FALMOUTH, Mass. – Junior
Brendan Doyle (Stratham, N.H.) notched a goal and an assist and Plymouth State University used a three-goal first period to top the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, 4-2, in a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) men's ice hockey game at Falmouth Ice Arena on Thursday evening.
Doyle got the Panthers an early lead just 5:37 into the first and sophomore
David Matousek (Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic) and freshman
Tikhon Ashikhmin (Yekaterinburg, Russia) both scored in the final five minutes of the frame as PSU held a 3-0 lead after one.
UMass Dartmouth scored midway through the third, but sophomore
Patrick O'Connell (West Chester, Pa.) tacked on an empty net goal before the Corsairs countered with a tally with just five seconds left on the clock to account for the final score.
PSU jumps to 6-3-0 (4-0-0 MASCAC), while the Corsairs slide to 4-3-0 (2-1-0 MASCAC).
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 4, UMass Dartmouth 2
- Plymouth State (6-3-0, 4-0-0 MASCAC)
- UMass Dartmouth (4-3-0, 2-1-0 MASCAC)
How it Happened:
- Plymouth State got on the board less than six minutes in when Doyle received a cross ice pass at the left circle and ripped a wrist shot past the screened goaltender to the top left corner.
- Matousek doubled the lead with 4:24 left in the stanza with an incredible individual effort. He blasted a one-timer from the right circle, fired a follow-up shot off the long rebound, then skated into the high slot where he snagged another rebound and dumped it into the back of the net.
- Good puck movement helped the Panthers extend the margin to 3-0 with just 1:27 left in the frame. Doyle carried the puck into the zone and dropped it for sophomore Will Pray (Prague, Czech Republic) on the right side. Pray drew three defenders and Ashikhmin slipped into open space before receiving the pass and rifling a shot to the top right corner.
- Junior goalie Brandon Shantz (San Antonio, Texas) and the Panthers' defense successfully killed off a pair of Corsairs' power plays in the second period as the score remained 3-0 heading into the final 20 minutes.
- The hosts got one back 7:49 into the third to make it 3-1.
- Shantz made a spectacular stop with less than eight minutes to play to preserve the two-goal margin. A PSU turnover in the defensive zone left the Corsairs with a 1-on-0 breakaway, but Shantz stuck to his post and knocked the shot aside.
- O'Connell potted an empty netter with 1:11 left and the Corsairs snuck a shot past Shantz with just five seconds remaining to account for the final score.
By the Numbers:
- Ashikhmin's tally was his first collegiate goal.
- Doyle registered his first multi-point game as a Panther.
- Shantz recorded 18 saves in the win to improve to 5-2-0 on the year.
- Plymouth State owned a 46-20 advantage in shots and went 50-18 in the faceoff circle.
- Junior Will Redick (Collingwood, Ontario) went 14-4 in the circle, while senior Cam Patton (Bible Hill, Nova Scotia) and sophomore Fitzy Somerville (Medford, Mass.) each won 14-of-19.
- Plymouth State moves to 39-21-6 in the series and is 29-2-1 against the Corsairs since 2014.
Up Next:
- The Panthers host Westfield State in league action on Saturday (Dec. 7) at 6:00 p.m. The annual Teddy Bear Toss game will benefit Dartmouth Health Children's and Children's Hospital at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center (CHaD).
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