Schanke, Sweeney score for Ravens

Box Score

WORCESTER, Mass. (December 5, 2009) – Sophomore forward Taylor Larsen scored twice, including the game-winning goal on Saturday afternoon, as Assumption defeated the Franklin Pierce University ice hockey team in Northeast-10 Conference play at Buffone Rink. Freshman forwards Roscoe Sweeney (Falmouth, Mass.) and Jonathan Schanke (Wallingford, Conn.) scored for Franklin Pierce in defeat.

With the loss, Franklin Pierce falls to 3-5-2 (1-1-1 Northeast-10), while Assumption improves to 4-4-0 (4-1-0 Northeast-10) with the victory.

Larsen, who would bookend the Assumption scoring on the afternoon, opened the scoring 8:09 into the game with the only goal of the first period. His fifth of the season was the first of a pair of power-play goals for the Greyhounds and came on assists from junior forward Patrick Fitzgibbons and freshman forward Jaime Vona.

Assumption would get the only goal of the second period as well, also on the power play, to push the lead to 2-0. Senior defenseman Jon Retelle put home his second of the season at the 7:30 mark, while junior forward Adam Gaudreau and senior forward James Capulli tacked on the assists.

The two teams came out firing on all cylinders to start the third period, as they combined for three goals in 85 seconds. First, Sweeney pulled Franklin Pierce within one goal at the 4:52 mark with his second of the season off assists from freshman forward Michael Carr (South Boston, Mass.) and sophomore defenseman Michael King (Center Conway, N.H.). Just 37 seconds later, Assumption regained the two-goal lead as Larsen potted the game-winning goal, while Fitzgibbons and Retelle added assists to each pick up their second points of the night. Franklin Pierce would close to within one goal again at the 6:07 mark on a goal from Schanke, but could not find the tying goal. Sophomore forward Justin Adams (Homer, Alaska) and freshman forward Tom Mills (Oxford, England) picked up the assists on Schanke’s third of the season.

Senior goaltender Jon Tuttle (Concord, N.H.) made 26 saves on the evening and took the loss (2-1-0) in front of the net for Franklin Pierce. Sophomore goaltender Nick Blanchette stopped 34 shots to pick up the win (4-1-0) between the pipes for Assumption.

Franklin Pierce held a 36-29 edge in shots on goal in the game, and went 0-for-12 on the power play. Assumption finished 2-for-7 with the man-advantage.

The Ravens return to the ice on Wednesday, Dec. 9, when they return home to host Nichols in a non-conference contest. Faceoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. at The Winchendon School Ice Arena in Winchendon, Mass.