Stewart leads Panthers to championship of PSU Invitational

            PLYMOUTH, N.H. – Senior Andrew Stewart (O'Leary, PEI) was named Most Valuable Player Friday evening after leading Plymouth State University to a hard-fought 6-5 victory over the University of New England in the championship game of the PSU Men's Hockey Invitational at Hanaway Rink.

	PSU captains Jake Curtin and David Rose
	accept the team championship award.

            PSU led 4-1 midway through the second period before UNE rattled off three unanswered goals to deadlock the game by the end of the second period.  Stewart set up the go-ahead goal two minutes into the third period and assisted on the eventual game-winner with seven minutes remaining as PSU extended its winning streak to six and its unbeaten streak to eight (6-0-2).

            Stewart, who tallied two goals and an assist in PSU's 9-0 win over Salve Regina on Thursday, was joined on the All-Tournament team by three teammates – sophomore defenseman Richie Zobak (Evergreen Park, Ill.), sophomore forward Kyle Greco (Hillside, Ill.) and freshman goalie Tyler Ingerson (Concord, N.H.).

            Senior Jack Nolin (Somersworth, N.H.) scored twice to lead the Nor'easters, including his second goal with 11 seconds remaining in the game that brought UNE to within one goal.  Juniors Ted Fabian (Oakland, Mich.) and Mike Tiano (Dover, N.H.) each scored goals for UNE for the second straight night, and represented the Nor'easters on the All-Tournament Team.

            Fabian scored the first goal of the game seven minutes in, snapping a quick shot past PSU sophomore netminder Jack Astedt (Angelholm, Sweden).  The Panthers responded with a pair of unanswered goals to take a 2-1 lead after one period; Greco scored on a pass from sophomore Alex Cottle (West Chester, Pa.) at 12:21, and junior Bryan Kriner (Newport, R.I.) tipped in a shot by sophomore JC Richardson (Fort Colins, Colo.) at 17:14.

            Senior Jake Curtin (Concord, N.H.) scored on a slapshot from the point that snuck in just inside the left goal post to open the second-period scoring, and Kriner added his second of the game and ninth of the season two minutes later to put the Panthers ahead, 4-1.

            That's when UNE came to life.  Nolin tallied his first of the game for UNE at 13:44 of the second to cut the margin to 4-2, and Tiano and sophomore Tyler Fleurent (Biddeford, Maine) followed with a pair of goals 50 seconds apart late in the frame to deadlock the score at 4-4 after two.

            Senior Sean Buckley (Sagamore Beach, Mass.) gave PSU the lead back just 2:39 into the final stanza, assisted by Stewart, and then Stewart and Buckley set up junior Chris Zaremba (Colorado Springs, Colo.) for the game-winner at 12:56.

            PSU finished with a 34-25 advantage in shots on goal.  Astedt picked up the win in the Panther goal, making 20 saves, while senior Mike Roper (New Glasgo, N.S.) made 28 saves in the UNE goal.

            Plymouth State will be idle for nine days before returning to action on Sunday and Monday, Jan. 9-10, with a two-game set at Wentworth.  UNE plays its next three games at home, beginning on Friday, Jan. 7, against New England College (7:00 p.m.)

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