Auburn, MA --- Framingham State sophomore Peter Baldwin (Port Williams, Nova Scotia) netted the game-winning goal midway through the third period to help the Rams defeat Worcester State, 4-3, in MASCAC ice hockey action this evening at Horgan Memorial Rink.
FSU improved their record to 4-13-4 overall and 3-10-3 in conference play while the Lancers slip to 8-11-3 on the season and 5-9-2 in league games. The Rams have now won five consecutive matchups against WSU dating back to January 20, 2011.
The Blue and Gold began the game strong as they were able to score three goals in the opening period. Senior Nick Asterito (Philadelphia, PA) scored 2:13 into the game off a rebound to put WSU ahead 1-0.
With just over five minutes left in the first, senior Tim D'Orazio (Jamison, PA) pushed the Lancer lead to 2-0 as he scored on a two-on-one rush getting the pass in front of the net from classmate John Cahalane (Tewksbury, MA).
Framingham State would answer and make the score 2-1 just over a minute later as sophomore Daniel Miressi (Monroe, CT) scored his team-leading eighth goal of the season.
WSU would add their final goal of the stanza at 19:00 as Asterito potted his second goal of the game with assists coming from freshman Nathan Stanley (Boise, ID) – his second of the game -- and first-year Andrew Pierson (Clovis, CA), to push their lead to 3-1 heading into the intermission.
The Rams wasted no time in cutting the deficit as they scored on their only power-play opportunity in the contest just 54 seconds into the second period on sophomore Eric Ward's (Haverhill, MA) fifth goal of the season.
FSU would tie the game 3-3 on the end of a penalty kill as freshman Brendan McCarron (Millbury, MA) jumped out of the penalty box to a floating puck at center ice which he took in for a breakaway goal at the 3:37 of the second.
The two teams would remain scoreless over the next 28:19 before Baldwin scored his third goal of the year with an assist by junior Ben Pacific (Marlborough, MA) at the 9:56 mark of the third.
The Lancers would try to tie the score late in the third stanza as they pulled their goalie for the final 49 seconds, but they could not get a good scoring chance as Framingham State's defense stood strong.
Sophomore goaltender Nick Cafrelli (San Jose, CA) played well in net for the visitors as he pushed aside 34 shots while WSU net minder Bryan Kalczynski (Tonawanda, NY) made 21 saves in the defeat.
The Blue and Gold held a commanding edge in shots (37-25) including a 15-10 margin in the first period. The Rams finished the game a perfect one-for-one on the power play while the Lancers converted just one of their four extra-man opportunities.
With the two goals, Asterito now has 80 career points (30 goals, 50 assists) while Cahalane's assist this evening gives him 75 points as a Lancer (37 goals, 38 assists).
Worcester State will continue MASCAC play on Thursday as they host Plymouth State at 5:30 PM on "Senior Day" while Framingham State will travel to Assumption on Wednesday for a 6:35 PM affair.
Release By Jim Sarkisian – Sports Information Assistant