BIDDEFORD, Maine – Suffolk men's hockey could not keep up with No. 12 University of New England as the Rams fell to the Nor'Easters 8-3 Friday night at Harold Alfond Forum.
THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 3 | No. 12 University of New England 8
RECORDS: Suffolk (1-3-2, 1-2-2 CCC) | No. 12 University of New England (3-1-1, 3-1-1 CCC)
HOW IT HAPPENED
Scoring started early, 11 seconds to be exact, as Morgan Austin potted a puck off the initial face-off for the Nor'Easters. The edge would not last long as Devin Lowe responded for the Rams just 33 seconds later. The junior had help from Billy Roche and Shawn Montgomery to level the playing field at 1-all.
Nearly two minutes later UNE went ahead behind a power play goal from Aaaron Aragon. That strike would be followed up by one from Ryan Kuzmich at the 11:16 mark that sent Suffolk into the first intermission down by a pair, 3-1.
That distance grew even further as the Nor'Easters scored twice in the second and 21 seconds into the third to make matters lopsided, 6-1.
Suffolk found its way back on the board with a pair of unanswered goals, however, the markers were spaced out by nearly 16 minutes. Daniil Ovchinnikov's short-handed strike came first at the 1:15 minute mark and Shawn Montgomery's power play goal was put away with 2:28 remaining in regulation.
Thanks goals trimmed the gap in half, 6-3. The Nor'Easters would go on two score twice more to hold off any form of comeback from the Rams.
NETMINDER NOTES
- Cal Wilcox had 15 saves for Suffolk, while Jarrett Bovarnick notched 16 stops.
- Billy Girard registered 22 saves in the victory.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
- Lowe and Montgomery had identical two-point stat lines of one goal and one assist.
- Roche recorded a pair of assists.
- Ovchinnikov tallied one goal.
- Olle Akermark and Peter Nugent each notched one assist.
- UNE held the upper hand in shots, 59-41, shots on goal, 39-26, and face offs 43-34.
- The Rams defense blocked nine shots.
- The blue-and-gold went 1-for-3 on the power play.
NOTEWORTHY
- Suffolk met UNE for the first time since Dec. 2, 2017.
- The Rams had a short-handed goal for the second straight game.
- The blue-and-gold has produced a goal on special teams in all, but one game this year.
- Roche matched a career-high two helpers.
- Roche extended his point streak to five games. In that time, he has racked up two goals and seven assists.
- Ovchinnikov had his first collegiate point, a short-handed strike.
- Lowe had second straight two-point performances. Both outings were identical one-goal, one-assist outings.
- Nugent pitched in his first point of the season.
POST-GAME PIC
SUFFOLK'S SCHEDULE
Suffolk will host the Nor'Easters in the finale of a home-and-home series tomorrow, Saturday, Nov. 20 at Emmons Horrigan O'Neil Memorial Rink at 7 p.m.