Skyhawks Edge Out Lancers, 6-5

Auburn, MA --- Stonehill senior James Florentino broke a 4-4 tie in the second period to help lift the Skyhawks to a 6-5 victory this evening in ECAC Northeast Action at Horgan Rink. John Cahalane and Andrew Brady each notched two goals in the loss for the Lancers.

January 24, 2009

Stonehill 6, Worcester State 5

Auburn, MA --- Stonehill senior James Florentino (W. Roxbury, MA) broke a 4-4 tie in the second period to help lift the Skyhawks to a 6-5 victory this evening in ECAC Northeast Action at Horgan Rink.

The contest is the first of the 2009 for the Skyhawks (2-7, 1-7 ECAC NE) since they earned their first win of the season on December 23 in a 4-3 overtime non-conference game against Assumption. With the loss, the Lancers drop to 3-10-1 overall and 1-6-1 in the conference.

Junior Andrew Brady (Oreland, PA) gave Worcester the early 1-0 lead at 9:33, but Stonehill quickly scored two goals four minutes later just 29 seconds apart on markers from junior teammates Chris Rogers (Simsbury, CT) and Pete Roundy (Simsbury, CT).

Freshman John Cahalane (Tewksbury, MA) notched the game-tying tally with 1:39 off the clock in the second stanza, but the Skyhawks built the lead back up to 4-2 when third-year classmates Brendan Connors (Weymouth, MA) and Zachary Cantin (Saugus, MA) each added goals at 4:52 and 6:52, respectively.

The lead did not last very long as junior Lee Belisle (Chicopee, MA) and Brady scored to knot the game up almost a minute apart midway through the second period (4-4).

Stonehill took the 5-4 lead for good when Florentino found the back of the net on assists by freshman Bill Harris (Weymouth, MA) and senior Brendan O’Brien (Braintree, MA).

At 8:07, O’Brien notched a key insurance goal for the Skyhawks on a power play goal in the final frame.

The Lancers tried to rally for a comeback with a goal from Cahalane at 16:43, but they could not score the equalizer to send the game into overtime as Stonehill’s offense kept the puck in Worcester State territory to take time off the clock and eventually win the game.

Skyhawk sophomore Derek Chapdeline (Granby, MA) improved his record to 2-3 while he collected 27 saves in the victory. Junior Andrew Evans (Cromwell, CT) finished with 29 stops behind the cage for the Lancers.

Worcester State will play their next two games at home against Franklin Pierce on Thursday at 5:30 and on Saturday at 7:30 against winless Framingham State. Stonehill will play their next two on the road starting with Wentworth on Tuesday at 7:45 and Suffolk next Saturday at 7:15.