mass./Mount St. Charles) evened the score at one, Fields notched his sixth of the season off the stick of sophomore Steve Della-Calce (East Stroudsburg, Pa./New Jersey Dynamo).

The host Rams scored twice midway through the period to take a one-goal advantage after one period, and neither team scored in the second period as the Ravens saved their offense for the final period.

Franklin Pierce (2-6-0, 1-4-0 ECAC NE), which earned its first ECAC Northeast victory of the season with the win, will step out of conference play on Wednesday night when it hosts Nichols College at 7 p.m. at the Winchendon School Ice Arena. Framingham State (0-9-0, 0-6-0 ECAC NE) will look for its first win against Western New England College on Tuesday at 7:10 p.m.