PLYMOUTH, N.H. – Junior
Connor Tait (Boyds, Md.) scored 17 seconds into overtime and sophomore
Will Redick (Collingwood, Ontario) extended his early-season scoring outburst as #8 Plymouth State University outlasted Babson College, 6-5, in a non-conference men's ice hockey game at Hanaway Rink on Saturday evening.
Plymouth State twice erased two-goal deficits in the back-and-forth affair. Babson jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead midway through the opening period, but a late power play goal cut the deficit in half and freshman
Patrick O'Connell (West Chester, Pa.) tied the game at 2-2 7:44 into the second.
Babson surged back ahead with a pair of goals in the middle stanza, but Redick, who matched a career high with four points, converted on a power play in the opening minute of the third and Plymouth State scored twice more in the period to take a 5-4 lead with just over five minutes remaining.
The Beavers pulled even two minutes later to send the game to overtime. Babson controlled the opening faceoff, but Redick jarred the puck loose in the neutral zone and hit Tait in stride for a breakaway chance. Tait held off a defender, then slipped the puck under the glove of the Babson goaltender just 17 seconds into the extra frame to seal the win.
Plymouth State improves to 3-0-0 on the season, while Babson drops to 0-3-1.
The Basics:
- #8 Plymouth State 6, Babson 5 (OT)
- Plymouth State (3-0-0)
- Babson (0-3-1)
How it Happened:
- Babson potted an early goal, just four minutes into action, to put Plymouth State its first deficit of the season.
- The Beavers doubled the margin midway through the first with a power play tally.
- Freshman Severi Sulonen (Turku, Finland) fired a shot from the point on the tail end of a power play with just over a 1:44 left in the period, and junior Cam Patton (Truro, Nova Scotia) tipped it in to cut the deficit to 2-1.
- O'Connell potted his first career goal when he banged home a rebound to tie the game at the 7:44 mark of the second.
- Babson answered right back less than two minutes later during four-on-four play, then pushed the lead to 4-2 when a low-angled shot snuck in with just over six minutes left in the middle stanza.
- Redick scored his fifth goal of the young season less than a minute into the third period to make it 4-3. Sophomore Rider McCallum (Langley, British Columbia) whipped a cross-ice pass to Redick, alone on the far post, who collected and fired into the open net with three seconds left on a power play.
- Redick absorbed a big hit along the end boards, but slipped a pass to freshman Will Pray (Wheaton, Ill.) in the slot, who converted with a shot high to the glove side to tie the game midway through the third.
- Redick was front and center again as Plymouth State took its first lead of the game, 5-4, with 5:35 left in regulation. Redick won a clean draw at the left circle of the offensive zone right to junior Brady Morrison (Chilliwack, British Columbia), and his quick wrister snuck into the top right corner.
- The lead was short-lived, though, as Babson pulled even just two minutes later when the puck slipped through during a scrum in the crease and the game went into overtime.
- Babson won the opening draw and skated into the defensive zone. A Beavers' skater pushed the puck ahead, but Redick chipped it free and backhanded a pass to Tait, who skated in on goal. Tait, with a defender in his back pocket, carried the puck through the slot and tucked a shot under the goalie's glove to secure the win.
By the Numbers:
- Redick finished with a goal and three assists and leads the team with five goals and ten points through three games.
- Tait chipped in a goal and two assists, while Morrison potted a goal and an assist.
- Seven other players recorded points for the Panthers.
- Senior Kalle Andersson (Taby, Sweden) made 32 saves to pick up the win.
- Redick won 15-of-27 faceoffs, while PSU went 42-33 overall from the dot.
- PSU converted both its power play chances, while the Beavers went 1-for-2 with the man advantage.
- The win was the Panthers' first over Babson since the 2012-13 season, snapping a streak of five straight setbacks to the Beavers.
Up Next:
- Plymouth State has a busy week with three straight road games, starting with a trip to Anna Maria on Tuesday (Nov. 7). Puck drop is set for 5:50 p.m.
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