Siok makes 27 saves for Ravens

Box Score

WINCHENDON, Mass. (January 13, 2009) – Senior forward Ryan Mero (Peekskill, N.Y./Avon (Conn.) Old Farms) scored the game-winning goal and added two assists on Tuesday night to lead Saint Michael’s to a 4-1 victory over the Franklin Pierce University ice hockey team in Northeast-10 Conference play at The Winchendon School Ice Arena. Freshman forward Pat Shortt (North Branford, Conn./Southern Conn. Stars) scored the lone goal of the game short-handed for the Ravens.

Saint Michael’s scored the only goal of the first period at the 10:36 mark. Junior defenseman Dave Vorozilchak (Clark Summit, Pa./Capital District Selects (EJHL)) took a pass from Mero at the left point and unleashed a shot which navigated through traffic and into the net to give the Purple Knights a 1-0 lead. Freshman forward Brady Earle (Columbia, Md./The Gunnery School) collected the secondary assist on Vorozilchak’s second of the season.

Saint Michael’s pushed the lead to 3-0 with a pair of power-play goals in the second period. First, at the 9:50 mark, Mero scored his fourth of the year on a snap shot from between the circles off assists from senior forward Chris Healey (Salem, N.H./N.H. Monarchs (EJHL)) and junior forward Zach Gieszler (Fairbanks, Alaska/Alaska-Fairbanks). Just 1:14 later, Healey found the net himself for his eighth goal of the season on a one-timer in the high slot off a feed from the right-wing corner by Mero.

Saint Michael’s would then make it 4-0 with another power-play marker 6:26 into the third stanza. Freshman forward Reave MacKinnon (Winnipeg, Manitoba) punched home his first career goal off the rebound of a shot by sophomore forward Nick Sheehan (Potsdam, N.Y./Cornwall Colts (CJAHL)). Junior forward Ryan Nest (Gansevoort, N.Y./Nat’l Sports Academy) picked up the secondary assist. The Ravens would create the 4-1 final with a short-handed goal just 1:26 later when Shortt picked the pocket of a Saint Michael’s defender and scored on the ensuing breakaway.

Saint Michael’s held a 37-20 edge in shots on goal in the game and went 3-for-10 on the power play. Franklin Pierce finished 0-for-6 with the man advantage.

Freshman goaltender Ben Siok (Holden, Mass./St. John’s Shrewsbury) made 27 saves against 31 shots and took the loss for Franklin Pierce before leaving due to injury with 6:45 to play. Sophomore Matt McCarthy (Natick, Mass./New Hampton School) stopped all six shots he faced over the remainder of the game. Senior Tyler Bilton (Penticton, British Columbia) stopped 19 of the 20 shots he faced to earn the victory for Saint Michael’s.

The Ravens (3-7-2, 1-1-0 NE-10, 2-4-2 ECAC Northeast) return to the ice on Thursday, Jan. 15, when they travel to Southern New Hampshire for an ECAC Northeast Conference contest. Faceoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at The Ice Den in Hooksett, N.H. Saint Michael’s (4-6-1, 2-0-0 NE-10) returns to action on Jan. 16 at home against Massachusetts Boston.