Southern New Hampshire Ices Franklin Pierce, 5-3
Three second-period tallies break the game open for the Penmen
|
Jay Stempniak potted his
first career goal on Saturday against Southern New Hampshire. |
WINCHENDON, Mass. (January
12, 2008) – Five different skaters scored goals and
freshman Todd Rowley (Billerica, Mass./Kimball Union) made 31 saves
as Southern New Hampshire University defeated Franklin Pierce
University, 5-3, in a non-conference men’s ice hockey matchup
on Saturday afternoon at the Winchendon School Ice Arena.
Freshmen Ed Montgomery (Colchester, Vt./National Sports Academy)
and Bob Bryant (Nashua, N.H./New England Jr. Huskies) each had a
goal and an assist for the Penmen. Montgomery assisted on the
game-winning goal by Ryan DiBartolomeo (Leominster, Mass./New
England Jr. Huskies) in the second period and then added an
empty-net tally in the final minute of the game. Sophomore Phil
LaCasse (Concord, N.H./Concord) and freshman Brandon Sheehan
(Bedford, Mass./New England Jr. Huskies) also scored for SNHU.
Five Raven skaters recorded one point on the afternoon. Freshman
Eric Spalt (Barnstable, Mass./New Hampton School)
and junior Jay Stempniak (West Seneca, N.Y./Johnson &
Wales) notched first-period tallies for the home team,
while sophomore Phil LaBreck (Thornton, N.H./Laconia
Leafs) added a third-period goal for Franklin Pierce.
Freshman Eric Spalt scored his second goal in as many games with a
first-period tally on Saturday.
Franklin Pierce came out strong in the opening period, holding a
13-10 shot advantage and finishing the period with a 2-1 lead.
Spalt began the scoring with his second goal in as many games after
picking up a loose puck on the right dasher and firing a wrist shot
low to the short side that beat Rowley. The Penmen came back at
17:24 when, after sustaining pressure in the offensive zone,
Sheehan grabbed a rebound in the slot and beat freshman
Jeremy Rossignolo (Rochester, N.Y./Springfield
Pics).
The Ravens came right back, however, as Stempniak regained the
team’s one-goal lead with his first collegiate goal at 18:39
of the first period, stuffing home a rebound of a shot from the
right point by junior Kyle Kruse (Sagamore Beach,
Mass./Bourne).
Southern New Hampshire controlled play for much of the second
period, holding a 14-8 shot advantage and scoring the only three
goals of the frame. Bryant found himself wide open at the back post
and tipped in a cross-ice pass from Troy Maybury (South Portland,
Maine/Bridgton Academy) at 3:51 to begin the three-goal run, then
Maybury dished off to LaCasse on a 2-on-1 break 4:23 later to give
the Penmen the lead at 3-2.
DiBartolomeo increased the lead to 4-2 with a power-play tally at
12:41 of the second period, which turned out to be the game-winner
after LaBreck notched his eighth goal of the season only 34 seconds
into the third period.
The Ravens continued to apply pressure for much of the third
period, taking 13 shots to SNHU’s five, but the team could
not find the equalizer and Montgomery eventually put the game away
by stuffing home an empty-net tally with 30 seconds left on the
clock.
Franklin Pierce outshot Southern New Hampshire on the day, 34-29,
but Rowley played very well in making 31 saves to earn the win.
Rossignolo also kept his team in the game by making 24 saves,
including 20 in the first 40 minutes of play.
Franklin Pierce (4-11-0, 0-3-0 NE-10, 2-5-0 ECAC NE) returns to
the home ice on Wednesday night, as the team welcomes ECAC
Northeast opponent Western New England College to the Winchendon
School Ice Arena for a 7 p.m. faceoff. Southern New Hampshire
(8-2-1, 2-0-0 NE-10, 5-0-1 ECAC NE) hosts ECAC NE foe Becker
College on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.