EVERETT, Mass. – The Wentworth Institute of Technology ice hockey team peppered Nichols junior Mathias Backstrom (Malmo, Sweden) with 31 shots against, but the team only beat the goalkeeper once as the Bison skated away with a 3-1 victory in a Commonwealth Coast Conference matchup Friday night.
THE BASICS:
RECORDS: NC: 7-13-0 (3-13-0 CCC); WIT: 4-15-1 (2-13-1 CCC)
SHOTS: NC: 17; WIT: 31
PENALTIES/MINUTES: NC: 5/18; WIT: 6/12
POWER PLAYS: NC: 1-6; WIT: 0-4
GOALIE SAVES: NC: Mathias Backstrom, 30; WIT: Jack McGovern, 14
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- The ice was broken just under halfway through the first period when sophomore Jacob Shankar (Johnstown, Ont.) found himself on a partial breakaway. Shankar deked junior Mathias Backstrom (Malmo, Sweden) and beat him on the backhand to give the hosts a 1-0.
- Nichols tied the score 1:04 into the second period when junior Quinn McCarthy (Dorchester, Mass.) had a nice give-and-go play with sophomore Luke Harvie (Lethbrighe, Alberta). McCarthy's shot to the top left corner of the net tied the score at one apiece.
- At the 10:50 mark of the second period, junior Philip Bjorkman (Stockholm, Sweden) flipped a puck high, trickling through the offensive zone and past freshman Jack McGovern (Ancaster, Ont.), giving the Bison a 2-1 lead.
- With the man-advantage, senior Conor Leonard (Charlton, Mass.) skated the length of the ice and ripped a shot off the post and into the net to give the visitors a 3-1 lead just over seven minutes into the final frame.
SERIES NOTES:
- Tonight marked the 52nd meeting between the two teams. Nichols leads the all-time series, 29-20-3.
NEXT UP:
- The Leopards travel to #4 Endicott tomorrow (3:00 p.m. puck drop).
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.
