Posted: Jan 08, 2013
Freshman Mike Cherpak(Enfield, Conn.) netted a pair of goals, including the equalizer with 1:35 remaining in regulation, as Suffolk battled back from a 4-0 first period deficit to forge a 4-4 overtime tie with Franklin Pierce in a non-league college ice hockey contest played Tuesday evening at Steriti Rink.
The host Rams (4-6-3) trailed by that four goal margin in the opening 11:42 of play, as the visiting Ravens (4-5-2) received a pair of tallies off the stick of graduate student Anthony Chighisola(Whitman, Mass.) to go with single markers from junior Ted Walsh(Quincy, Mass.) and freshman Paddy Murphy(York, Maine) in building the early advantage.Freshman Tyler Murray's (Houston, Tex.) power play goal with 55 seconds to play in the opening stanza got Suffolk on the board, and the Rams closed the gap to one at 4-3 after 40 minutes of action on markers by Cherpak and sophomore Tim Benedetto(Peabody, Mass.).Cherpak then provided the tying tally for the hosts with just 14 seconds remaining on a power play, as both squads had three shots on goal in the extra session in forging the draw.
Murray added an assist to go with his score for Suffolk, which also received a pair of assists from freshman David Lazaro(Canton, Mass.) as well as single helpers off the sticks of junior Jon Stauffer(Landsdale, Pa.), sophomores Creg Cook(South Lancaster, Mass.), Robert Woodworth(Carlisle, Mass.) and Andrew Ball(Brick, N.J.) as well as freshman Carmen Mastrangelo(Wellington, Fla.).Walsh collected an assist to go with his tally in the draw for Franklin Pierce, which also received a pair of assists from freshman Matt Batis(Lakewood, N.Y.) as well as single helpers from seniors Adam Dallaire(Waltham, Mass.) and Roscoe Sweeney(Falmouth, Mass.) as well as sophomore Timothy Sullivan(Rye, N.H.).
Freshman Brandon Smolarek(Chesterfield, Mo.) made 18 saves in 53-plus minutes of play for Suffolk in relief of sophomore Brett Roman(Rock Tavern, N.Y.), who made eight stops in the game's opening 11:42.Junior Dave O'Brien(Groton, Mass.) made 38 saves in the tie for Franklin Pierce, including 13 in the third period, as the Rams outshot the Ravens by a 42-30 margin for the contest, holding a 30-16 edge over the final 45 minutes of action.The contest marked the second extra session affair between the two squads this season, as the Rams edged the Ravens by a 2-1 overtime final back on November 7th.
Suffolk hosts SUNY-Brockport in a non-league outing on Saturday afternoon at Steriti Rink that faces off at 4:25 p.m., while Franklin Pierce heads to Geneseo, N.Y. on Friday evening to take on SUNY-Geneseo in the opener of a two-game non-league set that begins at 7:00 p.m.