HARRISVILLE, R.I. – The Nichols College men's ice hockey team was shutout by Salve Regina University 3-0 in Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Northeast Semifinal action Wednesday night at Levy Rink.
Freshman netminder Blake Wojtala (Trenton, Mich.) turned aside all 26 shots he faced to earn his third shutout of the season and sends the Seahawks to their third ECAC Northeast Championship contest in four years. Salve Regina – which will face top-seeded Endicott Saturday in the championship in Beverly, Mass. – extended its program-record for wins to 16 against 10 losses and one tie.
Senior Peter Gintoli (Shelton, Conn.) collected three assists and sophomore Pat Thompson (Hellertown, Pa.) scored the game-winning goal on the Seahawks fourth power play of the first period at 16:09. Junior Jonathan Felteau (Peabody, Mass.) and sophomore James Madlone (Beachwood, N.J.) added second and third period goals for Salve Regina, respectively.
The Bison saw their run at a third-straight conference crown cut short and close the season 17-10-0. Senior
Alex Larson (Madison, Ala.) made 30 saves in his final collegiate contest and graduates as the program's all-time leader in nearly every major goaltending category, including wins, saves, save percentage, and goals against average.
"They were aggressive on their penalty kill. We tried to find multiple ways to counter, but they did a good job," said Nichols head coach
Parker Burgess. "We had our chances. We just didn't adjust the way we wanted to."
Nichols spent nearly 11 of the first 20 minutes of the contest short-handed. The Bison managed to kill off the first three penalties – including a five-minute major – before Thompson's 13th of the season gave the visitors the lead. Thompson took a pass from Gintoli from the right post and redirected it from the slot into the left side of the net.
Salve Regina doubled its lead 2:23 into the second when Malone broke down the right wing and wristed a shot past Larson. Gintoli was credited with the primary assist on Malone's fourth of the year. Minutes later, the Seahawks killed off a pair of Bison power plays – including 43 seconds of five-on-three action. Felteau's empty netter with 51 seconds remaining in the third sealed the win.
The Seahawks dominated the face-off circle, winning 62 percent of the contests draws (46-of-74).
Nichols senior
Tyler Beasley (Indianapolis, Ind.) led the Bison with seven shots. He finished his career tied for third in assists with 79 and tied for fifth in points with 129. Senior captain
Frank Butler (East Haven, Conn.) finished his career No. 7 in program history in goals (56) and 98 points in 99 career games. The third member of that line, senior
Paul Prescott (Oakdale, Minn.), graduates with 94 points in 102 career games (29 G, 64 A).
"I'll always remember this year's senior class," said Burgess. "They'll always have a special place in my heart as a first-year head coach, to be able to work with nine kids who have really turned this program around and done a great job. It's definitely not the fate they deserved, but it doesn't take away from their incredible accomplishments over their four years."
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