WINCHENDON, Mass. – Worcester State men's ice hockey scored two goals in the final 41 seconds to come from behind and defeat Franklin Pierce 4-3 on Thursday night, earning their first victory of the 2021-22 season.
Will Ahearn (Charlestown, Mass.) scored the game-winner with under 17 seconds remaining after Mike Wilson (Alexandria, Va.) had scored at the 19:19 mark to tie the game at three. Ahearn's marker was his first of the year and the third of the third period for the Lancers (1-4).
The winning goal came on a Worcester State rush, with Jason Lee (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) taking a shot from the top of the left circle that Ahearn tipped from right out in front.
Moments before, Wilson had finished amid a scramble as the Lancers capitalized on an extra skater opportunity with their goalie Nevin Tardiff (Dunstable, Mass.) pulled.
Tardiff made 35 saves to earn his first victory in net (1-2) for the Lancers. On the other end of the rink, Adam Carman (Vestal, N.Y.) made 34 stops in defeat for Franklin Pierce.
After a scoreless first period, the Ravens twice took the lead in the second, first on a goal by Tyler Rudek (Woonsocket, R.I.) at 2:03. Worcester answered just under three minutes later on an unassisted tally by Brendan Ronan (Saugus, Mass.). Ronan snapped home from the right circle after a Ravens turnover sent the Lancers on a partial break down the right side.
Ronan set up the game-tying goal at 2:47 of the third period when Bridgham Neuhold (Edmond, Okla.) scored a power play goal to even things at two. Neuhold now has three goals to lead the Lancers on the season.
Jason Ladzinski (Norcross, Ga.) gave the Ravens the lead again with 12 minutes gone, when he took a feed from the left and shot from the inside edge of the right circle.
The Lancers were 2-3 on the power play, while killing off all three power play chances for the Ravens.
Franklin Pierce (0-4) look for their first win of the season and their first in NE-10 play when they travel to Post on Tuesday at 7:30 PM.
Worcester State is on the road again on Saturday when they travel to MASCAC foe Westfield State for a 5:35 PM puck drop.