WINCHENDON, Mass. (November 11, 2022) -- The Franklin Pierce University men's ice hockey team dug itself an early hole it could not find its way out of in its home opener on Friday night. Visiting Saint Michael's struck three times in the opening period and then held serve the rest of the way, on the way to a 6-3, Northeast-10 Conference victory at Jason Ritchie Ice Arena. Graduate student Chris Stevenson (Arvada, Colo.) had a goal and an assist in defeat for the Ravens, while junior Zach Taylor scored twice in the victory for the Purple Knights.

With the loss, Franklin Pierce falls to 3-2-0 (1-2-0 NE10), while Saint Michael's improves to 3-2-0 (2-1-0 NE10). The two teams will close out their weekend series on Saturday at Jason Ritchie Ice Arena, with a 1 p.m. puck drop.

Saint Michael's built a 3-0 lead in the first period on Friday, and never really looked back. Sophomore Jack Bavis opened the scoring with his first of the year at 7:51, as he deked to the right post to finish off a breakaway. Taylor followed up at 14:44 with his third of the season, as he ripped a shot off the left post and in, from the top of the right circle on the rush. The third came just 84 seconds later, at 16:08, as senior Matt Schreiner put away a rebound out front for his third of the year.

The two teams traded goals in the second. Franklin Pierce got on the board with a power-play marker at 14:35, as Stevenson jammed home a rebound on the doorstep for his first of the campaign. Saint Michael's answered at 17:31, via a tic-tac-toe passing play on the rush, which set up senior Owen Rudicus for his first of the year from the slot.

Both sides would strike twice in the third period to create the 6-3 final. Another power-play marker closed the Ravens within 4-2, as senior Conor Foley (Nahant, Mass.) took a feed from Stevenson on the rush and slipped a nifty backhand shot home on the short side from the right circle for his fifth of the year. Again, Saint Michael's responded, at 9:51, when senior Jeremy Routh put the puck towards the net from the left circle and Taylor redirected it home at the top of the crease.

Franklin Pierce cut the deficit to two again, at 13:05, on the first collegiate goal for freshman Matt Horan (Methuen, Mass.), who went bar-down from the top of the right circle, after being sprung down the right wing by senior Jackson Dobek (Natick, Mass.). Saint Michael's capped the scoring with an empty-net tally from sophomore Case Kantgias, who notched his second of the season at 19:28.

Graduate student Kyle Martin (Westford, Mass.) finished with 25 saves against 30 shots and suffered the loss (3-2-0) in front of the Franklin Pierce net. Junior Marshall Murphy (2-1-0) made 30 saves against 33 shots in the victory for Saint Michael's.