Department of athletics, physical education and recreation
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Big Third Period Pushes MIT Past University of New England, 6-2
Jan. 20, 2008
BIDDEFORD, Maine - Junior Nick LaBounty scored a short-handed goal to break a 2-2 tie late in the second period and MIT went on to score three more times in the third, as the Engineers defeated the University of New England, 6-2, in NorthEast Collegiate Hockey Association (NECHA) Conference A East Division action on Saturday evening at Biddeford Arena. Tech improved to 8-1-0 overall and a division-best 6-1-0 in conference-play with the win, while the host Nor'easters fell to 0-9-1 and 0-6-0. MIT got on the board first at the 3:17 mark of the first period when sophomores Ian Rousseau and Dustin Kendrick linked up to find the back of the net. Kendrick was the provider for Rousseau's second goal of the season and second in as many games. It was 2-0 just over 10 minutes later, as Justin Myers scored the first of his two goals courtesy of assists from Bill Near and Brad Holschuh. The Nor'easters cut the deficit in half with just over one minute left in the opening period when Grant Gosselin - playing in his first-ever intercollegiate game - poked home a rebound. Assists were credited to Gunner Loiko and Jon Duhaime. The hosts evened the score at 2-2 midway through the second stanza, as Billy Davis lit the lamp for his first intercollegiate goal at 9:57 with help from Chris McCauley and Dana Gobeil. However, LaBounty restored Tech's lead with the eventual game-winner just over four minutes later, as he took a feed from Ryan Ballentine at the red line and rushed in to beat University of New England goalie Mike Roper with a top-shelf finish. Remarkably, it was LaBounty's third consecutive game-winner for MIT and the second of those which came while the Engineers were short-handed. The Cardinal and Gray would put the game away with three unanswered goals in the third period. Senior Mike Kozlowski (unassisted), freshman Corey Phinney (from Nicholas Maietta and Ballentine on the power-play) and Myers (from Maietta and Kendrick) all scored to provide the final 6-2 score-line. Myers' two-goal performance was the first of his intercollegiate career, as the rookie entered the game with just one goal to his credit. Goaltender Thomas Hopkins, who is maintaining a goals-against-average of 1.57 for the season, stopped 20 shots for MIT to earn the victory. Roper was credited with 41 saves for the hosts in a valiant effort, despite the loss. The Engineers will return to the ice on Wednesday, Jan. 23, when they will host Daniel Webster College at 7:00 p.m. in the Johnson Ice Rink. The Nor'easters will travel to Bridgewater State College on that same day for an 8:00 p.m. face-off with the Bears. |
