Recap by student-staff writer Jonah Boyea

WINCHENDON, Mass. (2/4/25)– The Franklin Pierce men's ice hockey team battled it out with Assumption Tuesday night in Winchendon. The dramatic game swung in the Ravens' favor early then late in the game and ultimately lead to the team securing their first win of the season and the first under new head coach Ken Gernander 6-3.

Score: Franklin Pierce 6, Assumption 3
Records: Franklin Pierce (1-22-1, 1-15-0 NE10), Assumption (11-15-0, 8-8-0 NE10)
Location: Winchendon, Mass., Jason Ritchie Ice Arena
Date: February 4th, 2025

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• It didn't take long for the Ravens to get on the board first just a minute and sixteen seconds as Ryan Dutcher (Milford, Mass.) got some open space by the blue line and rifled the puck past Greyhound goaltender Thomas McClarnon to get the Ravens a 1-0 lead.
• Then ten minutes later the Ravens had their first powerplay chance. Cooper Anderson (Marquette, Mich.) patiently waited by the goal for a rebound chance and after a shot from Todd Branish (Littleton, Colo.), the puck found Andersons stick and tapped in it for the powerplay goal, extending the Raven lead to 2-0.
• The Ravens added one more right before the end of the first period as John Sterling (Centreville, Va.) attacked the net on a loose chance and cashed it in added yet another goal to the Raven lead, making it 3-0 to end the first period.
• The second period brought chaos to start with the Greyhounds scoring just thirty-two seconds into the period from Ryan Decker, making it 3-1. Then two seconds, yes two seconds later, Ronny Paragallo ambushed the net and slotted it past Raven goaltender Jeremy Connor (Hazlet, N.J.) making it 3-2.
• The Ravens then were able to answer with a strong wrist shot from Doug McGuire (Elk Grove Village, Ill.) on the blue line giving the Ravens once again a two-goal lead, 4-2.
• Then five minutes later, Ryan Decker once again was able to capitalize on the scoring end and net his second goal of the game and bring the Greyhounds within one, 4-3 to end the second period.
• Then the vital third period was back and forth until halfway through the period, Anderson once again found himself in front of the net waiting for a second chance shot and like last time got the puck to his stick on the rebound chance and flushed it in for the 5-3 lead.
• With a minute left to go, the Greyhounds pulled their netminder for the extra skater to try to tie the game late. Austin Pick (Troutdale, Ore.) had other plans and after a block shot, sent it down the ice into the empty net to clinch the Ravens long awaited first win.

BREAKING DOWN THE NUMBERS:

• The Ravens were outshot by the Greyhounds 30-20.
• Junior goaltender Jeremy Connor gets the win in net for the Ravens after a solid performance with 27 saves on 30 shots faced.
• The Greyhounds went 1-for-2 on the powerplay while the Ravens went a perfect 2-for-2 on the man advantage.

NEXT UP FOR THE RAVENS: The Ravens once again faceoff at home once again on Friday and Saturday against the Penmen of Southern New Hampshire. Puck drop is set for 3:30 at the Jason Ritchie Ice Arena, Friday.