Defensemen Help Ice Hockey Knock Off Plymouth State, 6-3

Plymouth, NH --- Senior Cody Osburn (Sacramento CA/Fresno Monsters) potted the game-winning goal and he added two assists to help pace Worcester State to a 6-3 triumph over Plymouth State in MASCAC men's ice hockey action this evening at the Hanaway Rink.

With the victory the Lancers improve to 6-14-2 overall (4-10-2 MASCAC) and run their streak to two games. The Panthers, who have the top-seed in the conference tournament locked up, fall to 12-8-3 on the year and they were handed their third league setback (12-3-1).

Entering the final period with the score knotted 2-2, senior Stephen Rock (Tulsa, OK/Idaho Jr Steelheads) helped put the visitors on top by one goal after he sniped one in from the right circle just 1:35 into the frame with senior RJ Byrne (Marlboro, MA) receiving credit for the assist.

Rock's second marker of the season helped set the stage for Osburn to help the Lancers double up their opponents on a power play goal as he had some help on the play by sophomore Alex DeWitz (Oronco, MN) and sophomore Crissostomos Villarreal (Corona, CA/Space Coast Hurricanes), 4½ minutes later.

The wild stanza continued 1:21 later when Plymouth State sophomore Ian McGilvrey (Omaha, NE/Middlesex Islanders) netted his seventh of the year with the extra man advantage as classmate Tord Thorensen (Oppegard, Norway/New England Wolves) and senior Zach Sarig (Reading, PA/Valley Jr Warriors) registered helpers for the hosts.

With time ticking down on another Panther power play, senior Nathan Stanley (Meridian, ID/Idaho Jr Steelheads) helped give the Blue and Gold some insurance as he potted his team-best 10th of the season following passes by Bryne and Osburn for the 5-3 score and 6:22 left in the contest.

With less than three minutes to go in regulation, the Panthers opted to pull their net minder, but the strategy back-fired as junior Nicholas Drill (Madison, WI/Wisconsin Wilderness) banked in an empty-netter for the final score.

Freshman Alex Pommerville (Macedon, NY/Salt Lake City Moose) initially helped the hosts take over the early lead with 8:32 remaining in the first period, however, Plymouth State came right back and responded four minutes later on the fifth tally of the campaign by sophomore Ryan Callahan (Londonderry, NH/Middlesex Islanders), with a man off the ice.

In the second, both teams hit home goals on power plays to end the period with the 2-2 score.

Sophomore Erik Strom (Goteborg, Sweden/Vaxjo J20 Super Elite) struck the first blow just 5:33 into the middle stanza before senior Rich Ledy (Marquette, MI/Soo Thunderbirds) came right back around the midway mark as DeWitz and Osburn both contributed assists for the visitors.

Freshman Tyler Fallica (Coram, NY/Ogden Mustangs) turned aside 18 of the 21 shots he saw between the pipes while senior Zac Enstrom (S. Windsor, CT/Granite City Lumberjacks) collected 24 saves for the Panthers.

For a contest that saw six power play goals for nine combined markers, WSU was 3-for-5 while the hosts were 50 percent (3-for-6) for the game.

The visitors also led in shots, 30-21, as three defensemen had tallies tonight for the Blue and Gold (Pommerville, Ledy, Osburn).

In upcoming action, both squads will play again this Saturday on the road. Worcester State heads to Westfield State for a 5:35 meeting while the Panthers take on Framingham State in a 7:40 PM face-off.