Wentworth Stalls Hockey 4-3 in OT in ECAC Northeast Quarterfinal

Wentworth Stalls Hockey 4-3 in OT in ECAC Northeast Quarterfinal
CHARLESTOWN, Mass. - The Suffolk hockey team's 2015-16 season came to a close Sunday night as Wentworth put the puck between the post first in the extra session to take a 4-3 victory over the Rams in the ECAC Northeast Quarterfinals at Emmons Horrigan O'Neil Memorial Rink. 
Junior Jake Flynn's golden goal 10:03 into overtime lifted fifth-seeded Wentworth to the victory over fourth-seeded Suffolk. With the win, the Leopards (10-4-2) advance to Wednesday's ECAC Northeast semifinal round to take on top-seeded Endicott (15-8-2)at Bourque Arena in Beverly, Mass. beginning at 7:00 p.m.  
 
Wentworth jumped out to a 2-0 first period advantage on the strength of goals by freshman Adam Lane and Angus Johnston, but Suffolk (13-10-2) evened matters with a pair of tallies that came just 51 seconds apart in the opening 3:32 of the middle stanza off the sticks of freshman Justin Holliday and senior Justin Selep
The Leopards regained a 3-2 edge 8:15 into the third period when sophomore Nick Newman converted the visitors' second 5-on-3 opportunity of the evening, but senior Mike Cherpak forced the extra session for the Rams just 2:18 later with a blast from the left dot. 
Wentworth withstood a penalty kill in the closing minutes of regulation, and Flynn provided the overtime heroics by taking a crossing pass from sophomore Erik Andersson at the right dot and lofting a low shot on the glove side for his seventh marker of the season that propelled the Leopards to the semifinal round.
 
Flynn assisted on Newman's third period goal to finish with two points on the night for Wentworth, which also received single helpers off the sticks of senior Stephen McManus and Adam Frank, sophomore Ryan Sullivan and freshmen Eric Eustace and Sam Levin. 
Suffolk received assists from senior Tyler Heineman, junior Danyil Medvedev, sophomore Shayne Bailey and freshmen Nick MosherTommy Bishop and Connor Parent, as Bailey and Parent set up Cherpak's tying tally in the third period.
 
Senior Joel Miller earned his 10th win of the season with a 31-save effort in goal for Wentworth, as he stopped all five shots he saw in the extra session.  Senior Brandon Smolarek closed out his career with 30 saves in the setback for Suffolk, as each team had 34 shots on net for the contest.
 
Suffolk closes out the year with its highest single-season win total since 2007-08.