Assumption Downs Stonehill, 5-2
Larsen and O'Kane the difference and Greyhounds notch first win
Junior Angelo Todesca scored a power play goal for Stonehill tonight against Assumption. |
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (November 18, 2009) - Assumption College opened a 4-0 lead early in the second period and didn't look back in posting a 5-2 victory over Stonehill College in Northeast-10 Conference ice hockey action at the Foxborough Sports Center tonight.
Sophomores Taylor Larsen (Blackstone-Millville, Mass./Worcester Academy) and Pat O'Kane (Hollis, N.H./Bishop Guertin) did the damage for Assumption, combining for five goals and four assists on the night. Larsen notched a hat trick and dished two assists for five points, while O'Kane tallied two goals and two assists for four points. Junior line mate Pat Fitzgibbons (Worcester, Mass./St. John's) chipped in with two assists for the Greyhounds.
Sophomore goaltender Nick Blanchette (Stuart, Fla./Worcester Academy) made 39 saves to preserve the win for Assumption. Junior Michael Manna (Framingham, Mass./Xavarian Brothers) stopped 24 shots in goal for Stonehill. Stonehill finished with a 41-29 advantage in shots on goal, with 32 shots coming over the final two periods to preserve a 3-0 first period lead.
Junior Angelo Todesca (Westwood, Mass./Catholic Memorial) and freshman Christopher Gorovitz (Framingham, Mass./Framingham) scored power-play goals for Stonehill. The Skyhawks were 2-for-8 on the man advantage, while the Greyhounds finished 1-for-6.
Assumption, behind the firepower of O'Kane and Larsen stormed out to a three goal lead after 20 minutes of play. Larsen set up O'Kane for the opening goal 4:04 into the contest, before O'Kane returned the favor for Larsen's first goal at 11:24. O'Kane added a second marker on the power-play with 4:04 remaining in the opening period, assisted by Fitzgibbons and Larsen, to give the Greyhounds a lead they would not relinquish.
Assumption extended its lead further 4:11 into the second on Larsen's second goal of the night, assisted by O'Kane and sophomore Kevin Glantzman (Massapequa, N.Y.). Stonehill scored two power play goals of its own over a four-minute span to get back into the game. Gorovitz struck first on a two-man advantage with 6:24 remaining in the second period, assisted by freshmen Dana Borges (Taunton, Mass./Coyle Cassidy) and George DeMello (Cotuit, Mass./Tabor Academy), to put the Skyhawks on the board. Todesca pulled the Skyhawks within two with the man-advantage with 2:32 remaining in the frame, assisted by senior captain Peter Roundy (Simsbury, Conn./Kimball Union) and junior John Yokow (Windsor, Conn./Northwest Catholic).
Assumption thwarted the rally just 14-seconds into the third period as Larsen rounded out his hat trick, assisted by Fitzgibbons, and Blanchette made 15 third period saves to keep Stonehill off the scoreboard the rest of the way.
Stonehill (2-3-1, 0-1-0 NE-10) is back in action on Saturday when it visits Franklin Pierce University for an NE-10 contest at 7 p.m. The Skyhawks return home next Tuesday, November 24, to host Nichols College at 7 p.m. Assumption (1-3-0, 1-0-0 NE-10) visits Southern New Hampshire University on Saturday at 7 p.m.
Assumption 5, Stonehill 2
1 2
3 - T
Assumption
3 1
1 -
5
Stonehill
0 2
0 - 2
Scoring: AC: Pat O'Kane (Taylor Larsen) 4:04; AC: Larsen (O'Kane) 11:24; AC: O'Kane (Pat Fitzgibbons, Larsen) 15:56 - PP; AC: Larsen (O'Kane, Kevin Glanzman) 4:11; STO: Christopher Gorovitz (Dana Borges, George DeMello) 13:34 - PP: STO: Angelo Todesca (John Yokow, Peter Roundy) 17:28 - PP; AC: Larsen (Fitzgibbons) 0:14.
Goaltending: AC: Nick Blanchette (20:00) 9-15-15=39; STO: Michael Manna (20:00) 8-8-8=24.
Shots on Goal: AC: 11-9-9=29; STO: 9-17-15-=41
Power Play: AC: 1/6; STO: 2/8