WORCESTER, Mass. – Fitchburg State's senior forward, Ryan Connolly (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.) scored the game-winning overtime goal at 3:57 in the five minute overtime period to take the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) win over the Worcester State Lancers Saturday evening at the Hart Center on the campus of the College of Holy Cross.
Worcester State started the scoring action in the first period when senior forward, Nicholas Drill (Madison, W.I.) scored a goal assisted by freshman Andrew Etheridge (Burrilville, R.I.) in the fourth minute. Six minutes later, Fitchburg State's John Celli (Leominster, Mass.) knotted the score at one as he received the ball from teammates senior Nat Rojas (Elkridge, Md.) and junior Cameron Snyder (Shawnee, Kan.) and ripped a top-shelf shot.
Fitchburg State scored two goals in the second period to take a 3-1 lead over the Lancers. Second period goals were scored by Rojas (unassisted) and freshman Mike Fretz (Seattle, Wash.). Fretz's goal was assisted by freshman Nick DiNicola (Wolcott, Conn.) and senior Max Lorenzen (Leesburg, Va.).
Early on in the third period, the Falcons upped their lead by three as they took another goal on a power play. Snyder and senior Paul Falanga (East Haven, Conn.) lined the puck up for Celli to drill into the net.
Down by three, the Lancers were eager to tighten the gap. In the 11th minute, Drill started a scoring rally as he registered Worcester State's second goal of the night, resulting in a 4-2 score. Not even 10 seconds later, the Lancers' senior forward, Joe White (Wonder Lake, Ill.), placed the puck in the net on a pass from freshman Marcus Mazur (Beverly Hills, M.I.) to shorten the Falcons' lead to one.
In the 15th minute of the third period, Worcester State evened the score up at four on a goal by Mazur (assisted by Etheridge and Cole Corson (Seattle, Wash.)). Worcester State's three goals in the third period were scored in a four minute time frame. The remainder of the third period remained at four, therefore leading into a five minute overtime period where Connolly scored the game-winner in the fourth minute to pull the Falcons over the Lancers for the conference win.
Fitchburg State's freshman goaltender, Kirby Saari (Cape Elizabeth, Me.) recorded his second win of the season as he tallied up 23 saves on the night. Worcester State's starting goalie, Tyler Fallica (Coram, N.Y.) played the first 45 minutes of play and recorded 18 saves. Freshman keeper, Max Kirkwood (Brunswick, Ohio), took the loss for the Lancers as he played in 18:57 minutes and logged six saves on the night.
Worcester State will be on the road for the next couple games as they take on Westfield State on Thursday (Nov. 19), and then will take part in the Worcester City Shootout the following weekend. Fitchburg State will also be on the road the same date and matchup against Salem State for MASCAC play.