HARRISVILLE, R.I. – Suffolk's first Commonwealth Coast Conference point was put on hold as Nichols put the puck between the post first in the extra session to take a 3-2 conference victory over the Rams at Levy Rink Saturday night.
THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 2, Nichols 3
RECORDS: Suffolk (1-2-0, 0-2-0 CCC) | Nichols (3-1-0, 2-0-0 CCC)
HOW IT HAPPENED
Bison junior Matthew Menta scored his second goal of the season 1:04 into overtime to lift Nichols to its second win over Suffolk in as many nights. Senior Scott Cuthrell and Ian Spencer each handed out assist on the game-winner.
Jack Kelly opened the scoring at 12:11 of the second period, before Oliver Arnberg tied the game with 58 seconds left on the clock in the second set of 20 minutes. Arnberg redirected a point shot from sophomore David Chevrier past goalie Will Ribas at 19:12 to equalize the outing at 1-all. Nate Foster dug the puck out of the corner and slid the puck to Chevrier at the point to earn the second handout.
Vincent Crivello put away his second strike in as many games just 5:15 into the third to put the Bison ahead, 2-1. Just over three minutes later, Jared McCracken broke in alone on Colin Brennan and beat him with a wrist shot over the block to knot the score at two.
In overtime, Spencer fed Cuthrell along the left-wing boards with a breakout pass. The captain slid the puck down to Menta, who walked in to beat Ribas with a backhand shot through the legs for the winner.
KEEPING UP WITH THE KEEPERS
- Ribas stopped 27 shots in the setback, while Brennan made 30 stops in the victory, his third of the year for Nichols.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
- The Bison outshot the Rams, 30-28, and scored on one of their three powerplay chances.
- The Rams were 0-for-2 with the extra attacker.
NOTEWORTHY
- Every point earned by a Ram in the contest was recorded by a member of the freshman class with Kelly and McCracken each scoring their first collegiate goals. Admirand and Mortillaro, meanwhile, also notched the first points of their collegiate careers with the rookies setting up Kelly's score.
- Suffolk and Nichols played in overtime for the first time since tying the Bison Dec. 3, 2016.
- The OT contest marks the sixth in the Suffolk, Nichols all-time series with the Rams owning a 0-2-4 record in such meetings.
- The Rams needed extra time to decide a winner for the first time this season and the first time since skating to a 3-3 stalemate versus Johnson & Wales Feb. 18, 2017.
- Ribas' 27-save effort matches a career-best for the sophomore.
POST-GAME PIC
UP NEXT
Suffolk is set for a weekend home-and-home series with Salve Regina. The Rams will first visit Portsmouth, Rhode Island, Friday, Nov. 10 for a 7 p.m. matchup at Portsmouth Abbey.