CHARLESTOWN, Mass. – The Wentworth Institute of Technology men's hockey team played their its conference game of the 2021-22 season, tying Suffolk University 4-4, then going on to win 2-1 in the shootout.
THE BASICS:
RECORDS: WIT (1-1-1, 0-1-1 CCC); SU: (0-1-1, 0-0-1 CCC)
SHOTS: WIT: 34; SU: 25
PENALTIES/MINUTES: WIT: 5/21; SU: 6/12
POWER PLAYS: WIT: 0 for 6; SU: 1 for 4
GOALIE SAVES: WIT – Will Oliver, 21; SU – Cal Wilcox, 30
HOW IT HAPPENED:
-
The Rams got a power play opportunity in the opening minutes of the game, and wasted no time cashing in. Ryan Harrigan gave Suffolk a 1-0 lead at the 3:13 mark of the first period, with Kyle Valiquette and Olle Akermark providing the assists.
-
The Leopards then received two power play chances of their own in the minutes following the Rams goal, but couldn't cash in to tie the game. Wentworth continued to battle and eventually tied the game in the final minutes of the opening period, as junior forward Sam Milnes (Middletown, R.I.) scored his first goal of the season to tie the game at one.
-
Both teams did not allow many opportunities in the opening 20 minutes, as the shots on goal were just six for Suffolk and four for Wentworth.
-
The teams battled evenly throughout most of the second period, with neither able to convert and take the lead. But late in the period, it was the Leopards who took a 2-1 lead, as sophomore forward Josh Faussett (Okemos, Mich.) scored his team-high third goal of the year and gave the visitors their first lead with 5:00 remaining in the second. Milnes and junior forward Kasey O'Brien (Stoneham, Mass.) racked up assists on the goal. Wentworth continued to pour on the offense, as sophomore defenseman Matt Smoglia (Glenview, Ill.) scored the first collegiate goal of his career to extend the Wentworth lead to 3-1, as freshman forward Joey LaRossa (Braintree, Mass.) and junior forward Guillaume Bose (San Jose, Calif.) collected assists.
-
But just 14 seconds after the Leopards took a two goal lead, Suffolk's Alex Kolowrat was able to put one past sophomore goaltender Will Oliver (Chesterfield, Mo.) to get the Rams within one heading into the third period.
-
The home team continued the momentum in the early stages of the third, as Suffolk tied the game just 1:15 into the third on a goal by Nick Lachaine. With the teams skating four aside following coincidental penalties, the Leopards took the lead back on Faussett's second goal of the game, courtesy of an assist by freshman defenseman George Weiner (Wayne, N.J.).
-
With the Leopards shorthanded following the four-on-four goal, the Rams once again tied it, as Griffin Clark scored just past the midway point of the third to knot the score at 4-4. Wentworth received an abbreviated power play chance minutes later, but the Leopards took a penalty of their own to end their chance on the man advantage. Although Wentworth put 17 shots on goal in the third period to Suffolk's seven, they were not able to break through and score the go-ahead goal, sending the game to overtime.
-
The Leopards had several chances in the five minute overtime, as Faussett and Smoglia put shots on goal in the first minute, followed by Faussett ringing a shot off the pipe. Suffolk then had multiple chances of their own, Oliver made three saves in the extra period to keep the Rams off the board, as the game officially went down as a tie, but went to a shootout for an extra point in the CCC standings.
-
Both teams scored on their first shootout chance, as junior forward Kevin Obssuth (Chester, N.J.) scored for Wentworth and Kolowrat came through for Suffolk. Both teams missed their next two opportunities, but Leopards senior forward Joey O'Leary (Boston, Mass.) came through with the shootout winner in the fourth round, as Oliver shut the door on Suffolk's last chance to seal the win for Wentworth.
SERIES NOTES:
-
Tonight marked the 39th all-time meeting between the two teams. Wentworth now leads the series 23-13-3.
NEXT UP:
-
The two teams square off in the second game of their weekend series tomorrow afternoon at 5:00 p.m. in Everett, Mass.
