PLYMOUTH, N.H. – A pair of goals and an assist from freshman Matt Volonnino (Hackettstown, N.J.) helped lift the Plymouth State University ice hockey team to a 4-2 victory over Wentworth Institute of Technology in a non-conference contest played at Hanaway Rink.
With the win the Panthers, ranked in both the D3Hockey.com (13th) and USCHO.com (15th) national polls, improve to 11-2-0 on the season while the Leopards, playing their first game in nearly a month and third straight contest against a nationally ranked foe, fall to 3-10-1.
The two teams traded first period goals in a span of 3:34. Wentworth jumped on the board first when senior Stephen McManus (Westwood, Mass.) fired a shot which was saved by Panther freshman Evan Morelli (Reading, Mass.). Junior Jake Flynn (Lino Lakes, Minn.) picked up the rebound and put the puck home at 9:22. Plymouth State evened the score at the 12:56 mark when Volonnino scored.
Plymouth State took the lead for good with 4:00 left in the middle frame when senior Josh Woody (Sunderland, Md.) scored from Volonnino.
At 8:18 of the third period Volonnino made it a 3-1 game when he carried the puck out of the corner and tucked it past Leopard senior Joel Miller (Calgary, Alta.).
Miller was pulled with 1:40 left for an extra attacker, however returned to the net six seconds later when a penalty was called. With 57 seconds left, Wentworth pulled within one when sophomore Erik Andersson (Madison, N.J.) netted a shorthanded goal.
With Miller out of the net, the Panthers sealed the win on a goal from junior Michael Economos (Crystal Lake, Ill.) with 10 seconds left.
Morelli made 22 saves for Plymouth State while Miller made 26 stops for Wentworth. The Panthers had a 30-24 shot advantage for the game.
Plymouth State is at UMass Dartmouth in a MASCAC contest on Thursday while Wentworth hosts Becker in an ECAC Northeast tilt on Saturday.