CASTLETON, Vt. (November 26, 2022) -- Junior Tyler Vanuden had the winner with less than five minutes to play on Saturday afternoon, as Buffalo State dealt the Franklin Pierce University men's ice hockey team a 4-2 defeat in the consolation round of the Terry Moran Invitational, hosted by Castleton. Senior Conor Foley (Nahant, Mass.) and freshman Devin Rohrich (Pittsburgh, Pa.) both had a goal and an assist in defeat for the Ravens.

With the loss, Franklin Pierce falls to 6-5-0, while Buffalo State improves to 5-4-0.

Franklin Pierce had the only goal of the first period on Saturday, at the 18:17 mark. On the rush, freshman Matt Horan (Methuen, Mass.) carried the puck into the offensive end on the left-wing side. He eventually fed into the middle for Foley, who fought off a back-checking defender and tucked a backhand inside the right post for his team-leading 11^th goal of the season.

In the middle of the second frame, Buffalo State struck twice in a span of just 1:48, to stake out a 2-1 lead. The first came on the power play at 7:20, after freshman Chris Blango sent the puck from the middle of the blue line over to the right circle for junior Parker Allison. Allison quickly sent it across to the left circle, where sophomore Connor Bizal buried his second of the campaign. Less than two minutes later, at 9:20, junior Nikita Kozyrev forced a turnover on the right wing, curled into the high slot and fed the puck down to the top of the crease, where junior Kerry Kruzel had the finish on his first of the year.

Franklin Pierce had a power play early in the second period and struck just seconds after the advantage ended, at 7:16, to level things at 2-2. Foley took the original shot from the hash marks, which was turned aside. Junior Cody Rumsey (York, Pa.) had the first hack at the rebound, before Rohrich put it home at the right post for his second of the season. The assist marked the sixth multiple-point outing of the season for Foley, who extended his point streak to eight games (8-8-16).

Buffalo State had the final word though, with a rebound goal of its own to tally the game-winner at 15:53. Freshman Ryan Leonard took the original shot on the play from the middle of the blue line, and the rebound kicked out on the left wing to senior A.J. Marinelli. Marinelli had a seam right across the top of the crease and used it to find Vanuden for an easy finish at the right post on the latter's team-best seventh of the season.

Marinelli tacked on an empty-net goal, his third of the year, at 18:50, to create the 4-2 final.

Freshman goaltender Jeremy Connor (Hazley, N.J.) made his first collegiate start in net for Franklin Pierce and made 34 saves against 37 shots while suffering the loss (0-1-0). Junior Emil Norman (5-4-0) stopped 26 of 28 shots at the other end for Buffalo State.

Franklin Pierce dives back into Northeast-10 Conference play next weekend, with a pair at home against Post on Dec. 2-3. Puck drop is set for 7:30 p.m. on Friday and 7 p.m. on Saturday at Jason Ritchie Ice Arena in Winchendon, Mass.