Ice Hockey Falls Short Against Stonehill
Framingham, Mass. - The Stonehill College ice hockey team scored three goals in the second period and held off a late surge by the Framingham State Rams to pick up a 4-3 win tonight in non-conference action at Framingham's Loring Arena. With the win the Skyhawks improve to 8-10-1 on the season, while the Rams are now 1-15-2.
Junior defenseman Blair Nickerson (Beverly, Mass.) had a hand in all three Rams goals as he scored once and assisted twice, while senior forward Joe Hurley (Charlestown, Mass.) picked up a goal and an assist for the Rams.
All three Rams goals were scored on the power play as they converted on three of six chances the man advantage, while the Skyhawks scored on two of five.
The Skyhawks took a 1-0 lead at 14:07 of the first period on sophomore Matthew Doherty's (Milton, Mass.) third goal of the season. Stonehill would double their lead just 4:34 into the second period as freshman forward Dana Borges (Taunton, Mass.), who finished the game with a goal and an assist, scored on the power play.
The Rams answered just two minutes later as freshman forward Eric Walsh (Haverhill, Mass.) scored his second of the season off a feed from Nickerson to cut the deficit back to one goal.
Andrew Diozzi (Belmont, Mass.) restored the two goal lead for the Skyhawks at 9:54 with his power play goal, but Hurley scored three minutes later, the fourth power play goal of the period, off another assist from Nickerson. Stonehill pushed the lead back to two goals just before the second intermission on an unassisted tally from senior Peter Roundy (Simsbury, Conn.).
Nickerson pulled the Rams back within one goal (4-3) with just over four minutes remaining in the game with a power play goal that was his first of the season. The Rams had several good looks at the net in the final minute, but were unable to find connect.
Junior Derek Chapdelaine (Granby, Mass.) picked up his first win of the season in net for the Skyhawks as he made 35 saves in the game, while senior Andy Joyce (Milford, Mass.) made 35 saves and picked up the loss.
The Rams return to action on Saturday as they host Westfield State at 4:40 p.m., while the Skyhawks host Assumption on Saturday at 5 p.m.