Sweeney collects pair of assists

Box Score

WINCHENDON, Mass. (January 16, 2010) – Freshman forward Roscoe Sweeney (Falmouth, Mass.) dished out a pair of assist on Saturday night, but the Franklin Pierce University men’s hockey team was defeated by Assumption, 5-3, in Northeast-10 Conference play at The Winchendon School Ice Arena. Freshman forward Keven Meehan led Assumption with three points on one goal and two assists.

With the loss, Franklin Pierce falls to 4-11-2 (1-4-1 Northeast-10), while Assumption improves to 8-7-0 (5-1-0 Northeast-10) with the victory. The win gives Assumption the victory in the three-game season series against Franklin Pierce, and thus, the two points in the Northeast-10 standings.

After a vast majority of the first period went scoreless, Assumption opened the scoring with just 52 seconds to play in the frame. Freshman forward Jaime Vona banged home a one-timer from the high slot to tally his third goal of the season, off a feed from the left wing by Meehan. Junior forward Adam Gaudreau also picked up an assist on the play.

Franklin Pierce tied the game at 1-1 just 86 seconds into the second period, when sophomore forward Anthony Chighisola (Whitman, Mass.) snapped home a wrister from the left circle to pick up his team-leading 10th goal of the season on assists from Sweeney and freshman forward Michael Carr (South Boston, Mass.).

From there, Assumption scored the next two goals to take a 3-1 lead which they would not relinquish the rest of the way. At the 5:47 mark of the second period, sophomore defenseman Kevin Glanzman unleashed a slap shot from the point and scored his third of the season off a feed from the left wing by Gaudreau. Nearly nine minutes later, sophomore forward Pat O’Kane finished a one-time from the middle of the slot in a delayed-penalty situation to tally his team-best 16th goal of the season. Sophomore forward Taylor Larsen provided the feed from behind the net, while senior defenseman Derek Whitney also picked up an assist.

Franklin Pierce pulled to within a goal just prior to the intermission, as senior forward Phil LaBreck (Thornton, N.H.) snapped home a one-timer from the left circle with five seconds to play in the period for his seventh goal of the campaign. Senior forward Casey Goodell (Rochester, N.H.) threaded the pass over to LaBreck from the right point to pick up the assist.

With Assumption shorthanded at the 12:36 mark of the third period, Meehan slipped a pass to freshman forward Cam Maillet, who found himself with a partial breakaway. Maillet beat Franklin Pierce senior goaltender Jon Tuttle (Concord, N.H.) to score his first career goal, which would prove to be the game-winner, while Glanzman also picked up an assist on the play. Four minutes later, Franklin Pierce pulled to within a goal again, after Sweeney flipped a pass to freshman defenseman Brendan McCarron (Andover, Mass.) at the left point. McCarron flung a shot low along the ice and it found its way through traffic and into the back of the net for his third goal of the season.

However, Franklin Pierce could not find the equalizer and Assumption salted the game away on an unassisted, empty-net goal by Meehan with 14 seconds to play.

Tuttle made 19 saves and took the loss (3-6-0) in net for Franklin Pierce. Sophomore goaltender Nick Blanchette stopped 25 shots to pick up the win (7-4-0) between the pipes for Assumption

Franklin Pierce posted a 28-24 advantage in shots on goal in the game and went 0-for-9 on the power play. Assumption finished 1-for-4 with the man-advantage.

The Ravens return to the ice on Tuesday, Jan. 19, when they travel to Southern New Hampshire for a Northeast-10 Conference contest. Faceoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at The Ice Den in Hooksett, N.H. Franklin Pierce next plays at home on Saturday, Jan. 23 against Plymouth State at 7 p.m.