WEST SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Senior forward Joey O'Leary (Boston, Mass.) had the first two-goal game of his career, but the Wentworth Institute of Technology men's hockey team dropped their second consecutive one goal loss to Western New England University, falling 4-3 on the road Sunday evening.
THE BASICS:
RECORDS: WIT (1-4-1, 0-3-1 CCC); WNE: (3-2-0, 2-2-0 CCC)
SHOTS: WIT: 35; WNE: 23
PENALTIES/MINUTES: WIT: 9/18; SU: 8/16
POWER PLAYS: WIT: 1 for 6; WNE: 2 for 7
GOALIE SAVES: WIT – Will Oliver, 12; WIT – Connor Carbo, 7; WNE – Connor Lancaster, 32
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- The Golden Bears received a power play chance in the opening stages of the game, but the Leopards successfully killed it off to keep the game scoreless. The teams skated to a 0-0 tie until just past the midway point of the first period, when WNE's Shane Miller picked up the first goal of the game to give his team the lead. Following the goal, Wentworth took another pair of penalties, but they were able to again keep the puck out of the net while on the penalty kill. About a minute after getting back to 5-on-5, the Leopards received a power play of their own as the period came to an end.
- The man advantage carried over into the start of the second, but Wentworth came away empty handed and was unable to convert. Then at the five-minute mark of the middle period, the Leopards cashed in, as O'Leary's second goal of the season tied the game at 1-1. Senior defenseman Tyler Lapshanski (Belvidere, N.J.) picked up the assist on the play.
- Seconds after tying the scoring goal, the Leopards earned another power play opportunity, and this time converted on the man advantage to take the lead, as freshman defenseman Chris Tamer (Whitmore Lake, Mich.) scored his second of the year to give the Leopards their first lead. Sophomore forward Josh Faussett (Okemos, Mich.) and junior forward Kevin Obssuth (Chester, N.J.) racked up the assists on the go-ahead goal for Wentworth.
- The Leopards took another penalty shortly after going ahead, and a goal by Connor Geshan got the Golden Bears even at two, as the home team came through on the power play themselves. Just seconds after scoring to tie it, Western New England went ahead. Sam Mitchell provided the second goal for WNE in a 24 second span, and just like that the home team jumped ahead 3-2, a lead that they would take into the second intermission.
- The Golden Bears added to their lead in the opening minutes of the third, as Jordie Morgan extended the WNE lead to 4-2 just past the five-minute mark of the third. After killing off a penalty midway through the third, Wentworth got back to within one. O'Leary picked up his second goal of the night to cut the deficit to 4-3 with a little under eight minutes remaining, as senior forward Jake McKenelley (Middleton, Mass.) notched the assist.
- In the final minutes of the game and still trailing by a goal, the Leopards pulled the goalie for an extra skater, and seconds later the Golden Bears took a penalty, creating a 6-on-4 chance for the final 1:17 of the game. Despite three shot attempts in the final moments, WNE was able to hold off Wentworth and hang on for a 4-3 victory.
SERIES NOTES:
- This was the 41st time the two programs have met. WIT now holds a 31-9-1 record overall.
NEXT UP:
- The Leopards continue CCC play Friday, Nov. 19, when they host Salve Regina University at 7:00 p.m.
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