WORCESTER, Mass. – Senior
Donte' DiPonio (Trenton, Mich.) scored twice and junior
Will Redick (Collingwood, Ontario) notched a pair of assists while Plymouth State University scored four times in the second period to coast past Worcester State University, 5-2, in a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) men's ice hockey game at Fidelity Bank Worcester Ice Center on Thursday night.
DiPonio registered the lone marker of the first period with an unassisted strike midway through the frame. The Lancers briefly tied the score early in the second, but PSU exploded for four straight goals in a 12-minute span to put the game away.
Sophomore
Sam Nichols (North Tonawanda, N.Y.) tallied his first goal in a Plymouth State uniform to start the spurt and DiPonio converted during a power play to make it 3-1. Senior
Cam Patton (Bible Hill, Nova Scotia) added a short-handed tally before senior
Ethan Stuckless (Conception Bay South, Newfoundland) capped the period with another power play strike with 1:54 left in the frame to make it 5-1.
The Lancers answered back 17 seconds later, but the Panthers' defense allowed just two shots in the third period to earn the win.
Plymouth State improves to 11-4-0 (8-0-0 MASCAC), while the Lancers fall to 6-7-1 and 3-4-1 in league play.
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 5, Worcester State 2
- Plymouth State (11-4-0, 8-0-0 MASCAC)
- Worcester State (6-7-1, 3-4-1 MASCAC)
How it Happened:
- DiPonio opened the scoring near the midpoint of the first to give the Panthers the lead.
- Worcester State pulled even just 1:15 into the second.
- Nichols put PSU back in front at the 6:32 mark to start the offensive onslaught.
- DiPonio converted on the power play, his second of the evening, roughly a minute-and-a-half later.
- Patton pushed the margin to 4-1 with his short-handed marker with 3:50 left in the period and Stuckless capped the surge with a power play strike with just under two minutes to go.
- The Lancers got one back just 17 seconds later, but PSU locked down defensively in the third period, limiting the hosts to just two shots in the frame to secure the league win.
By the Numbers:
- DiPonio's two goals were his first of the season.
- Redick also recorded a multi-point game with two helpers.
- Nichols' goal was the second of his career and first since joining the Panthers this season.
- Stuckless leads the team with 11 goals on the year, while Patton's tally was his eighth.
- Junior Brandon Shantz (San Antonio, Texas) made 18 saves to improve to 10-3-0.
- The Panthers held a 39-20 advantage in shots.
- Worcester State blocked 14 shots.
- Plymouth State is unbeaten in the last 17 meetings (16-0-1), has won ten straight and is 62-11-5 against the Lancers all time.
Up Next:
- PSU remains in conference action when the Panthers host MCLA on Saturday (Jan. 18) with puck drop set for 6:00 p.m.
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