Curran sends the Skyhawks into the semifinals with a goal 32 seconds into overtime

Boxscore

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. (March 1, 2008) – Senior Matt Curran (Scarborough, Maine/North Yarmouth) scored the game-winning goal 32 seconds into overtime as fourth-seeded Stonehill College escaped with a 5-4 overtime victory over fifth-seeded Franklin Pierce University in the first round of the Northeast-10 Ice Hockey Tournament on Saturday afternoon at the Bridgewater Ice Arena.

Franklin Pierce (6-19-0, 1-4-0 NE-10, 4-12-0 ECAC NE) completes its 2007-08 season with six wins, tied for the most victories in the six-year varsity history of the program. Stonehill (12-10-2, 3-2-0 NE-10, 9-6-1 ECAC NE) moves on to the NE-10 Tournament semifinals, where it will take on top-seeded Saint Michael’s College in Colchester, Vt., on Wednesday at 7 p.m.

Junior defenseman James Florentino (West Roxbury, Mass./Xaverian) had a big game for the Skyhawks, as he scored the team’s first two tallies of the afternoon and added two assists to lead all players with four points. Senior Chase Feole (Windham, N.H./Salem) also had a pair of goals for Stonehill, while seniors Brian Davis (Foxboro, Mass./Foxboro) and Anthony Zanetti (Ludlow, Mass./Springfield Cathedral) each added two assists.

Four Ravens collected one goal each on the afternoon, including the first collegiate goal for freshman Mark Malcolm (Brockton, Mass./Brockton) and the first of the year from junior Shane Murphy (Tolland, Conn./The Gunnery School). Senior captain Pete Wilson (Marshfield, Mass./Marshfield) and junior Jeff Kasper (South Boston, Mass./Catholic Memorial) also scored for Franklin Pierce in the third period as the team came back from a pair of one-goal deficits.

Before Curran’s tally, the Ravens sent the game into overtime with a dramatic extra-attacker goal with 1:04 remaining in regulation. After a Raven timeout with 1:27 left, sophomore goaltender Jon Tuttle (Concord, N.H./Concord) was pulled for the extra skater and Franklin Pierce put consistent pressure on the Skyhawk defense, hitting the crossbar before junior Jeff Kasper (South Boston, Mass./Catholic Memorial) finally beat freshman goaltender Justin Zegel (Ridgewood, N.J./Ridgewood). Junior Coursen Schneider (Stony Point, N.Y./Avon Old Farms) recorded an assist on the tally.

Kasper’s goal was one of many exciting moments from the third period, as both teams fought for control of the game. Feole began the period with his fourth of the year at the 5:09 mark, but Wilson came back just over one minute later, notching his eighth tally of the year from sophomore Casey Goodell (Rochester, N.H./Laconia Leafs) at 6:13 while the teams skated four-on-four.

Feole struck for his second of the period at the tail end of the same four-on-four, beating Tuttle at 8:04 to put the Skyhawks back up by a goal. Franklin Pierce thought it had the game tied once again soon after Feole’s second tally, but a Raven goal was called off by the officials.

After a scoreless and penalty-free opening period, each team scored twice in the second frame. Florentino scored a pair of goals for Stonehill in the middle period, but Malcolm and Murphy found the net 3:43 apart midway through the frame to give the Ravens their only lead of the game (2-1) with 5:03 left in the period. With his goal, Malcolm became the 18th different Raven skater to score a goal this season.

Making his seventh consecutive start and first career postseason appearance, Tuttle made 31 saves for Franklin Pierce, including 10 in the first period and 13 in the second. Zegel made 20 saves to earn the victory in his fifth start of the season.

The loss was the Ravens’ 11th one-goal loss of the season, including the team’s fifth overtime setback of the 2007-08 campaign. Franklin Pierce set no fewer than seven program single-season records this year, including most goals (93), power-play goals (47), assists (151) and points (244), as well as highest power-play success rate (30.5 percent, third in the nation) and lowest team goals against average (4.69). The record-setting offense will graduate only two of its top nine scorers from 2007-08.