Department of athletics, physical education and recreation
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MIT Blows Lead, But Hangs On To Tie UNH, 4-4
Nov. 17, 2005
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - The Engineers (3-0-2) saw their two-goal lead erased on Wednesday night but were able to hold on for a 4-4 tie against UNH (2-6-1) to remain unbeaten this season. Senior John Bergin scored MIT's last three goals, all of which were set up by freshman Nick LaBounty. Bergin's hat trick was also aided by freshman Ryan Ballentine, who assisted on two of Bergin's tallies. MIT came out strong against the Wildcats and got a golden opportunity to take the lead midway through the first period. LaBounty skated threw a punishing check and made a great lead pass to a streaking John Bergin, but UNH goalie Nick Simon was in good position to make the save. Simon wasn't so lucky later in the period, as MIT senior Adam Shabshelowitz caught a break when his initial shot missed the net but came right back to him off the boards for an easy tap in goal. Just 17 seconds later, UNH defenseman Nick Barrallough floated a soft wrist shot toward the net and MIT junior goalie Thomas Hopkins could not locate the puck until it was behind him. With the period winding down, LaBounty received an outlet pass from Ballentine and found himself one on one with the Wildcats' goalie. Simon made the initial save, but LaBounty's bad angle rebound deflected off Bergin's leg and into the net at 0:25. Still down by a goal early in the second frame, the Wildcats appeared to have tied the game at 16:10, but Hopkins made a sprawling save on an open net rebound attempt. Two minutes later and on the power-play, Tyler Loopley knotted the score at two for the Wildcats. Loopley was alone in front of the net and made no mistake with Steve Castle's pass, burying a wrist shot past Hopkins on the low glove side. With the score tied midway through the second, the Bergin-LaBounty-Balletine line again stepped up. First at 10:50, Ballentine carried the puck and left it for LaBounty after being taken down, and LaBounty threw the puck out in front of the net to Bergin. Bergin cradled the pass and fired a wrist shot glove side that beat UNH's Simon. After five minutes of up-and-down action, the BLB line struck again with a highlight real goal. On an odd man rush, LaBounty made a drop pass to Ballentine who quickly dished the puck over to Bergin for an easy one-timer goal to complete the tic-tac-toe play. The goal also completed Bergin's hat trick. Down by two, the Wildcats picked up their intensity and drew a boarding penalty from MIT sophomore Mike Kozlowski at 3:26. Defenseman Brandon Forino made the most of the power-play, scoring from the point to cut UNH's deficit to 4-3 at 2:29. On the ensuing shift, the Wildcats took back-to-back penalties at 1:45 and 1:26, giving MIT a two-man advantage and a chance to regain the two goal lead. The Engineers were unable to capitalize on the power-play that extended into the beginning of the third period, and UNH picked up momentum from the kill. At 19:01 of the third session, Derek Smyrl made a touch pass from behind the net to Jim Archembeault for a one-timer goal. The Wildcats continued to dominate in the early going of the third, and MIT could not get the puck out of their own end. The BLB line brought life to MIT before long, and at 10:30, LaBounty sacrificed his body to make a pretty pass to Ballentine, but the freshman hit the outside of the post. A minute later, Kozlowski was on the doorstep for an empty net rebound, but his attempt hit the back side of the netting. MIT's Tim Studley took a bounce pass of the boards for a breakaway at 4:54, but an oncoming defender forced him into taking a weak backhander into the goalie's chest. Both teams had several chances in the final minutes of regulation, but time expired with the score deadlocked at 4-4. The best chance of overtime came at 1:24 for UNH but Hopkins turned away a deflected blast from the point. MIT also had a power-play opportunity in the final minute of play, but time ran out. The tie was the second straight for the Engineers, who have now picked up a point in all five contests this year. The Engineers will look to stay unbeaten when they travel to Smithfield, R.I. on Saturday to face Bryant University (3-6-2). The game is set to begin at 8:00 p.m. |
