Senior Tom Jenkins scored twice including the game winning goal in the third period against UMass Dartmouth tonight.

Jenkins lifts Skyhawks over Corsairs with third period score

EASTON, Mass. (February 9, 2016) – Senior Tom Jenkins (Canton, Massachusetts/Williston Northampton) scored twice, including the game-winner with 8:08 remaining in the third period, to lead the Stonehill College ice hockey team to a 4-3 victory over UMass Dartmouth tonight in non-conference action at the Foxboro Sports Center.

Senior forward Thomas DePoalo (Mendham, New Jersey/Morristown Beard School) contributed three points and fellow classmate Dan Graham (Billerica, Massachusetts/Williston Northampton) also registered a multi-point game, netting a goal and handing out an assist.

Senior goaltender Patrick Farrington (Sandwich, Massachusetts/Bridgton Academy) earned the win in net, as he stopped 27 shots, including 11 in the first period.

UMass Dartmouth scored on a power play in the first, a shorthanded goal in the second and an even strength goal in the third. Junior forward Tanner Zacharewicz (Ludlow, Massachusetts/Trinity-Pawling) found the back of the net twice, while junior defenseman Jerry Laakso (Tampere, Finland) scored his third goal of the season.

Sophomore Drew Michals (Newton, Massachusetts/Valley Warriors) made 33 saves in goal, including 13 in the second period.

After a scoreless opening ten minutes, Stonehill struck at the 10:15 mark of the first period when DePoalo fired the puck from behind the net to the front, where the puck ricocheted off Graham's skate and into the net. UMass Dartmouth responded just eight minutes later, as Laasko tied the score at one, taking advantage of a Skyhawk penalty and burying a goal with help from junior forward Mike Kelly (Stoneham, Massachusetts/Hebron Academy) and sophomore forward Mike Sones (Waterdown, Ontario/Burlington Cougars).

Stonehill would retake the lead at the 7:36 mark of the second period, when Jenkins scored his first goal of the night from assists by senior captain Travis Army (Englewood, Colorado/Worcester Academy) and DePoalo. The Corsairs kept stride as Zacharewicz pushed the puck into the Skyhawks defensive zone and sniped the upper left corner of the net from just inside the blue line.

Stonehill would once again take the lead in the back and forth game early in the third period. DePoalo received a pass in front of net from Graham and senior Richard Harris (Grand Island, New York/Valley Jr. Warriors) and five-holed the goalie to take a 3-2 lead. The Skyhawks would give themselves a little bit of a cushion just over a minute later when Jenkins tied a career high with his fifth goal on the year, collecting a pass from Senior Garrett White (Wakefield, Massachusetts/Boston Bulldogs) and classmate Robbie Dorgan (Ossining, New York/Boston Bulldogs) and firing a shot that clipped the left inside post and into the net. With just under seven minutes to play, Zacharewicz brought UMass Dartmouth within one, scoring his third goal of the year. The Skyhawks were able to hold off the Corsairs for the remainder of the game, earning a hard fought 4-3 victory.

Following tonight's contest, Stonehill (12-8-4, 7-0-2 NE-10) will hit the road this Saturday for a game at Southern New Hampshire University at 7 p.m. UMass Dartmouth (6-12-3, 5-7-2 MASCAC) will return home to take on Westfield State University at 7:30 p.m.      

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