Saint Anselm and Saint Michael's to Host Semifinals on Saturday.
MANSFIELD, Mass. - No. 3 Assumption and No. 5 Franklin Pierce earned first-round wins on Tuesday night in the Northeast-10 Conference Ice Hockey Championship to advance to Saturday's semifinal matchups with the two top seeds - Saint Anselm and Saint Michael's. It is Assumption's eighth-straight trip to the semifinals and Franklin Pierce's second in the past three years.
Assumption shot past No. 6 Post by a 7-2 margin, while Franklin Pierce upset No. 4 Southern New Hampshire on the road, 3-1. The Greyhounds will travel to play Saint Michael's on Saturday, while the Ravens will play at top-seeded Saint Anselm.
All rounds of the NE10 Ice Hockey Championship will be available on NE10 NOW - the Conference's digital streaming platform - via NE10NOW.tv or by downloading the mobile app.
No. 3 Assumption 7, No. 6 Post 2 - Box Score
WORCESTER, Mass. – The Assumption ice hockey team halted their losing streak with authority, as the Greyhounds erupted for a 7-2 win against Post in the first round of the Northeast-10 Conference Championship on Tuesday evening at the Worcester Ice Center.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Assumption opened up the period on the front foot, taking the lead with just over five minutes of action played. Jimmy McDermott opened up the goalscoring, and then with 6:09 remaining, Colin Philippon, the conference's leader in points, put the home side up by two goals. The Eagles didn't go away quietly, as Michael Gethings scored eight seconds into a Post powerplay to cut the lead in half. At the end of the first, Assumption was up 3-1.
In the second period, Assumption exploded. Michael Zampanti, Mike D'Ambrosio and Shane Sullivan each got on the scoresheet throughout the frame to put the Greyhounds up 5-1. They were utterly dominating the staff sheet, outshooting the Eagles 59-33, with 35 of those being fired on goal. With 4:05 left in the period, Justin Harshaw got one back for Post as he tipped a rebound past Drew Benedict. After the second, Post was down 5-2, and Assumption was 20 minutes away from an NE10 semifinal appearance.
In the third period, the two teams slowed down the offensive pace, as there were 20 shots on goal. The Greyhounds were granted a five-minute power-play, where they struck twice, as Christopher Stalmok and D'Ambrosio found the back of the net.
Assumption will play at No. 2 Saint Michael's on Saturday at 4 p.m.
-Recap provided by Assumption athletic communications-
No. 5 Franklin Pierce 3, No. 4 SNHU 1 - Box Score
HOOKSETT, N.H. - Franklin Pierce's Cody Rumsey scored a pair of goals on Tuesday night in the first round of the NE10 Ice Hockey Championship, helping the Ravens to a 3-1 road victory over No. 4 Southern New Hampshire. Goaltender Kyle Martin was stellar in net for Franklin Pierce, allowing just one goal and making 51 saves in the win.
The Ravens jumped out to a 2-0 lead behind two tallies from Rumsey. SNHU cut the lead in half with a goal by George Thurston, but the Ravens would extend the lead near the end of the second period on a power play goal from Anthon Nikolopoulos to put the game out of reach.
Franklin Pierce travels to play top-seeded Saint Anselm on Saturday at 4 p.m.
NE10 ICE HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIP
First Round: Tuesday, February 21st
Game #1: No. 3 Assumption 7, No. 6 Post 2
Game #2: No. 5 Franklin Pierce 3, No 4 SNHU 1
Semifinals: Saturday, February 25th
Game #3: No. 3 Assumption at No. 2 Saint Michael's – 4:00 P.M.
Game #4: No. 5 Franklin Pierce at No. 1 Saint Anselm – 4:00 P.M.
Championship Game: Saturday, March 4th
Game #5: Game #3 winner vs. Game #4 Winner (at highest remaining seed)
ABOUT THE NE10
The NE10 is an association of 13 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.
