PLYMOUTH, N.H. – Four different players scored and senior
Kalle Andersson (Taby, Sweden) made 20 saves as Plymouth State University skated past New England College, 4-1, in non-conference men's ice hockey action at Hanaway Rink on Friday evening.
Playing in its annual
Teddy Bear Toss game, the Panthers rallied from a first period deficit with four unanswered goals. Senior
Carson Lanceleve (Stewiacke, Nova Scotia) knotted the game at 1-1 with a power play tally 6:45 into the middle stanza leading to hundreds of teddy bears raining onto the ice from the 895 fans in attendance. The bears will be donated to the Children's Hospital at Dartmouth (CHaD) in the coming weeks to provide comfort and support to over 2,000 pediatric patients.
Sophomore
Will Redick (Collingwood, Ontario), the nation's leading goal-scorer, added to his season total with his 15th goal of the year with 5:19 left in the second period for what proved to be the game winner.
Prior to the game, nine-year-old special guest Myles Pelkey conducted a ceremonial puck drop.
Plymouth State closes out the semester at 9-1-2 while riding an eight-game unbeaten streak. NEC slides to 2-9-1.
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 4, NEC 1
- Plymouth State (9-1-2)
- NEC (2-9-1)
How it Happened:
- After early pressure from the Panthers, NEC had a chance at the four-minute mark when a rebound found the stock of a Pilgrims' skater right in front, but Andersson made a fantastic glove save to keep the game scoreless.
- Senior Anton Jellvik (Taby, Sweden) flew down the near side 8:43 into the frame for a breakout chance, but his wrister whistled just wide.
- NEC broke through in the final 20 seconds of a power play with 4:49 left in the period when a cross ice pass led to an open wrist shot on the far side.
- Redick had a chance during the opening minute of the second period when Jellvik sent him a feed from behind the net right in front, but the NEC goaltender was able just able to kick it aside with his right leg.
- The Panthers pulled even on the power play 6:45 into the middle stanza. Freshman Severi Sulonen (Turku, Finland) left the puck for Lanceleve on the far side. Lanceleve cycled around to the point and rocketed a wrist shot to the top left corner to tie the game and send several hundred bears onto the ice.
- Redick put the Panthers ahead eight minutes later. Junior Donte' DiPonio (Trenton, Mich.) played the puck up the ice where classmate Connor Tait (Boyds, Md.) found Redick on the far side before he beat the goalie high to the glove side for the 2-1 advantage.
- Lanceleve nearly made it a two-goal game in the final minute of the period but his shot from the left circle rang the pipe.
- Plymouth State upped the lead to 3-1 at the 6:19 mark of the third when junior Ethan Stuckless (Conception Bay South, Newfoundland) flipped the puck from the corner to the front of the net where freshman Will Pray (Wheaton, Ill.) deposited it into the top right corner.
- Freshman Andrew Stuckless (Conception Bay South, Newfoundland) sealed the win with an empty net tally with 1:33 remaining.
By the Numbers:
- Redick's 15 goals are the most in the country. He has scored in five straight games.
- Ten different Panthers picked up a point in the win.
- Plymouth State held a 38-21 advantage in shots.
- The Panthers went 1-of-2 on the power play, while limiting NEC to 1-for-5.
- Andersson finished with 20 saves.
Up Next:
- Plymouth State is off for final exams and the holiday break, returning to action Jan. 6 for a home game against Westfield State.
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