Fields sets new Franklin Pierce records for career goals and single-season points in the win

Boxscore

WINCHENDON, Mass. (January 30, 2008) – Franklin Pierce University jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the second period and then held off a hard-charging Worcester State College team to earn a 4-3 victory in ECAC Northeast Conference men’s ice hockey action on Wednesday night at the Winchendon School Ice Arena.

The duo of senior captain Joe Fields (Towamencin, Pa./Green Mountain Glades) and junior Coursen Schneider (Stony Point, N.Y./Avon Old Farms) provided much of the offensive punch for the Ravens on the night, combining for three goals and an assist. Schneider, in his first game back after missing the previous eight due to injury, recorded his third multi-goal game of the season with a pair of tallies, including the game-winner in the second period.

Fields assisted on the first-period tally of freshman Sean Woodring (Rogue River, Ore./ Eugene Generals) and then notched a goal of his own in the middle frame. Fields’ goal, the 35th of his Franklin Pierce career, broke a tie with Brian DelSavio ’07 to make him the school’s all-time leading goal scorer. The right winger, who already holds program records for career assists and points, also broke his own school record for single-season points with 26 and moved to within one of DelSavio’s single-season goals mark of 14 set last season.

Worcester State was led by sophomore Lee Belisle (Chicopee, Mass./Chicopee), who had a goal and an assist for a team-high two points. Senior Mark Bucci (Sellersville, Pa./Wyoming Seminary) and freshman Ryan Hebert (Taunton, Mass./Taunton) also scored for the Lancers.

Despite being outshot 9-7 in the first period, the Ravens scored the only two goals of the frame to hold a two-goal edge after one. Woodring began the scoring at the 10:56 mark, after Fields took the puck down the right dasher and found the center in front for a tip-in. Then with under two minutes remaining in the period, junior Kyle Kruse (Sagamore Beach, Mass./Bourne) made a heads-up pass from his own zone to a streaking Schneider, who took the puck at the Lancer blue line and walked in alone on goalie Andrew Evans (Cromwell, Conn./Mass.-Conn. Braves) before deking left and lifting the puck into the top corner.

Fields increased the lead to three 2:18 into the middle period on the power play, after he picked up a loose puck at the top of the crease and beat Evans for his program-record tally. Schneider continued the assault just over three minutes later, as he tipped home a pass from freshman Eric Spalt (Barnstable, Mass./New Hampton School) at the right post for his second of the night.

Worcester State would not go away, however, chipping away at the Raven lead and nearly tying the game. Bucci got his team on the scoreboard a mere 23 seconds after Schneider’s second tally, and Belisle notched his fifth of the year on the power play later in the period to bring the deficit to 4-2 headed into the third period.

The Lancers continued to put pressure on the Ravens after Hebert scored at the 6:50 mark to bring his team to within a goal. The team pulled Evans with 1:18 remaining in the game and forced Raven sophomore goaltender Jon Tuttle (Concord, N.H./Concord) to make some excellent saves as time wound down, including a sprawling save in the final 30 seconds on Tom Ford (North Grafton, Mass./St. John’s), who had an open net at the left post but could not get the puck past Tuttle.

Franklin Pierce held a 35-27 shot advantage on the night, including a 19-7 edge in the second period. In his first collegiate start, Tuttle made 24 saves to earn his first career victory. Evans kept the Lancers in the game by stopping 31 shots on 35 attempts.

Franklin Pierce (5-14-0, 0-3-0 NE-10, 3-8-0 ECAC NE) will return to the ice on Saturday against Northeast-10 and ECAC Northeast Conference opponent Assumption College at 7:30 p.m. Worcester State (1-17-0, 1-9-0 ECAC NE) takes on Framingham State College on Saturday at 5:40 p.m.