Junior forward has five goals in last two games

WINCHENDON, Mass. (January 6, 2012) – Junior forward Michael Carr (South Boston, Mass.) scored three times to record his first career hat trick on Friday night, but the Franklin Pierce University men's ice hockey team ultimately fell, 5-4, to SUNY Geneseo in non-conference action at Jason Ritchie Ice Arena. Geneseo junior forward Corbin Rosmarin broke a 4-4 tie with an end-to-end rush leading to the game-winning goal with 2:02 to play in regulation.

With the loss, Franklin Pierce falls to 1-7-3 (1-2-1 Northeast-10), while SUNY Geneseo improves to 8-6-0 (4-4-0 SUNYAC). The game marked the first time in program history a SUNYAC school traveled to play a road game against Franklin Pierce.

Carr had yet to find the net on the season before Wednesday night's game against Saint Anselm. He scored twice against the Hawks, which meant Friday's outburst left him with five goals in two games over three days.

The two teams traded goals in the latter half of the opening period. Geneseo opened the scoring at the 13:47 mark, when sophomore forward Carson Schell stuffed home a rebound for his fourth of the season, with assists going to senior forward Stefan Decosse and senior defenseman Jake Yard. Carr answered for Franklin Pierce just 3:07 later, when he forced a turnover inside the blue line and notched his third goal of the season, unassisted, from between the hash marks.

After the intermission, Carr would strike again to give the Ravens the lead just 29 seconds into the middle stanza. With the puck on the left wing and a two-on-one in the attacking zone, senior forward Bill Sullivan (Pittsburgh, Pa.) feathered a pass over a sprawling Geneseo defender, and Carr one-timed it inside the right post before senior goaltender Cory Gershon could slide across his crease.

It would be the first of four goals alternated by the two teams in the second frame. Geneseo drew even at 2-2 at 5:56 when junior forward Ryan Bulach sent the puck to junior forward Kaz Iwamoto, who skated behind the net from the right-wing side. When he emerged in the left corner, he fed senior forward David Arduin in the left circle, and Arduin blistered a shot past Franklin Pierce senior goaltender Ben Siok (Holden, Mass.) for his sixth goal of the year.

Franklin Pierce again jumped out front, at 3-2 at 12:07, after a partial odd-man chance generated through the neutral zone and into the offensive end, leading to a scramble in the crease. Junior forward Adam Dallaire (Waltham, Mass.) would get credit for his third goal of the season after jamming the puck in. Geneseo would re-knot the game with just 43 seconds remaining before the intermission as Arduin sent the puck to Iwamoto in the right circle. Iwamoto had space to his right and coasted into the slot, faked a slap shot which dropped Siok into the butterfly, then rifled a shot to the top corner for his third goal of the season.

After much of the third period went without a goal, Carr completed the hat trick at 13:24. Junior defenseman Wes Russell (Marlboro, Mass.) forced a turnover in the neutral zone and gave the puck to Carr before joining the ensuing two-on-one rush. Carr took the shot himself and found the back of the net to give the Ravens a 4-3 lead. However, Geneseo would answer only 54 seconds later to even the score at 4-4. Schell flipped the puck towards the net from the left circle and Siok got his pads to the shot before it got behind him and trickled into the goal. Sophomore forward Zachary Vit picked up an assist on the play.

The tying goal set up Rosmarin's heroics at the 17:58 mark. Rosmarin claimed possession of the puck in the right circle of his defensive end and started out of the zone. He deked one player than burst around another with speed into the offensive end. From the top of the right circle, Rosmarin snapped a shot which beat Siok over the shoulder, clanged the underside of the crossbar and dropped into the net for Rosmarin's sixth score of the season to create the 5-4 final.

Siok made 29 saves and took the loss (0-2-0) between the pipes for Franklin Pierce. Gershon stopped 15 shots to pick up the win (3-3-0) in front of the SUNY Geneseo net.

SUNY Geneseo posted a 34-19 advantage in shots on goal in the game and went 0-for-1 on the power play. Franklin Pierce finished 0-for-1 with the man-advantage as well. The crisply played game saw the each team whistled for only three penalties totaling six minutes.

The Ravens return to the ice on Saturday, Jan. 7, when they remain home to host SUNY Geneseo in the second game of the non-conference weekend set. Opening faceoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Jason Ritchie Ice Arena.

For more information on Franklin Pierce Athletics, please visit the official website of Franklin Pierce Athletics (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu). Also be sure to follow the Ravens through the Department of Athletics' official Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/FranklinPierceRavens), its YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/franklinpiercesports) and its Twitter feed (http://twitter.com/FPUathletics).