PLYMOUTH, N.H. – Senior
Brendahn Brawley (Morton, Pa.) started the season on the right foot as he was a wall in front of the net, recording 35 saves to help Plymouth State University to a 2-2 tie with Plattsburgh State University in the men's ice hockey season opener at Hanaway Rink on Friday night.
Brawley was handed a heavy workload in the opening period as the Cardinals outshot PSU by a 14-2 margin, but the goaltender was up to the task as the game went into the first intermission deadlocked at zero.
After Plattsburgh was able to put a tally on the board, the Panthers quickly rallied as senior
Niks Krollis (Riga, Latvia) sniped the first goal of the season out of a faceoff to tie the game at 1-1.
The Panthers rode the momentum as sophomore
Anton Jellvik (Taby, Sweden) breezed through the defense to sneak a go-ahead goal into the net, but PSU couldn't hold on as the Cardinals answered with a long shot through traffic to force overtime.
Junior
Jeromey Rancourt (Lewiston, Maine) nearly missed a game-winner in the extra frame, but Plattsburgh State held sturdy as the game ended in a 2-2 tie.
Both teams begin the season with an 0-0-1 record.
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 2, Plattsburgh State 2 (OT)
- Plymouth State (0-0-1)
- Plattsburgh State (0-0-1)
How it Happened:
- Brawley was a force in the first period as he faced a barrage of 14 shots but stood his ground to keep the Cardinals from breaking through as the game remained scoreless into the second period.
- Graduate student Ben Chipman (North Vancouver, British Columbia) and sophomore Ethan Stuckless (Conception Bay South, Newfoundland) sparked the Panthers' momentum with a pair of shots at the opposing goaltender and sophomore Connor Tait (Boyds, Md.) nearly punched in the opening goal for the Panthers, but Plattsburgh took back control to break the ice, 1-0.
- After Brawley made another key save to hold off the Cardinals, PSU responded by overloading Plattsburgh with an offensive strike. Rancourt won a faceoff to senior Ted Austin (Sylvania, Ohio), who then fed Krollis for the equalizer in the final minute of the period.
- Stuckless and junior Carson Lanceleve (Stewiacke, Nova Scotia) helped set up Jellvik to start the third period as Jellvik was able to slip the second goal past the Cardinals' netminder to put the home team ahead, 2-1, at the five-minute mark.
- Plymouth State had a pair of shorthanded opportunities, but Rancourt and senior Jovan Zimmerman (Boulder, Colo.) couldn't break past the goalie's defenses.
- The Panthers had just killed off a penalty when Plattsburgh scored from distance to pull even and neither team was able to break through again.
By the Numbers:
- Brawley tallied 35 saves in the season debut, just four shy of his career high.
- After the first period, Plymouth State outshot the Cardinals by a narrow 24-21 margin.
- Neither team was successful on the powerplay. Plymouth State was held scoreless in six chances, while the Cardinals were 0-for-5.
- This was just the third meeting between the two teams, as PSU is now 1-1-1 against the Cardinals.
Up Next:
- Plymouth State heads to #7 Babson College for a 4:00 p.m. clash with the Beavers on Saturday (Oct. 29).
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