Fitchburg State Uses Strong Second Period to Defeat Ice Hockey 6-3
Framingham, Mass. – The Fitchburg State University ice hockey team tallied four second period goals to erase a one goal deficit and secure a 6-3 victory over the Framingham State University Rams this evening in a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) ice hockey contest at Loring Arena.
With the win, the Falcons improve to 5-7-1 on the season and 4-3 in the conference, while the Rams slip to 2-10 overall and 0-7 in the MASCAC.
The Rams line of sophomores Brendan McCarron (Millbury, Mass.) and Ryan McDonald (Anchorage, AK) and junior Daniel Miressi (Monroe, Conn.) accounted for all three Framingham goals. Miressi and McCarron each picked up three points in the game on a goal and a pair of assists, while McDonald added a goal and a helper. Junior defenseman Bo Driscoll (Chelmsford, Mass.) tallied the other point for the Rams in the game as he assisted on the contest's first marker.
The Falcons were led by freshman Max Lorenzen (Leesburg, Va.) who tallied three points on a pair of goals and an assist, while Ryan Connolly (Wappingers Falls, NY), Justin Quinn (Braintree, Mass.), Kevin Holmes (Newburyport, Mass.) and Joseph Caveney (Fitchburg, Mass.) all contributed a goal and a helper for the visitors.
The Rams took a 1-0 in the 7th minute of action when Miressi fed McCarron a pass off a draw and McCarron fired a shot into the corner for a power play goal and his first of the season.
Framingham extended their lead to 2-0 late in the frame as McDonald took control of the puck in the neutral zone and skated into the offensive end beating one defender and the goalkeeper by slipping a shot inside the post.
The Falcons would cut the deficit in half with just under three minutes remaining in the first as Holmes collected a loose puck in front of the net and knocked it home for his first of the season.
Fitchburg tallied the equalizer just four minutes into the second period when Lorenzen scored his 6th of the season. Just over three minutes later Connolly put the visitors on top when he tapped home a rebound in front of the net.
The Rams tied the score with 6:47 remaining in the second when Miressi deflected a slap shot from McCarron on the wing into the back of the net for his team leading 12th of the season.
The Rams were called for a penalty with 6:30 remaining in the game giving the Falcons a power play opportunity. The Falcons controlled the ensuing face off and Caveney blasted a shot from the point that hit the cross bar and deflected straight down, but was called no goal and play continued for about a minute. At the next stoppage, the officials conferred and reversed the previous call awarding Caveney the power play goal which would prove to be the game winner.
The Falcons would add a pair of power play goals later in the second and midway through the third to reach the final margin of 6-3.
The Falcons outshot the Rams 50-41 in the game and were 3-of-7 on power play opportunities, while the Rams converted just 1-of-4. Junior Nick Cafrelli (San Jose, CA) made 44 stops for the Rams, while his Falcon counterpart Randy Wolcott (East Haven, Conn.) made 38 saves.
The Rams return to action on Saturday at Plymouth State at 6 p.m., while the Falcons travel to Salem State on Saturday at 2 p.m.