Gorovitz nets game-winner in final minutes to earn split of season series with Penmen

FOXBORO, Mass. (February 12, 2011) – Stonehill College was on the right end of a one-goal game for the first time all season on Saturday as they rallied from a two-goal deficit to get past Southern New Hampshire University 6-5 in a Northeast-10 Conference men’s ice hockey matchup.

Sophomore Chris Gorovitz (Framingham, Mass./Framingham) netted the game-winner on a blast from the left circle at 16:47 of the third period to cap a three-goal rally for the Skyhawks, who wrapped up a 1-1-1 record in the season series with the Penmen to earn a split of the two points up for grabs in the NE-10 standings. Sophomore Dana Borges (Taunton, Mass./Coyle Cassidy) and senior John Yokow (Windsor, Conn./Northwest Catholic) each tallied a goal and an assist, and freshmen Bill Carey (Weymouth, Mass./Catholic Memorial) and Bryan Rooney (Canton, Mass./Canton) sparked the comeback with a pair of power-play goals.

John Yokow picked up a goal and an assist to help power Stonehill from the defensive line. (PHOTO BY Ian Thomas)

Stonehill owned a 2-1 lead following the first period, after the Skyhawks outshot Southern New Hampshire 21-10 in the opening minutes and Borges and Yokow connected early against goaltender Ryan Gleason (Westford, Mass.). But the Penmen stormed back with a four-goal second period, seizing the offensive momentum midway through as Tyler Pascucci (North Reading, Mass.) and Brandon Bradley (Wichita, Kan.) scored twice within a minute to pull ahead to a 3-2 lead. Stonehill equalized on a close-range shot from sophomore Min Seong Kim (Seoul, South Korea/Northwood School), but Jeff Hall (Dracut, Mass.) answered with his first goal of the year less than a minute later.

The Skyhawks were dealt another blow at 18:23 when Brian Troy (Ashburnham, Mass.) collected an errant pass in the neutral zone and found himself on an odd man rush with the Penmen shorthanded, beating Derek Chapdelaine (Granby, Mass./Springfield Cathedral) from the right circle to put Stonehill in a 5-3 hole. Stonehill rebounded to convert the power play opportunity when Carey drilled home a one-timer from the left slot, and the Skyhawks were handed another within seconds as Craig Carbonneau (Medford, Mass.) was sent to the box in the final seconds of the period.

Rooney quickly continued the rally in the third period, netting Stonehill’s second power-play goal of the night at 1:20 with help from Borges to knot the game at 5-5, before Gorovitz came through with the winner in the final minutes. Sophomore Kevin Diamond (Lakeville, Conn./Housatonic Valley Regional), making just his second appearance of the season, relieved Chapdelaine for the third period and proceeded to lock out the Penmen the rest of the way, capping his 10-save night with a game-saving stop on a laser from the slot by Frank O’Connor (Arlington, Mass.) with just 40 seconds remaining.

Stonehill (5-14-1, 3-4-1 NE-10) next hosts Saint Michael’s College on Tuesday at 6:00 p.m.