THE BASICS:
- Score: Franklin Pierce 4, Assumption 0
- Records: Franklin Pierce (9-10-1, 4-5-1 NE10), Assumption (12-6-1, 5-5-1 NE10)
- Location: Winchendon, Mass. (Jason Ritchie Ice Arena)
- The lead: After playing to a scoreless tie through two periods, the Franklin Pierce Ravens unloaded four goals in the third period to defeat the Assumption Greyhounds 4-0 on Saturday night in the final game of the weekend series between the two teams.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
-Nate Indelicato, who finished the game with two goals and one assist, scored the first goal of the game at the 4:19 mark of the third period while on the power play. Teammate Chris Stevenson put a shot on net, which ensued in a scrum. Multiple players from both teams went to the ground with Assumption goalie David Zulauf (Rochester, Mich. / Bridgton Academy (Prep)) on the bottom of it. With everyone fighting for possession, the puck made its way to the back of the goal to give the Ravens a 1-0 lead. The Ravens were 0-for-6 on the power play prior to the goal.
-The goal sparked a sudden burst of offense from the Ravens, who then scored two more times in a matter of 6:29. Matthew Toombs put the Ravens up 2-0 at the 6:11 mark. Teammate Alex Lester came striding down the right lane and was turned away by Zulauf. Lester's attempt pulled Zulauf out of position though, which allowed Toombs to bury his shot on an open net for his fourth on the season.
-Four minutes and 37 seconds later, Indelicato found the back of the net again. After Lester sent a wrister toward the net, Indelicato cut across the crease and redirected Lester's shot to give his team a 3-0 lead.
-Assumption pulled Zulauf with 3:44 left in the period. The Hounds had several scoring opportunities with the 6-on-5 advantage, but could only generate two shots on net in the third period. Anthony Nikolopoulos eventually scored on the empty net with 2:25 left in the period when he sent the puck the length of the ice for his seventh goal and second against the Hounds this season.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
-The Ravens outshot the Hounds 32-28, including a 15-2 advantage in the third period. Assumption was 0-for-5 on the power play, while Franklin Pierce was 1-for-7.
-Zulauf made 28 saves on 31 shots but fell to 10-5-1. It was his first loss since January 11. Kyle Martin saved all 28 shots he faced and improved to 4-1-0.
-Saturday marked the first time the Hounds were shutout by a Northeast-10 opponent all season and first time in over a year. The Hounds were last shut out by an NE-10 foe on January 12 2018, a 2-0 loss to Saint Michael's.
-With the loss, the Hounds move back into a tie for second-place within the conference with Saint Michael's. Southern New Hampshire, who has 12 points to Assumption's 11, took over first place after defeating Saint Michael's 3-1 earlier in the day.
UP NEXT:
-The Hounds will travel to Southern N.H. on Tuesday, January 29 with game time set for 7 p.m.
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