Skyhawks host NE10 Championship for first time in program history
Northeast-10 Conference Championship Information Page
Stonehill College NE10 Championship Ticket and Parking Information
Schoen stopped 34 shots in the NE10 Semifinal against Saint Michael's College last weekend (PHOTO BY: Mary Gettens) |
EASTON, Mass. (March 5, 2020) – Third-seeded Stonehill men's ice hockey team will host the fourth-seeded Franklin Pierce University for the Northeast-10 Conference Championship game on Saturday, March 7 at 6:40 p.m. at Warrior Ice Arena in Brighton, Massachusetts.
Tickets for the championship game will be $10 for adults, $5 for children ages 6-18/seniors and $2 for students (with a valid NE10 ID, Stonehill students are free when they show their ID at the door). All spectators must enter the third level of Warrior Ice Arena to access seating and to purchase tickets.
Stonehill (12-11-5, 8-6-4 NE10) was ranked third after the NE10 regular season, after a two-year hiatus from the Tournament. The Skyhawks emerged during the second half of the season posting a record of 10-4-4 after winter break, following their 1-7-1 record in November and December.
This will be the Skyhawks' 19th appearance in the NE10 Tournament, as they have taken the title in 2015-16 and in 2006-07. Their last appearance in the NE10 Tournament included a 4-1 loss to the Saint Michael's College in the 2016-17 season. Since 1999 when NE10 Tournament play began, Stonehill is 2-2 in the final round.
Stonehill made it to the Championship game after a dramatic 4-3 overtime victory over Saint Michael's College on Saturday, February 29 at Cairns Arena in South Burlington, Vermont. Each time a goal was scored, the opposite team answered and it was all tied up at the end of regulation. Stonehill then charged down the ice on a two-on-two situation and Ryan Meade answered at 2:44 in overtime to send the Skyhawks to the title game. Full Recap
Right before playoffs began, the NE10 released All-Conference honors, as three Skyhawks appeared on the list, including seniors Matthew Schoen and Cameron Wright, and freshman Brendan Nehmer. Schoen was voted as the fourth Skyhawk to be named NE10 Goaltender of the Year. He was also named to the first team with classmate Wright, while Nehmer earned All-Rookie team status.
Wright currently leads the team with a career-high 29 points, scoring a career best 16 goals and 13 assists. Junior Kayser Raei follows the senior also with a career best 28 points, including nine goals and 19 assists. Nehmer is third on the team with 22 points, with seven goals and 15 assists.
In the NE10, the Tolland, Connecticut native is ranked first in save percentage, saves and minutes played, second in wins, third in goals against average, and seventh in goals against. Throughout his career, Schoen has played in 29 games, giving up 80 goals against, for a 2.94 goals against average. He has totaled 976 saves for a .924 save percentage and a 13-11-3 record.
Stonehill and Franklin Pierce have squared off three times this season and have split the series 1-1-1, as the Ravens kicked off the series with a 4-3 overtime win in Winchendon, Massachusetts and the two teams followed that up with a 3-3 overtime draw in January. Stonehill then fought back and was able to claim a win with a 7-2 victory on February 1 at Foxboro Sports Center.
Franklin Pierce (16-11-4, 8-7-3 NE10) is looking to win its first NE10 Championship in program history and is making its first appearance since 2012-13 when the Ravens lost to Saint Anselm College, 5-2 in the championship game. This season is the 10th time that the Ravens have made it to the NE10 Tournament and just second time in program history that they have made it to the NE10 Championship game.
Nehmer was one of four Skyhawks to score in the NE10 Semifinal game against Saint Michael's College (PHOTO BY: Mary Gettens) |
The Ravens make their way to the Championship game by way of a 4-3 overtime victory over the top-seeded Assumption College at Buffone Arena in Worcester, Massachusetts. Assumption took an early 2-0 lead and in the second period, Franklin Pierce answered with their own two goals, 2-2. Both teams found the back of the net in the third period, and the Ravens' Chris Stevenson picked up a shot that was blocked and managed to slip it underneath the Greyhounds' David Zulauf's pads at 8:25 in overtime for the game winner. Full Recap
For the second-consecutive season Franklin Pierce's Alex Lester was voted the NE10 Ice Hockey Player of the Year, as head coach Shaun Millerick was named the first-ever recipient of the Lance "Duke" Brady Coach of the Year award. Lester was also named to the All-Conference first team, while Conor Foley was tabbed to the All-Rookie team.
Lester leads the league in points (40), goals (18), and assists (22), as Chris Stevenson, R Gorbett, and J Morrissey are also in the top 10 of points this season. Stevenson has totaled 37 points, with 17 goals and 20 assists, Gorbett has tallied 26 points with seven goals and 9 assists, and Morrissey has chipped in 26 points with 11 goals and 15 assists.
Sophomore goaltender, Ian Wallace has played in 18 games this season giving up 65 goals for a 4.16 goals against average. He has totaled 557 saves for a .895 save percentage with a 5-12-1 record. The Skyhawks have faced Wallace in two of the three games this season, as they have also faced freshman Kyle Martin who has played in 11 games, giving up 19 goals against, with a .943 save percentage stopping 317 saves. He has averaged 2.05 goals against for a 5-3-0 record.
For the latest on Stonehill Athletics, follow the Skyhawks via social media on Twitter and Facebook. Fans can also download the Stonehill Skyhawks "Front Row" mobile app, powered by PrestoSports, on iTunes and the Android Market.
2020 Northeast-10 Conference Ice Hockey Tournament
Saturday, February 29 – Semifinals
Game 1: No. 4 Franklin Pierce University at No. 1 Assumption College
Ravens won 4-3 in overtime
Game 2: No. 3 Stonehill College at No. 2 Saint Michael's College
Skyhawks won 4-3 in overtime
Saturday, March 7 – Championship
No. 4 Franklin Pierce University vs. No. 3 Stonehill College*
*At Warrior Ice Arena (Brighton, Massachusetts) – 6:40 p.m.
