Worcester State 8, Assumption 5
Worcester, MA --- Freshman Nick Asterito
(Philadelphia, PA) recorded his first career hat-trick and he also
scored the decisive marker with 7:46 in the third to help propel
Worcester State to an 8-5 win this evening at Horgan Rink in ECAC
Northeast action.
Assumption (6-15-4, 4-9-3 ECAC NE) took a commanding 3-0 lead with
two goals scored by junior Adam Gaudreau
(Londonderry, NH) in a seven minute span midway through the opening
stanza. Gaudreau capped off the run at 12:04 with a power play with
first-year classmates Kevin Glanzman (Massapequa,
NY) and Tyler Larson (Blackstone, MA) each adding
assists.
Asterito helped the Lancers (6-13-3, 4-8-3 ECAC NE) answer back
when he potted a pair of markers with the extra man advantage at
14:33 and 17:06 in the first. Worcester State then tied the score
3-3 in the beginning of the second period at 2:18 on junior Mark
Rintel’s (Queens, NY) 11th goal of the season on an assist by
junior Tim Stalmok (Paxton, MA).
The Ice Dogs went ahead 4-3 on a tally by Mark Labb (Longmeadow,
MA) three minutes later, but junior netminder Brian
Robinson (Groveland, MA) stopped Assumptions next 11 shots
to shut the visitors down in the second and help WSC end the period
with the 5-4 lead. WSC scored the equalizer on a goal by junior
Lee Belisle (Chicopee, MA) at 11:03 and then
freshman John Cahalane (Tewksbury, MA) registered
the go-ahead marker at 16:58.
Sophomore Patrick Fitzgibbons (Holliston, MA)
helped Assumption respond when he tied the game back up just 41
seconds off the clock in the third, but the Lancers would score
three unanswered goals – starting with Asterito’s
game-winner on a power-play opportunity - to take control of the
game as they ended with the hard-fought victory.
Rintel added an insurance marker at 9:31 in the third on a
short-handed goal and freshman Cody Warila
(Shirley, MA) helped break the game open with 2½ minutes
left in the contest for the final score.
Eight goals ties the most this season for WSC after they scored the
same amount in a 12-8 setback to Salve Regina this past Monday. The
Lancers were a perfect 3-for-3 with the extra man advantage while
the visitors finished 2-for-5.
Cahalane and Rintel now share the team-lead in goals with 12 while
Warila and Belisle each have a squad-best 16 assists each.
Worcester State sophomore Billy O’Neil
(Strafford, PA) also sent in three helpers with a dish in the first
and the last two in the game. With Larson’s two assists in
the first, he now remains in second in the Northeast 10 with 20
points, which also best mark on the squad.
Robinson upped his record to 2-2 as he collected 26 saves. Freshman
DJ Pinkham (Malden, MA) gave way to junior
Jamie Di Giulio (Peabody, MA) in beginning of the
third period, who took the loss between the pipes for the Ice Dogs.
The two goalies ended the evening with 18 stops for Assumption.
The Lancers will close out the season with an away contest against
Plymouth State on Saturday at 6 PM and then end the year with a
postponed contest against Johnson & Wales on Tuesday at 6:30.
Assumption ends their 2009 campaign when they entertain Curry at
7:30 on Saturday.