Sullivan pots game-winner with 6:18 to play

WINCHENDON, Mass. (February 4, 2012) – Junior forward Dino Federico (Canton, Mass.) and senior forward Bill Sullivan (Pittsburgh, Pa.) scored power-play goals 3:22 apart in the third period to turn a 4-3 deficit into a 5-4 lead and put the Franklin Pierce University men's ice hockey team on its way to a 6-4 victory over Stonehill in Northeast-10 Conference play at Jason Ritchie Ice Arena. Senior forward Pat Shortt (New Haven, Conn.) finished with two goals on the night. The Ravens honored their five-player senior class prior to the game.

With the win, Franklin Pierce improves to 5-10-4 (4-3-2 Northeast-10), while Stonehill falls to 6-10-2 (3-3-1 Northeast-10). With the result, the two teams posted a 1-1-1 mark in the three-game season series and have each earned a point in the Northeast-10 standings.

The two teams traded goals with Franklin Pierce sophomore forward Bryan Colella (Medfield, Mass.) in the box for hooking early in the first period to open the scoring. First, sophomore forward Brandon Dennis (Williamsport, Md.) sprung Shortt on a partial breakaway on the right-wing side of the offensive zone while shorthanded. Shortt put his third of the season over the shoulder of Stonehill freshman goaltender Chris Tasiopoulos at the 2:15 mark to give the Ravens a 1-0 lead. Just 50 seconds later, junior forward Christopher Gorovitz evened things at 1-1 with a blast from the left point through traffic on the power play. Junior defenseman J.J. Sabin picked up the assist on Gorovitz's team-leading 12th of the season.

Stonehill would take a 2-1 lead to the first intermission after junior forward Sean McNeil found the puck amidst a scramble out front to put away his second goal of the campaign. Senior forward Jordan Fine and junior forward Dana Borges had the helpers at 10:56.

The Ravens knotted things at 2-2 just 2:54 into the second period when Colella forced a turnover in the left-wing circle. He immediately took a shot and found the back of the net for his first of the season.

The teams would trade power-play goals 10 minutes apart to head for the second intermission tied at 3-3. At the 9:01 mark, sophomore forward Bill Carey stuffed home a rebound for his fifth of the year, while senior defenseman Matt Doherty and senior forward Pat Greene added the assists. Later, with just 59 seconds remaining before the break, junior forward Tyler Cornele (Cape Coral, Fla.) took the puck to the left-wing circle and found Dennis in the slot for a one-timer that became Dennis' sixth of the season.

Stonehill struck first in the third period, again on the power play, this time at 4:56, to take a 4-3 lead. Sabin took a feed from Gorovitz and took a shot that Franklin Pierce sophomore goaltender Dave O'Brien (Groton, Mass.) turned aside. However, the rebound came right to sophomore forward Bryan Rooney at the left side of the crease and he jammed home his seventh of the season from there.

Federico then kicked off the Ravens rally by tying things at 4-4 with 9:40 to play in regulation. Colella and Cornele worked the puck down the right side to Federico at the bottom of the right-wing circle. Federico snapped a shot to the top of the net for his sixth of the season, a power-play goal. On another power play at 13:42, sophomore defenseman Andrew Dadds (Mount Ephraim, N.J.) sent the puck to junior forward Michael Carr (South Boston, Mass.) in the right-wing circle. Carr found open space across the slot and sent a pass to a wide open Sullivan at the left-wing faceoff dot. Sullivan one-timed the puck into the gaping cage before Tasiopoulos had time to slide across his crease for his second of the campaign, the eventual game winner.

With Tasiopoulos pulled for the extra attacker, Shortt forced a turnover in the neutral zone and found the empty net from center ice for his second of the game and an insurance marker with 14 seconds to play to create the 6-4 final.

O'Brien made 18 saves to pick up the win (3-4-3) between the pipes for Franklin Pierce. Tasiopoulos stopped 15 shots and took the loss (6-9-0) in front of the Stonehill net.

Stonehill posted a 22-21 advantage in shots on goal in the game and went 3-for-4 on the power play. Franklin Pierce finished 3-for-7 with the man-advantage.

The Ravens return to the ice on Wednesday, Feb. 8, when they travel to Assumption for a Northeast-10 Conference contest. Opening faceoff is scheduled for 5:35 p.m. at Buffone Rink in Worcester, Mass.

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).