Panthers hold on for tie in MASCAC contest

            PLYMOUTH, N.H. – Worcester State University senior Chris Wallin (Avon, Conn.) scored the game-tying goal with 4:21 left in regulation Tuesday evening, and the Lancers went on to a 3-3 overtime deadlock against Plymouth State University in a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) men's ice hockey game at Hanaway Rink.

            Wallin took a pass from junior Nick Asterito (Philadelphia, Pa.) at the top of the slot, and slid a shot through traffic just inside the right goalpost.  It was the third time in the game that the Lancers came from behind to tie the score, and it remained deadlocked the rest of regulation and through a five-minute overtime.  The Lancers are now 1-1-3 overall and 1-0-1 in the MASCAC, while PSU is now 1-1-2 overall and 0-1-2 in conference play.

            Sophomore Alex Cottle (West Chester, Pa.) led the Panthers with a goal and an assist.  Sophomore Richie Zobak (Evergreen Park, Ill.) and senior Andrew Stewart (O'Leary, PEI) also picked up their first goals of the season for the home team.

            Junior John Cahalane (Tewksbury, Mass.) and freshman Ryan Quirk (Brockton, Mass.) scored goals for the Lancers, and junior Nick Tarani (Billerica, Mass.) collected two assists.

            Zobak netted the only goal of the first period to give the Panthers a 1-0 lead, despite the Lancers having a 9-6 advantage in shots.  Cahalane scored on a power play for WSU early in the second period, but Cottle answered for PSU just 16 seconds later to give PSU the lead back. Quirk tied it up again midway through the second frame, but Stewart scored on a Panther power play with two minutes remaining to give the Panthers their third  lead of the game after two periods.

            PSU killed off three penalties in the third period, but Wallin got the equalizer for Worcester State at 15:39.  Each team got off two shots in the extra session but neither was able to score.

            The Lancers finished with a 27-24 advantage in shots.  PSU sophomore goaltender Jack Astedt (Angelholm, Sweden) made 24 saves and WSU junior Bryan Kalcynski (Tonawanda, N.Y.) stopped 21 shots.

            Both teams will host Stonehill College in a non-conference game in their next outing, Worcester State hosting the Skyhawks on Tuesday, Nov. 30, and Plymouth State hosting them on Thursday, Dec. 2. 

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