Men's Ice Hockey

March 7, 2009

Men's Ice Hockey Upends Stonehill 3-2 In The NE-10 Championship


Box score: http://www.collegehockeystats.net/boxes/mstmstn1.m07.

SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. - The fifth-seeded Saint Michael's College men's ice hockey team (11-15-2) defeated sixth-seeded Stonehill College (10-13-1), 3-2, in the Northeast-10 Conference Championship, Saturday evening at Cairns Arena. The win marks back-to-back Northeast-10 Conference Tournament titles for the Purple Knights.

For Saint Michael's, senior Ryan Mero (Peekskill, N.Y./Avon Old Farms) registered a goal and two assists, while freshman Brady Earle (Columbia, Md./The Gunnery School) and junior Dave Vorozilchak (Clark Summit, Pa./CD Selects) each added a goal. Senior captain Chris Healey (Salem, N.H./N.H. Monarchs) and sophomore Matt Rigtrup (Upper Montclair, N.J./Pickering Panthers) each recorded an assist. Senior Tyler Bilton (Penticton, British Columbia/Finlandia University) was tremendous in net for the Purple Knights, turning aside 38 shots and adding an assist. Mero and Healey were named to the All-Tournament team, while Bilton collected his second straight Tournament Most Valuable Player Award.


For Stonehill, freshman Andrew Diozzi (Belmont, Mass.) tallied a goal and assisted on another, while freshman Pat Greene (Weymouth, Mass.) also found the back of the net. Junior Pete Roundy (Simsbury, Conn.), Bill Ninteau (Litchfield, N.H.), and senior John Sommers (Manchester, Conn.) recorded a helper each. Sophomore Mike Manna (Framingham, Mass.) stopped 23 shots in net for the Skyhawks. Roundy and senior James Florentino (West Roxbury, Mass.) represented the Skyhawks on the All-Tournament Team.

Stonehill broke the scoreless tie with 12:09 remaining in the opening frame when Roundy and Ninteau setup Diozzi for the freshman's eighth goal of the season. The Purple Knights tied the score at one with 3:21 left in the second period when Earle beat Manna for the freshman's third tally of the season. Saint Michael's would then take a one-goal lead with 1:57 left in the period when Mero took a feed from Healey for the short-handed goal. Saint Michael's two goals in the second period came on nine less shots than the Skyhawks (18-9). At the 14:56 mark of the final period and the Purple Knights on the man-advantage, Mero and Rigtrup found Vorozilchak for the junior's fourth goal of the season to give Saint Michael's a comfortable two-goal lead. Just under three minutes after Vorozilchak's tally, Stonehill cut Saint Michael's lead in half when Greene netted his fourth goal of the season, coming from Diozzi and Sommers. The Purple Knights would hold on to their one-goal lead and skate on to the victory despite being outshot 40-26 in the contest.

The following players rounded out this year's Northeast-10 Conference Tournament All-Tournament Team: senior Brian Hartigan from Saint Anselm College, senior Dave Carroll from Southern New Hampshire University, freshman Ben Siok from Franklin Pierce University, and freshman Taylor Larsen from Assumption College.

GAME SUMMARY

Stonehill 1 0 1 --2

Saint Michael's 0 2 1 --3

First Period - Scoring: 1. STO, Diozzi (Roundy, Ninteau), 7:51. Penalties: STO, 2 minors; SMC, 4 minors.

Second Period - Scoring: 2. SMC, Earle (Mero, Bilton), 16:39. 3. SMC, Mero (Healey), 18:03. Penalties: STO, 1 minor; SMC, 3 minors.

Third Period - Scoring: 4. SMC, Vorozilchak (Mero, Rigtrup), 5:04. 5. STO, Greene (Diozzi, Sommers), 7:58. Penalties: STO, 2 minors; SMC, 2 minors.

Shots on Goal: STO (12 - 18 - 10 - 40), SMC (9 - 9 - 8 - 26).

Saves: STO, Manna (26 shots, 23 saves); SMC, Bilton (40 shots, 38 saves).

###PURPLEKNIGHTS###