Embrace the Championship: Stonehill Wins NE10 Ice Hockey Title for Third Time in Program History

champion
Posted: Mar 07, 2020

CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL

Skyhawks' Matthew Schoen Named Most Outstanding Player.

BRIGHTON, Mass. – The Stonehill ice hockey team, seeded third in the Northeast-10 Conference Tournament, defeated Franklin Pierce, the fourth-seeded team, in the title game Saturday night at Warrior Ice Arena with a 3-1 score.

By the Numbers:

  • Stonehill's (13-11-5, 8-6-4 NE10) Charles Page, Cameron Wright, and Zachary Frament recorded the goals.
  • Teddy McElaney, Kayser Raei, Jack Hall, Ryan Meade, Brendan Nehmer, and John Peloso tallied assists in the win.
  • Senior Matthew Schoen recorded 46 saves in the championship game.
  • Franklin Pierce (16-12-4, 8-7-3 NE10) saw Conor Foley with the lone tally, while Ryan Gorbett and Mitch Dolese assisted in the goal. In net, Ian Wallace stopped 38 shots.
  • The Skyhawks were outshot by the Ravens 47-41, as Stonehill went 1-for-3 in power play opportunities and Franklin Pierce went 0-for-1.

How It Happened:

  • Stonehill held the shot advantage in the first period, 17-14, as they went on their first power play opportunity at 9:34. The Skyhawks got off four shots but the Ravens killed the penalty.
  • The Skyhawks cleared the puck from their defensive zone and Page received the handoff, turning around and sending it top shelf past Wallace for his 11th goal of the season and 20th of his career at 8:45 in the second period, for a 1-0 advantage.
  • At 15:44 in the second frame, Franklin Pierce won the faceoff in their attacking zone and Wright intercepted a pass skating it through the neutral zone. Wright slid it in past Wallace for the senior's 17th goal of the season and 40th of his career to put the Skyhawks up 2-0.
  • Stonehill was able to defend its first and only penalty of the game, as Franklin Pierce recorded four shots on net.
  • Two minutes following the power play, Franklin Pierce continued to jam away at Schoen as Foley was able to put it past him at 10:22, to cut the deficit to one, 2-1.
  • Under a minute remaining, Franklin Pierce pulled Wallace during their third penalty kill and Stonehill charged forward on a breakaway as Frament found the back of the net for his fifth goal of the season, fourth power play, and second empty net goal at 19:19. 

Outside the Glass:

  • This is the Skyhawks fifth appearance in the NE10 Championship game and 19th appearance in the NE10 Tournament since 1999.
  • This is second time in five years that the Skyhawks have appeared in the Tournament, with the last time being in 2015-16 when Stonehill won their second NE10 Championship, as the Championship game against Saint Anselm College was canceled due to health concerns and the Skyhawks won the title as they highest remaining seed.
  • This is the first winning season since 2015-16, where the team went 13-9-4, 5-1-2 NE10. This is the eighth season since 1999 that the Skyhawks have had a record at .500 or higher.
  • Senior Jack Scannell was in the lineup for his 100th-career game played with the Purple and White. He is the fifth Skyhawk to reach this milestone this season, along with classmates Michael Seibold, Cameron Wright, Connor Jewett, and Ryan Meade.

ALL-CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM

Matthew Schoen, Stonehill (Most Outstanding Player)
Ryan Meade, Stonehill
Cameron Wright, Stonehill
Conor Foley, Franklin Pierce
Chris Stevenson, Franklin Pierce
Dante Maribito, Assumption
Thomas Flack, Saint Michael's

ELITE 24 AWARD

Shepheard Stahel, Franklin Pierce

NE10 Ice Hockey Championship

  1. Assumption (12-4-2, 26 points)
  2. Saint Michael's (11-5-2; 24 points)
  3. Stonehill (8-6-4, 20 points)
  4. Franklin Pierce (8-7-3; 19 points)

Saturday, February 29th          

Semifinals ­
Game 1:  #3 Stonehill 4, #2 Saint Michael's 3 (OT)
Game 2: #4 Franklin Pierce 4, #1 Assumption 3 (OT)

Saturday, March 7th       

Championship (to be held at highest remaining seed) ­
Game 3:  #3 Stonehill 3, #4 Franklin Pierce 1

-Recap courtesy of Stonehill athletic communications-

ABOUT THE NE10
The NE10 is an association of 14 diverse institutions serving student-athletes across 24 NCAA Division II sports. Together we build brilliant futures by embracing the journey of every student-athlete.

Each year, 4,500 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 24 sports, making the NE10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the NE10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.