Sweeney nets pair for Ravens

Box Score

WINCHENDON, Mass. (December 9, 2009) – Sophomore forward Andrew Ella scored twice and freshman forward Zach Kohn dished out four assists on Wednesday night as Nichols defeated the Franklin Pierce University ice hockey team, 5-3, in non-conference play at The Winchendon School Ice Arena. Freshman forward Roscoe Sweeney (Falmouth, Mass.) scored twice for Franklin Pierce in defeat.

With the loss, Franklin Pierce falls to 3-6-2 (1-1-1 Northeast-10), while Nichols improves to 5-4-1 (1-3-0 ECAC Northeast) with the victory.

Each team recorded 15 shots on goal in a high-flying first period, though Nichols came away with the only two goals of the period. First, at the 14:02 mark, freshman defenseman Dustin Timm opened the scoring with his first of the season when he floated a shot from the left point over the shoulder of Franklin Pierce senior goaltender Jon Tuttle (Concord, N.H.). Freshman forwards Dustin Skinner and Danny Greiner picked up assists on the play. Later, the Bison made it 2-0 with less than two seconds to play in the period when junior forward Matt Sayer jammed home a rebound out front for his second goal of the season. Sophomore forward Andrew Letellier and Kohn would collect the assists.

While the second period didn’t feature as many shots, the goals kept coming, as the two clubs combined to find the net five times in the middle stanza. First, Nichols pushed the lead to 3-0 with a goal at the 6:58 mark on a 3-on-2 rush. Junior forward Will Munson sent the puck to Kohn on the right side. Kohn in turn sent a pass across the slot where it was one-timed into a gaping net by Ella, who tallied his second goal of the season.

Franklin Pierce would pick up the next two goals on the power play to pull within a goal at 3-2. At the 8:28 mark, freshman defenseman Wesley Russell (Marlboro, Mass.) took a pass at the right point from senior forward Casey Goodell (Rochester, N.H.) and sent it towards the net. Russell would pick up his second goal of the season as the puck deflected off the stick of a Nichols defenseman and beat sophomore goaltender Jacob Rinn. Sophomore forward Anthony Chighisola (Whitman, Mass.) also picked up an assist on the play.

Just over three minutes later, the Ravens struck again, this time with a two-man advantage. With the puck on the left point, Russell sent a pass to the right point to Goodell, who then slotted the puck through to the top of the left circle to Sweeney, who wristed home his third goal of the season at the 11:40 mark.

Nichols regained the two-goal lead just 78 seconds later with a 4-on-4 goal. Munson finished things off from the right-wing circle for his fourth of the season off assists from Kohn and sophomore defenseman Drew Palmer. However, Franklin Pierce would once again pull within a goal at 4-3 with just 53 seconds to play in the second period. Sweeney forced a turnover in the offensive zone and snapped home his second goal of the game from the top of the left-wing circle.

Nichols would pick up an insurance marker at the 7:57 mark of the third period to create the 5-3 final. Ella wristed home a laser from the top of the left circle off assists from Munson and Kohn.

Tuttle made 24 saves and took the loss (2-2-0) in net for Franklin Pierce, while Rinn made 26 saves to earn the win (2-1-0) between the pipes for Nichols.

Each team finished the game with 29 shots on goal. Franklin Pierce went 2-for-8 on the power play, while Nichols finished 0-for-5 with the man-advantage.

The Ravens return to the ice on Saturday, December 12, when they travel to Saint Michael’s for a Northeast-10 Conference contest. Faceoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. at Cairns Arena in South Burlington, Vt.