Fields leads all players with three points on two goals and an assist

Boxscore

WINCHENDON, Mass. (November 18, 2007) – Johnson & Wales University forward Adam Frew (Concord, N.H./Laconia Leafs) took advantage of a Raven defensive breakdown to score the game-winning goal with 2:12 remaining in the third period as the Wildcats defeated Franklin Pierce University, 5-4, in an ECAC Northeast Conference men’s hockey matchup on Sunday afternoon at the Winchendon School Ice Arena.

The goal came with both Franklin Pierce defensemen pinching in at the blue line to keep the puck in the Wildcat end. Johnson & Wales forward Kevin Marchesi (South Portland, Maine/New Hampshire Monarchs) controlled the puck and found Frew all alone at the red line, and the senior forward skated in uncontested on Raven freshman Matt McCarthy (Natick, Mass./New Hampton School) before deking left and sliding the puck under McCarthy’s pads for the goal.

Marchesi also scored the first goal of the game for the Wildcats in the second period, while Ryan Jacobs (Derby, Vt./Laconia Leafs) gave his team a two-goal lead with a pair of tallies early in the third period, his fifth and sixth goals of the year.

The Ravens’ first three goals of the game involved senior captain Joe Fields (Towamencin, Pa./Green Mountain Glades), who scored twice and also assisted on a goal by freshman Sean Woodring (Rogue River, Ore./Eugene Generals) in the second period for a game-high three points. Junior Coursen Schneider (Stony Point, N.Y./Avon Old Farms) also scored for the Ravens, bringing the team back from a two-goal third-period deficit with his fifth of the season at 16:15 of the period.

After a scoreless first period, the teams exploded for four goals in a span of 3:24 late in the second period to send the game into the third period tied at two. Fields began the goal rush at the 15:26 mark, breaking in down the right side and going high to the short side to beat Wildcat netminder Charlie Bacon (Hudson, Mass./Salem Ice Dogs). Only 40 seconds later, however, Johnson & Wales responded as Marchesi took a slap shot from the left point that eluded Raven goalie Spencer Utman (Brockville, Ontario/SUNY-Canton).

After the visitors took a 2-1 lead at the 18:07 mark, it was the Ravens’ turn to respond quickly, scoring 43 seconds later with the help of a Wildcat penalty. With Matt McGilvray (Rochester, N.H./Laconia Leafs) in the box for tripping, Fields fired a shot that Bacon turned away, but Woodring came streaking down the slot to fire the rebound into the net to tie the game at two.

Jacobs then began the third period with his first of the game on a very lucky bounce for the Wildcats. A Raven clear attempt caromed off the helmet of McGilvray and found Craig Houle (Burrilville, R.I./Portland Jr. Pirates), who had his shot denied by Utman but left a rebound for Jacobs, who found the net from the low slot. McCarthy replaced Utman in net after the goal, and he was welcomed with a barrage of shots, with the visitors eventually increasing their lead to two as Jacobs scored again on a two-man advantage at the 8:47 mark of the third.

The Ravens did not quit, however, scoring twice in 2:04 to re-tie the game at four. Fields began the comeback after skating in from the right dasher and deking left before stopping at the top of the crease and lifting the puck high to the top right corner. Just over two minutes later, Schneider notched his fourth power-play tally of the season from just outside Bacon’s crease, setting the stage for Frew’s heroics.

Bacon earned his second win of the season for Johnson & Wales by making 33 saves on 37 Franklin Pierce shots. The Wildcats also fired 37 shots on goal, with Utman stopping 21-of-24 shots before ceding the net to McCarthy, who took the loss in his first collegiate appearance despite turning away 11-of-13 attempts in 15:19 of ice time.

Franklin Pierce (1-5-0, 0-3-0 ECAC NE) will take the next nine days off before returning to action next Wednesday with a home conference matchup against Suffolk at 8 p.m. Johnson & Wales (2-3-0, 2-2-0 ECAC NE) will travel to Stonehill next Thursday for a conference game with the Skyhawks.