Lancers Claim New Year Conference Win Over MCLA

Worcester, MA- Closing out the Lancer activity on Saturday night sends the Worcester State Men's Ice Hockey team (5-6-1, 2-3-1) out west to MCLA as they look for their first win of 2025.

Final

Worcester State: 4

MCLA: 3

How it Happened:

Worcester was all shots fired to open the game but McLA was ready to match the fire power, blocking away the solid attempts by the Lancers to open the game. MCLA would record the first goal but in a scoring spurt Worcester would respond with a goal of their own moments later by Senior Shane Prifrel (Inver Grove Heights, MN) off a graduate student Brian Clougherty (Lynn, MA) slip to tie the game up. The Trailblazers would respond though just moments later to take a 2-1 lead into the first intermission. 

The second period found Worcester State tied the game up nearly eight minutes in off a sophomore Spencer Hecklinger (Denver, CO) goal from junior Anders Gronstad (Royal Oak, MI) and sophomore Luc Fricchione (West Springfield, MA). The Lancers would grab the lead off a sophomore Matthew Nuzzolilo (Worcester, MA) goal from senior Matthew Peckham (Plymouth, MA) but MCLA would grab their third goal to again tie it up as each team looked for the edge. 

A power playing Worcester's favor with just under five minutes left in regulation would provide the Lancers the 4-3 lead they would loom to take a strong hold on it'll

The clock hit zero. The action came off the power play pressure of Goal number two for Prifrel with additional assists fro Clougherty and Gronstad. The Trailblazers would opt to pull their goalie in the final minute to re-tie the game and force overtime action but the Lancers and senior Jakub Kubik (Uherske Hradiste, Czech Republic) who ended the night with 33 saves, would nab the 4-3 victory.

What's Next:

Worcester (6-6-1, 3-3-1) will next take on top in the conference Plymouth State at home on Thursday January 16th at 7:30pm.