Panthers pull away in third period

            PLYMOUTH, N.H. – Plymouth State University scored three unanswered goals in the third period Saturday afternoon and defeated Westfield State University, 4-1, in a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) men's hockey game at Hanaway Rink.

            It was a 1-1 game entering the final frame before freshman Travis Stevens (Montclair, Calif.) scored the go-ahead and eventual game-winning goal at 7:51.  Sophomore Kyle Weiland (Hampden, Maine) added a power-play goal at 15:56 to give PSU a two-goal margin, and classmate Matt Aponte (Plano, Texas) tallied an insurance marker at 17:39.

            PSU sophomore Jack Astedt (Angelholm, Sweden) made 26 saves to earn the victory in goal.  Astedt has posted a 4-0-0 record this month with a 1.09 goals against average and a .958 saves percentage.  He has helped PSU extend its unbeaten streak to six games (4-0-2), improving to 5-1-2 overall and 3-1-2 in MASCAC play.

            Junior A.J. Shiverdecker (Kettering, Ont.) score the only goal for the upset-minded Owls on a second-period power play, which knotted the game at the time, 1-1.  Westfield lost for the sixth time in its last seven outings, dropping to 2-8-1 overall and 1-5-0 in the MASCAC.

            The game was filled with penalties as the two teams combined for 26 penalties for over 100 minutes.  PSU went 2-for-8 on the power play while WSC was 1-for-3 with the man-advantage.

            After a scoreless first period, PSU was first to get on the board when sophomore Kyle Greco (Hillside, Ill.) deflected home a shot by sophomore Alex Cottle (West Chester, Pa.) at the seven-minute mark.  Shiverdecker answered for the visitors four minutes later to send the game into the third period deadlocked at 1-1.

            Senior Ray Monroe (Shrewsbury, Mass.) was solid in the Owls' goal, finishing with 29 saves.

            PSU is now idle for final exams and the holiday break.  The Panthers are back on the ice on December 30-31 when they host the PSU Invitational at Hanaway Rink.  Plymouth State will face Salve Regina at 4:00 p.m. on Dec. 30, following the Becker College-University of New England matchup at 1:00 p.m.

            Westfield State will host Assumption on Tuesday, Jan. 4. 

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