Late Scoring, Win Over Framingham Helps Lift Ice Hockey Into MASCAC Tournament

MASCAC Men's Ice Hockey Tournament Bracket

Worcester, MA --- Junior Joe White (Wonder Lake, IL/Southern Oregon Spartans) registered two goals and senior Andrew Bates (Marblehead, MA/Boston Jr Bulldogs) dished out three helpers as the pair helped pace Worcester State to a 6-2 triumph over Framingham State in MASCAC men's ice hockey action.

In the regular season finale for both squads, the Lancers (9-14-2, 7-10-2) reeled off their fifth consecutive victory and captured the fifth seed in the conference tournament. They will play #4 Westfield State this Saturday at 5:35 PM in the opening round of the MASCAC playoffs.

The Rams, needing a win to reach the playoffs entering tonight's contest, sees their campaign come to a close at 6-16-2 and 5-12-2 in the MASCAC.

White helped the hosts go up 1-0 just 1:48 ticks into the opening period after he caught is own rebound and finished to the top left corner with some help by Bates.

Worcester State had two more chances on power play – including a major that book-ended both the end of the first and the beginning of the second – but could not find the back of the net.

After nearly 26 minutes of scoreless action, the Lancers finally found the back of the net with an extra man on the ice when senior Stephen Rock (Tulsa, OK/Idaho Jr Steelheads) potted his fourth of the campaign at the 9:03 mark.

Framingham State quickly sliced into the deficit as sophomore Ryan McDonald (Anchorage, AK/Seattle Totems) fed the faceoff to sophomore Tom Fahey (Hudson, MA/Boston Junior Bruins), who skated down to the left of the blue line and passed it to an open Brendan McCarron (Millbury, MA/St. John's) just 14 seconds later.

The Blue and Gold responded in less than two minutes and made the score 3-1 at the 11:42 mark with some pin point passing around the net.

Sophomore Alex Taddeo (Franklin, MA/Boston Jr. Bruins), found senior Brenton Dyok (Rocklin, CA/San Diego Gulls) on the right of the net, who sent a cross in front of the crease to freshman Sean Haltam (Medina, OH/Ogden Mustangs), who fired the puck past the goalie on the stick side for his third of the campaign and what proved to be the eventual match-clincher.

The Rams, however, made it a 3-2 contest with 1:49 remaining in the middle frame as sophomore Mark Essery (Rockfall, CT) tipped in his third marker of the year following an odd man rush. Junior Rich Hill (Tampa, FL/Soo Eagles) and freshman Tyler Colacchio (Bellingham, MA/Walpole Express) both were credited with assists on the play.

But the Worcester State defense played remarkable in the final stanza limiting the visitors to just one shot on goal in the entire frame and killed three penalties.

The offense also found its stride as the Lancers deposited three unanswered goals to capture the victory which helped put the Blue and Gold in their sixth straight MASCAC Tournament.

Following the second power play of the stanza, senior Rich Ledy (Marquette, MI/Soo Thunderbirds) created a turnover in the neutral zone and crossed it to an open sophomore Alex DeWitz (Oronco, MN/Helena Bighorns) for a short-handed marker to put WSU ahead 4-2 early in the third.

Osburn recorded his third of the year with help by Ledy and Bates as 4:49 remaining in regulation before White found the back of the net for an empty netter to cap off the run for the hosts.

Freshman Tyler Fallica (Coram, NY/Ogden Mustangs) saw his record improve to 7-7-1 and he turned aside 11 shots in the win. Senior Alessio Muggli (Rueti, Swizerland/EHC Duernten) collected 26 saves in the loss as he fell to 6-15-2 overall.

Worcester State finished with the 32-13 edge in shots and went 1-for-4 on power plays. After allowing eight markers with the extra man on the ice out of a possible 13 in the four-game winning streak, the Lancers held the Rams to a 0-for-4 line this evening.

Bates, Stanley, Rock, Ledy, Osburn, Dyok along with classmates Taylor Laneville (Edmonds, WA/Helena Bighorns) and Vinny Bohn (Spring Hill, FL/El Paso Rhinos) were recognized in a brief pre-game ceremony their respective contributions on "Senior Night."