EVERETT, Mass. – Junior Nicholas Mangone (Massapequa Park, N.Y.) tallied a pair of goals to help pace the Nichols College ice hockey team to a 5-2 victory over Wentworth Institute of Technology in Commonwealth Coast Conference action Saturday afternoon.
With the win the Bison improve to 11-11-3 overall and 9-6-2 in CCC play, which is good for the number four seed in the conference tournament which commences on Wednesday. The Leopards were locked into the number six seed in the tournament entering the game and finish the regular season with an 8-13-4 overall record and a 6-10-1 mark in league play. Nichols will host fifth-seeded Endicott on Wednesday (7:10 p.m.) while Wentworth will travel to third-seeded University of New England on, also on Wednesday (7:00 p.m.)
Just 2:09 into the contest, Nichols scored the first of its two, first-period goals as senior Ben Campbell (Duluth, Minn.) was set up by classmate T.J. Roche (Northport, N.Y.). Mangone gave the Bison, who had a 13-4 shot advantage in the opening frame, a 2-0 lead when h scored from sophomore Nate Foster (West Chazy, N.Y.) and junior David Chevrier (Bale-d'Urfe, Que.) at the 11:20 mark.
Wentworth got on the board at the 2:43 mark of the second period, closing the gap to 2-1 when senior Paul Filippone, III (found an opening and scored from senior Ethan Weiss (Troy, Mich.) and freshman Tyler Lapshanski (Belvedere, N.J.). Nichols scored a pair of special teams goals 5:40 apart to take a 4-1 lead. At 13:04, junior Vincent Crivello (Rosemere, Que.) scored from junior J.B. Baker (Columbia, Md.) and senior Matthew Menta (Lima, Pa.), while, with 1:16 remaining in the frame, senior Daniele Iasenza (Pierrefonds, Que.) set up Foster.
Wentworth made it a 4-2 game at the 3:27 mark of the third period when junior Adam Tracey (Sleepy Hollow, N.Y.) scored on a penalty shot. The Leopards kept pressure on Nichols, in hopes of closing the gap and pulled freshman goalie Thomas Draper (Binghamton, N.Y.) for an extra attacker with 1:14 remaining. With the puck in the Nichols' zone, Iasenza capitalized on a turnover and chipped the puck to Mangone who sealed the win with an empty-net goal.
Freshman Brett Epp (Edmonton, Alta.) picked up the win for the Bison, making 20 saves. Freshman Ryan Bonnvie (Falmouth, Maine) made 19 saves over the first 38:44 to suffer the loss. Draper did not allow a goal in the 20:43 he played, making eight saves in the process. Nichols had a 32-22 shot advantage.
Wednesday's meeting will be the ninth all-time between the two programs with UNE holding a 5-1-1 advantage. The two teams split their pair of meeting back on the weekend of January 25-26 with each team winning on its home ice. The also marks the second straight season the two will play in the opening round of the conference tournament as last year's 6-3 Nor'Easter win was the only playoff meeting in the series.
For the latest on Wentworth Athletics, follow the Leopards via social media on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Fans can also download the Wentworth Leopards "Front Row" mobile app, powered by PrestoSports, on iTunes and the Android Market.
February 20, 2019
Fast Start Lifts UNE to CCC Tournament Win Over Hockey
February 19, 2019
Gorodetsky Earns Third Team All-CCC Honors
February 16, 2019
Nichols Defeats Hockey in Regular-Season Finale
February 9, 2019
Endicott Pulls Away From Hockey in Third Period
February 8, 2019
Hockey Battles Back to Overtake Endicott
February 2, 2019
Fast Start Helps Curry Claim Win Over Hockey
February 1, 2019
Hockey Edged by Curry
January 26, 2019
Hockey Comes All the Way Back to Defeat UNE
January 25, 2019
Nor'Easters Storm Past Hockey
January 22, 2019
Hockey Duo Earn CCC Weekly Awards
January 19, 2019
McKenelley's Late Goal Caps Off Comeback Win at Salve Regina
January 18, 2019
Salve Regina Pulls Away from Hockey
January 12, 2019
Hockey Battles Back to Defeat Fitchburg State
January 3, 2019
Hockey's Comeback Falls Short at Salem State
December 10, 2018
Tracey Earns CCC Player of the Week Honors
December 1, 2018
Hockey Fended off by Curry
November 30, 2018
Hockey Edged by Endicott on Late Goal
November 25, 2018
Hockey Skates to Tie with Colby
November 24, 2018
Fast Start Helps Bowdoin Skate Past Hockey
November 19, 2018
Draper Named CCC Rookie of the Week
November 17, 2018
Hockey Completes Series Sweep of Western New England
November 16, 2018
Offense Comes Alive in Hockey's Win at Western New England
November 13, 2018
Hockey Battles to Tie With Anna Maria
November 10, 2018
Late Goal Helps Hockey Earn Tie Against Becker
November 9, 2018
Hockey Rallies Past Becker to Pick up First Win
November 3, 2018
Nichols Pulls Away from Hockey in Third Period
November 2, 2018
Hockey Tripped up at Nichols
October 27, 2018
UMass Boston Spoils Hockey's Home Opener
October 26, 2018
Hockey Opens Season With Tie at Castleton
October 17, 2018
Hockey Picked to Finish Sixth in CCC Preseason Poll