PLYMOUTH, N.H. – Sophomore
Matt Hale (Center Harbor, N.H.) matched career highs with two goals and three points as Plymouth State University powered past Keene State College, 5-2, in Little East Conference (LEC) men's ice hockey action at Hanaway Rink on Friday evening.
It took less than 30 seconds for the Panthers to strike, as senior
Payton Schaly (Orillia, Ontario) blasted a shot from the right faceoff dot for a quick 1-0 lead. Keene State answered midway through the period, then added a power-play goal with 1:34 left in the frame, but junior
Patrick O'Connell (West Chester, Pa.) pulled PSU even with a backhand finish with 10.9 seconds remaining to send the teams into the first intermission tied, 2-2.
Hale delivered the game-winner late in the second period, then set up freshman
Étienne Tremblay-Mathieu (Québec City, Québec) less than 90 seconds later to make it 4-2. Hale added his second of the night on a rebound early in the third to close out the scoring.
PSU picks up its fourth straight win to move to 4-3-0 (4-1-0 LEC), while Keene State slides to 4-3-0 (1-3-0 LEC).
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 5, Keene State 2
- Plymouth State (4-3-0, 4-1-0 LEC)
- Keene State (4-3-0, 1-3-0 LEC)
How it Happened:
- Plymouth State needed less than 30 seconds to open the scoring as Schaly took a cross-ice feed through the neutral zone and fired a shot from the right dot over the shoulder of the Keene State goaltender.
- The Owls tied it at 11:19 of the first when a one-timer from the left side found the inside of the far post.
- Keene State went ahead with 1:34 left in the period on a sharp-angle shot to the top right corner.
- Freshman Tucker Shedd (Holt, Mich.) knocked down a pass at the blue line and hit O'Connell in stride. O'Connell sliced through the slot and lifted a backhander to the top left corner with 10.9 seconds remaining to knot the game at 2–2.
- The second period stayed tight until PSU surged ahead with two late goals. Hale put the Panthers up 3-2 on the power play at 15:42, then set up Tremblay-Mathieu for a 2-on-1 finish at 17:05.
- Hale cleaned up a rebound roughly four minutes into the third to seal the 5–2 final.
By the Numbers:
- Hale matched career highs with two goals and three points.
- Tremblay-Mathieu posted a goal and an assist, giving him eight points over his last three games.
- Shedd recorded a career-best three assists and extended his five-game point streak.
- Senior Will Redick (Collingwood, Ontario) won 17 of 24 faceoffs.
- Graduate student Brandon Shantz (San Antonio, Texas) made 14 saves and did not allow a goal in 49:06 of action. He was forced to leave the ice midway through the first due to a broken skate blade but returned at the start of the second.
- PSU held a 55–22 edge in shots.
- This was the first-ever meeting between the two programs.
Up Next:
- Plymouth State hosts WestConn in LEC action Saturday (Nov. 22) at 2 p.m.
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