PSU’s Buckley nets the game-winner with 5:30 remaining in the third period

Boxscore

WATERVILLE VALLEY, N.H. (February 20, 2008) – Franklin Pierce University erased a pair of one-goal deficits but could not come back a third time as Plymouth State University earned a 3-2 victory over the Ravens in ECAC Northeast Conference men’s ice hockey action on Wednesday night at the Waterville Valley Ice Arena.

Freshman Sean Buckley (Sagamore, Mass./Lawrence Academy) notched his fifth goal of the season, the game-winner, for the Panthers with 5:30 remaining in the third period. Buckley and teammate Dave Dufresne (Dracut, Mass./SUNY-Brockport), who recorded the first assist on the game-winner, each had a goal and an assist for a game-high two points. Senior Topo LaCroix (Moretown, Vt./Green Mountain Glades) also scored for Plymouth State.

Senior captain Trevor Clark (Randolph, Mass./Randolph) and sophomore Casey Goodell (Rochester, N.H./Laconia Leafs) recorded tallies for Franklin Pierce. Clark’s score was his first goal of the season, while Goodell potted his seventh tally of the year on the power play.

Despite the loss, sophomore goaltender Jon Tuttle (Concord, N.H./Concord) once again kept the Ravens in the game by turning away 30 of 33 Panther shots. In six games this season (five starts), Tuttle has recorded a 3.38 goals against average and a .889 save percentage, both team highs.

Plymouth State held a small 33-31 shot advantage over the Ravens on the evening, with PSU senior netminder Karl Helgesson (Lerum, Sweden/SUNY-Plattsburgh) making 29 saves to earn the win.

Dufresne opened the scoring with less than five minutes remaining in the first period, as he took a pass from Buckley and netted his eighth goal of the season at the 15:10 mark. The first period was evenly played, as Plymouth State held a slight 14-12 advantage in shots on goal.

Franklin Pierce outshot Plymouth State, 13-7, in the second period, but each team scored once to keep the Panthers’ one-goal lead intact headed into the third. Clark knotted the game at one 4:04 into the frame, as he took passes off the sticks of juniors Shane Murphy (Tolland, Conn./The Gunnery School) and Kyle Kruse (Sagamore Beach, Mass./Bourne) before beating Helgesson for his first tally of the year. But LaCroix answered back at the 8:42 mark of the period, regaining the Panthers’ one-goal edge with his fifth of the year.

Goodell re-tied the game at the midway mark of the third period with his fifth power-play goal of the season and seventh overall of the year. Sophomore Phil LaBreck (Thornton, N.H./Laconia Leafs) recorded the first assist on the goal, while senior captain Pete Wilson (Marshfield, Mass./Marshfield) also was credited with an assist. With the assist, Wilson regained the ECAC Northeast lead in power-play points, as 19 of his 21 points this season have come on the man advantage.

The Ravens, who boast the third-ranked power play in the nation, were only able to capitalize on one of their seven power-play opportunities on the night, including a pair of chances in the third period. Franklin Pierce did, however, hold Plymouth State scoreless in four man-up chances and has now killed off 12 consecutive penalties spanning the last three games.

Franklin Pierce (6-17-0, 1-3-0 NE-10, 4-11-0 ECAC NE) will finish up its 2007-08 regular season on Saturday afternoon at 4:30 p.m. with an important Northeast-10 Conference matchup with Southern New Hampshire University. The winner of Saturday’s contest will likely receive a home game in the upcoming Northeast-10 Tournament, set to begin next Saturday. Plymouth State (9-11-3, 6-6-2 ECAC NE) travels to Worcester State College to take on the Lancers Saturday at 4:30 p.m.