Posted: Jan 05, 2013
Freshman Sam Vikich's (Vancouver, B.C.) shorthanded goal with 6:18 remaining proved to be the game-winner as the University of New England rallied from a two-goal deficit with four unanswered third period tallies en route to a 5-4 non-league college ice hockey victory over Suffolk Saturday afternoon at Steriti Rink.
The visiting Nor'easters (3-8) trailed 3-1 after 40 minutes of action but used a pair of markers in the opening 7:46 of the final stanza off the sticks of sophomores Fred Hein(North Reading, Mass.) and Jared Melman(San Jose, Calif.) to even matters at 3-3.Freshman Tom Gildersleeve(New Harbor, Maine) gave UNE the lead for good with his first collegiate goal that came with 8:50 remaining, and Vikich netted a key shorthanded tally just 2:32 later, as the host Rams (4-6-2) closed back to within one on freshman Carmen Mastrangelo's (Wellington, Fla.) goal with 1:15 to play but couldn't net the equalizer in the closing minute.
After a scoreless opening frame, freshman Mike Cherpark's (Enfield, Conn.) power play marker 2:25 into the middle period staked Suffolk to an early edge, but Melman evened matters for the Nor'easters with 8:30 to play in the stanza.The Rams then received two tallies in a 21 second span off the sticks of sophomores Tim Benedetto(Peabody, Mass.) and Tim Sprague(Plymouth, Mass.) to take their 3-1 cushion after two, setting up the visitors' comeback in the final period.
Melman finished with a pair of goals in the triumph for UNE, which received a marker and helper each from Gildersleeve and Vikich.Sophomore Zeth Zielinski(Woonsocket, R.I.) added a pair of assists for the winners, who also received single helpers off the sticks of senior Brent Bourgeois(New Haven, Vt.), junior Sean Sullivan(Worcester, Mass.) and sophomores Nick Kolb(Virginia Beach, Va.), Mike Chase(Falmouth, Maine), Chris Healy(Melrose, Mass.), Chris Glover(McFarland, Wis.).Sprague finished with a goal and an assist in the setback for Suffolk, which also received single helpers off the sticks of senior Steve Drago (Waltham, Mass.), juniors Charlie McGinnis(Hanover, Mass.) and Jon Stauffer(Lansdale, Pa.), sophomore Andrew Ball(Brick, N.J.) and freshman Tyler Murray(Houston, Tex.).
Sophomore Craig Ryan(Wallingford, Conn.) picked up the win in goal for UNE with a 25-save effort, including 15 stops in the opening period of action, while sophomore Brett Roman(Rock Tavern, N.Y.) made 32 stops between the pipes in the setback for Suffolk as the Nor'easters outshot the Rams by a 37-29 margin for the contest.
Suffolk continues a 10-game homestand on Tuesday evening by hosting Franklin Pierce in a non-league outing at Steriti Rink beginning at 7:25 p.m., while the University of New England heads to Brunswick, Maine on Tuesday evening to take on Bowdoin in a non-league match-up that faces off at 7:00 p.m.