(Courtesy of Salve Regina Sports Information)
PORTSMOUTH, R.I. – Freshman Anthony Principato (Holmdel, N.J.) scored three goals to lead the Wentworth Institute of Technology men's hockey team to an 10-4 win over Salve Regina University in Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC) action Wednesday night at Portsmouth Abbey Arena.
Senior Jeff Olitch (Calgary, Alberta) and sophomore Skylur Jameson (Long Beach, Calif.) each recorded a goal and three assists for the Leopards, who improved to 14-1-1 all-time against the Seahawks and 18-4-1 (10-3-0 ECAC) on the season with the win. Freshman Vinny Muchalla (Prince George, B.C.) and sophomore Casey Shade (Anchorage, Alaska) each added a pair of goals for Wentworth, and senior Martin Winzer (Nuremberg, Germany) chipped in with a goal and an assist – his sixth and seventh points of the season. The 10 goals scored by Wentworth matches a season-high set against Salve Regina on January 25 at Matthews Arena.
Junior Ryan Petersen (Shrewsbury, N.J.) scored twice and classmate Billy Sabia (Ridgefield, Conn.) tacked on a goal and an assist for the Seahawks, who fell to 1-22-1 (0-12-1 ECAC) in 2009-10. Petersen's goal gives him five points in his last three games while Sabia has now scored in consecutive games.
Petersen opened the scoring at 5:28 of the first period, but the Leopards answered back with four goals to grab a 4-1 led heading into the intermission. In the second, Sabia's second of the season at 8:31 cut the SRU deficit in half at 4-2, but Winzer's second of the game at 9:42 gave WIT a 5-2 lead.
Senior captain Patrick Bambery (Braintree, Mass.) notched his 13th of the season and eighth on the power-play at 12:52 of the second to make it a 5-3. However, goals by junior Phil Cyr (Chesire, Conn.), Olitch, and sophomore Forrest Ellis (Pembroke, N.H.) gave WIT a commanding 8-3 lead. Petersen's second goal at 15:51 was answered by Muchalla's second of the night at 17:46, making it a 9-4 game heading into the second intermission. Principato wrapped up his hat trick and closed the scoring with a goal 33 seconds into the third period.
Wentworth senior Justin Marriott (St. Clair Shores, Mich.) made 40 to improve to 11-3-1 on the season. The 40 saves give him 2,500 for his career, setting a new school record while the win was the 52nd of his career, tying him for the all-time lead at Wentworth. Freshman Bobby Baylis (West Haven, Conn.) started for the Seahawks and allowed four goals on 11 shots before being replaced in the second period by sophomore Ben Bradley (Newburyport, Mass.). Bradley recorded seven saves before sophomore Wesley Wiles-Haffner (Exeter, N.H.) took over late in the third.
Salve Regina outshot the Leopards 44-34 on the evening and went 1-for-5 on the power play. The Leopards were 0-for-1 with the man advantage.
The Seahawks close the regular season on Sunday when they host Becker at 4:45 p.m. The Leopards, meanwhile, host Curry Sunday afternoon at 5:45 p.m.
