NEW BEDFORD, Mass. – Senior
Brendahn Brawley (Morton, Pa.) made 40 saves, including 20 in the third period alone, as Plymouth State University outlasted the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, 2-1, in a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) men's ice hockey game at Hetland Arena on Thursday evening.
The Corsairs took a first period lead with a power play goal just over four minutes in, but the Panthers responded just over two minutes later to tie the game. Freshman
Payton Schaly (Orillia, Ontario) potted the eventual game-winner with just 32 seconds left in the frame and Brawley made the lead hold.
Plymouth State, ranked #15 in the nation, stays unbeaten in conference play (9-0-0), while improving to 12-3-1 overall. The Panthers have won eight straight games. UMass Dartmouth dips to 4-9-2 and 3-5-1 in the MASCAC.
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 2, UMass Dartmouth 1
- Plymouth State (12-3-1, 9-0-0 MASCAC)
- UMass Dartmouth (4-9-2, 3-5-1 MASCAC)
How it Happened:
- UMass Dartmouth got on the board first during a 4-on-3 power play when a Corsairs' skater whipped a wrist shot from the high slot just inside the top left corner at the 4:21 mark of the first.
- The Panthers pulled even less than three minutes later. Freshman Will Redick (Collingwood, Ontario) won a battle for the puck along the boards and flipped a pass to sophomore Connor Tait (Boyds, Md.), who skated in from the left side and beat the UMD goaltender to the glove side.
- PSU went ahead with 35 seconds left in the frame when sophomore Cameron Patton (Bible Hill, Nova Scotia) slipped a pass from the blue line to Schaly on the right side and his shot from the corner found the back of the net.
- Brawley kicked aside a golden chance for the Corsairs seven minutes into the second to preserve the one-goal advantage.
- The Panthers nearly extended the lead with 5:38 left in the stanza as senior Myles Abbate (Norwell, Mass.) sent a perfect feed to Tait alone on the weakside, but the UMD goaltender went post-to-post to make the save.
- UMass Dartmouth's best opportunity to square the game came with just over five minutes remaining during a 5-on-3 power play, but Brawley came away with multiple clutch stops to preserve the win.
By the Numbers:
- Tait's goal was his eighth of the season, just two off the team lead, while Schaly potted his fourth of the year.
- Redick picked up his seventh assist on the year.
- Patton has made an immediate impact with three points (two goals, one assist) in his first two games with the team.
- Brawley's 40 saves were tied for the second most this season.
- PSU finished 0-for-6 on the power play, while the Corsairs went 1-for-4.
- The Panthers outshot UMass Dartmouth by a 51-41 margin, including 23-9 in the second period.
- PSU has gone 22-2-1 against UMass Dartmouth since the 2014-15 season and is 11-0-1 in the last 12 meetings.
Up Next:
- Plymouth State heads to Worcester State next Thursday (Jan. 19) for another MASCAC showdown.
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