Sophomore Richard Harris scored the game-winning goal with 28 seconds left in the contest to send Stonehill to its eighth consecutive victory. |
Skyhawks streak reaches eight, one shy of tying program record
MANCHESTER, N.H. (February 8, 2014) – Sophomore forward Richard Harris (Grand Island, N.Y./Valley Jr. Warriors) scored the go-ahead goal with 28 seconds remaining in the contest and junior goaltender Chris Tasiopoulos (Norwell, Mass./Thayer Academy) turned aside 37 of 38 shots as the Stonehill College ice hockey team defeated Southern New Hampshire University, 2-1, in Northeast-10 action tonight at the Ice Den. Stonehill improved to 9-0 in NE-10 play with the victory, and in the process extended its winning streak to eight games.
After a scoreless opening frame, Stonehill took a 1-0 advantage 4:56 into the second period when sophomore forward Thomas Jenkins (Canton, Mass./Williston Northampton) scored his third goal of the season with the help of classmate Thomas DePoalo (Mendham, N.J./Morristown Beard School). The Skyhawks were able to carry their 1-0 lead into the second intermission, as Tasiopoulous was perfect through 40 minutes, stopping all 29 of the shots that came his way.
Southern New Hampshire finally broke through early in the third period, when junior forward John Humphrey (Charlestown, Mass./New Hampton School) beat Tasiopoulos to even the score at one at the 3:10 mark. Freshman forward Jay Sylvia (Acuchnet, Mass./South Shore Kings) and sophomore forward Jim Gabrione (Boca Raton, Fla./Tampa Bay Juniors) each registered assists on Humphrey's equalizer.
The contest appeared to be headed for overtime, but Harris was able to tally the go-ahead score with under 30 seconds remaining in the game to send Stonehill off with its eighth consecutive win, one victory shy of tying the program record. Classmates Dan Graham (Billerica, Mass./Williston Northampton) and Nate Soter (Danvers, Mass./Pingree School) helped to set up Harris' game-winning goal.
Tasiopoulos, who leads the conference in save percentage (.933) and ranks second in goals against average (2.17) was up to the task again tonight, as he made 37 saves, including 14 in the first period and 15 in the second. His counterpart, Southern New Hampshire senior Tyler Holske (Attleboro, Mass./South Shore Kings) made 22 saves in the loss.
Stonehill (14-9-0, 9-0-0 NE-10) can match its program record of nine wins in a row next Saturday night, when the Skyhawks will play host to Assumption College in NE-10 action at the Foxboro Sports Center. The contest is slated for a 5:40 p.m. opening face-off, and it will serve as Stonehill's Purple & White Game. Stonehill won nine straight games during the 2005-06 campaign, but the Skyhawks fell to Saint Anselm College, 12-1, in the NE-10 semifinals. Southern New Hampshire (13-8-1, 4-3-0 NE-10) will be back in action on Thursday night at Assumption.
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