MANCHESTER, N.H. – Junior
Brendan Doyle (Stratham, N.H.) scored twice for the second straight game and senior
Ethan Stuckless (Conception Bay South, Newfoundland) also tallied a pair of goals as Plymouth State University scored five unanswered goals to top Rivier University, 6-1, in a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) men's ice hockey game at Sullivan Arena on the campus of Saint Anselm College on Thursday night.
Doyle opened the scoring early in the first period, but the Raiders answered back roughly two minutes later, and the game remained tied heading into the first intermission.
Stuckless potted his first of the game, which would ultimately prove to be the game winner, 5:28 into the second and senior
Cam Patton (Bible Hill, Nova Scotia) extended the lead just 42 seconds later.
Plymouth State pulled away in the final stanza, with junior
Will Redick (Collingwood, Ontario) making in 4-1, before Stuckless and Doyle added power play goals midway through the frame to account for the final score.
Plymouth State improves to 9-4-0 (6-0-0 MASCAC), while the Raiders slide to 4-7-1 (0-4-1 MASCAC).
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 6, Rivier 1
- Plymouth State (9-4-0, 6-0-0 MASCAC)
- Rivier (4-7-1, 0-4-1 MASCAC)
How it Happened:
- Doyle gave PSU an early lead when he whipped a shot to the top left corner from the slot at the 5:40 mark of the first.
- The Raiders answered back roughly two minutes later and the game remained tied at 1-1 into the first intermission.
- Patton's forecheck led to a turnover behind the Rivier goal and Patton found Stuckless alone in front for a 2-1 lead 5:28 into the second.
- Patton redirected a deep shot from sophomore Will Pray (Prague, Czech Republic) less than a minute later to extend the advantage to 3-1.
- Redick hacked the puck free in the defensive zone and flew down the right side on a breakaway before finding the back of the net just a minute into the third period.
- Stuckless and Doyle put the game away with power play goals following a Rivier major penalty midway through the frame.
By the Numbers:
- Doyle scored twice for the second straight game.
- Redick has four goals and five points in his last two games.
- Stuckless got into the scoring action for the first time since a four-goal outburst against Framingham State on Nov. 21.
- PSU held a 46-22 advantage in shots.
- Junior Brandon Shantz (San Antonio, Texas) made 21 saves to pick up the win.
- The Panthers went 2-for-3 on the power play while holding Rivier scoreless in two chances.
- The game was the first ever meeting between the two teams.
Up Next:
- Plymouth State hosts Fitchburg State in a key league contest on Saturday (Jan. 11). Puck drop at Hanaway Rink is set for 6:00 p.m.
– 30 –
