PLYMOUTH, N.H. – The deadly top line of senior
Myles Abbate (Norwell, Mass.), sophomore
Connor Tait (Boyds, Md.) and freshman
Will Redick (Collingwood, Ontario) combined for four goals and six assists as top-seeded Plymouth State University advanced to the championship game of the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) men's ice hockey tournament with a 6-0 win over fourth-seeded Westfield State University in semifinal round action at Hanaway Rink on Wednesday night.
Plymouth State, ranked #10 in the nation, will host the title game on Saturday (Mar. 4) at 6:00 p.m. looking for a MASCAC-record fourth-straight title. PSU faces second-seeded Worcester State University in the finals after the Lancers held off upset-minded Salem State, the six seed, 5-4 in overtime.
PSU sets a new program record by winning its 22nd game of the year, improving to 22-3-1 with an 18th-straight victory. Senior
Brendahn Brawley (Morton, Pa.) finished with 13 saves to pick up his fifth shutout of the season, setting a new team record, while Abbate finished with three points to move into a tie for fifth among the team's all-time scoring leaders.
Plymouth State controlled play throughout, though the game remained scoreless for the first 30 minutes. Redick finally broke through midway through the second period and the floodgates opened as Abbate and Tait followed with tallies just 16 seconds apart.
PSU tacked on three third-period goals to cruise to championship game for the 10th time in 11 years.
Westfield State ends the year with an 11-14-2 mark.
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 6, Westfield State 0
- Plymouth State (22-3-1)
- Westfield State (11-14-2)
How it Happened:
- Despite outshooting the Owls by a 32-6 margin in the opening period, Plymouth State was held off the board and the game remained scoreless into the second period.
- The Panthers broke through at the 10:52 mark of the second when Redick redirected a shot from the point by senior Niks Krollis (Riga, Latvia) after Westfield State was unable to clear the zone.
- Redick set up Abbate with 5:39 left in the period, firing a pass through the slot that Abbate one-timed past the Owls' goaltender to double the lead.
- Just 16 seconds later Tait buried a Redick pass on the weakside to make it 3-0.
- The score would remain the same until the middle of the third when Tait put a big hit along the boards at center ice to knock the puck into the zone for a 2-on-1. Redick picked up the puck and skated in before whipping a pass to Abbate on the weakside, who went to the top left corner for a 4-0 advantage.
- Sophomore Cameron Patton (Bible Hill, Nova Scotia) skated into the slot from the left side 24 seconds later. The puck was knocked loose to freshman Payton Schaly (Orillia, Ontario) right in front, who pushed it back to Patton at the far post for the easy score and a 5-0 lead.
- Sophomore Dante Moretti (Powell, Ohio) and senior Jacob Laurin (Stockholm, Sweden) teamed up to account for the final score with 5:50 left on the clock. Moretti knocked the puck loose in the corner and Laurin sent it back to him behind the Owls' goal. Moretti skated behind the net, then whipped a pass through the crease to Laurin on the far side for a one-timer to cap the scoring.
By the Numbers:
- Abbate potted two goals and an assist to move into a tie for fifth on PSU's career points leaders list with 114.
- Redick notched a goal and three assists for his second four-point game of the year. Both have come against Westfield State.
- Tait added a goal and two assists.
- The Panthers outshot Westfield State by a 107-22 margin, including 60-13 on goal.
- Plymouth State dominated the faceoff circle, combining to win 36-of-57 draws. Sophomore Anton Jellvik (Taby, Sweden) won 13-of-19, while Redick won 10-of-14.
- PSU was held scoreless in the game's lone power play chance.
- The Panthers have won four straight against Westfield State and are 8-1-1 in the last ten games.
- Plymouth State will play in its tenth MASCAC Tournament Championship game, looking for a sixth title.
Up Next:
- Top-seeded Plymouth State looks to secure a fourth straight MASCAC title as the Panthers host second-seeded Worcester State on Saturday (Mar. 4) at 6:00 p.m.
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