Junior Thomas DePoalo scored two of Stonehill's five third period goals tonight as the Skyhawks came back to beat SNHU, 8-5.

Seven Skyhawks record multiple points in comeback victory

FOXBORO, Mass. (February 7, 2015) – The Stonehill College ice hockey team scored five times in the third period to turn a one-goal deficit into an 8-5 victory over Southern New Hampshire University this evening in Northeast-10 Conference men's ice hockey action at the Foxboro Sports Center.

Southern New Hampshire led 4-2 after twenty minutes of action, before Stonehill got one goal back in the second period and outscored the Penmen 5-1 in the third. The Skyhawks have now scored 17 goals in their last two games, after defeating Assumption College 9-1 on Wednesday night. Stonehill improves its unbeaten record at home this season to 7-0-3, and the Skyhawks are 17-0-1 in their last 18 regular season NE-10 contests.

Junior forward Richard Harris (Grand Island, New York/Valley Jr. Warriors) led the late Stonehill surge with three points on a goal and two assists, all of which came in the third period. Classmate Dan Graham (Billerica, Massachusetts/Williston Northampton) was among the seven Skyhawks to record multiple points with his three assists, and junior Thomas DePoalo (Mendham, New Jersey/Morristown Beard School) found the back of the net twice in the final 20 minutes.

Juniors Travis Army (Englewood, Colorado/Worcester Academy) and Garrett White (Wakefield, Massachusetts/Boston Bulldogs) totaled two points each on one goal and one assist, while classmate Robbie Dorgan (Ossining, New York/Boston Bulldogs) and freshman Brendan White (North Reading, Massachusetts/Kimball Union Academy) chipped in with two helpers each.

Making his first start of the season in net, junior Patrick Farrington (Sandwich, Massachusetts/Bridgton Academy) made nine saves but allowed four goals in his one period of work. Senior Chris Tasiopoulos (Norwell, Massachusetts/Thayer Academy) took over at the start of the second period and stopped 14 shots in 15 opportunities as Stonehill fought back to earn a season sweep against the Penmen.

Southern New Hampshire was led by senior Dane Caracino (Belmont, Massachusetts/New Hampton School), who totaled four points on two goals and two assists. Junior Joe Collins (Mansfield, Massachusetts/Saint Michael's College) scored and added a pair of assists, while sophomore Jay Sylvia (Acuchnet, Massachusetts/South Shore Kings) and senior Bryan Wright (Reading, Massachusetts/N.H. Junior Monarchs) chipped in with two points each.    

Penmen freshman netminder Matthew MacInnis (Arlington, Texas/Wilkes-Barre Scranton Knights) made a game-high 33 saves, including 13 in the third period.

Southern New Hampshire took a quick lead this evening with a two-goal flurry five minutes into the contest. Sophomore defenseman Michael Busconi (Watertown, Massachusetts/Winchendon School) beat Farrington with a slap shot from beyond the blue line at the 5:24 mark, and 17 seconds later Collins and Sylvia connected with Caracino for his tenth goal of the season to give the Penmen a 2-0 lead.

Stonehill answered on the power play 12:29 into the first on a slap shot from the right circle by Garrett White, but the Penmen regained their two-goal lead less than a minute later when Caracino netted his second of the night, also with a man advantage.

Junior Kevin Airoldi (Kennebunk, Maine/Boston Jr. Rangers) scored on a feed from Graham at the 15:09 mark, but Southern New Hampshire would enter the locker room for the first intermission leading 4-2 after Sylvia's power play tally 1:26 later.

After nearly 20 minutes of scoreless action, Army snapped the drought with his fourth goal of the season 16:37 into the second period to bring Stonehill back to within a goal. Southern New Hampshire was called for five penalties in the middle period, and the Penmen were outshot 12-6.

Stonehill pulled even just 42 seconds into the third, as junior defenseman Scott Rolph (Bow, New Hampshire/Tilton School) fired a shot from the point and DePoalo tipped it past MacInnis for his fifth goal of the season. Harris gave the Skyhawks their first lead on a wrist shot from the left circle at the 7:54 mark, and classmate Connor Fallon (Weymouth, Massachusetts/South Shore Kings) scored on a shot from the blue line less than two minutes later to make the score 6-4.

Stonehill, which put 18 shots on net in the third period, continued to attack, resulting in DePoalo's second goal of the period with 7:27 left in the game. Junior Anthony D'Elia (Stamford, Connecticut/Gunnery School) scored the sixth straight Skyhawk goal on the power play at the 15:56 mark, and Collins added another for the Penmen in the closing minutes.

Stonehill finished the game with four power play goals in nine opportunities, while Southern New Hampshire went 2-for-4 with a man advantage. The Skyhawks also held a 41-28 edge in shots and were whistled for six penalties to the Penmen's 11.  

Following tonight's contest, Stonehill (12-5-3, 6-0-1 NE-10) will hit the road on Tuesday night for a key conference showdown at Saint Anselm College. Southern New Hampshire (9-11-1, 3-7-0 NE-10) is set to wrap up its NE-10 slate on Tuesday at home against Franklin Pierce University, before hosting SUNY Canton for a pair of games next weekend.  

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