HARRISVILLE, R.I. (Nov. 7) – The Nichols College men's ice hockey team scored a pair of third period goals to win its season opener, 4-2, over Assumption Saturday evening at the June Rockwell Levy Rink. Matt Sayer (Lowell, Mass.) had a goal and an assist for Nichols, which improves to 1-0 on the year, while Assumption stands at 0-1.
Nichols scored one minute into the game as Matt Roberts (Merrimac, Mass.) drew a faceoff in Assumption's zone back to Zach Hendrickson (Framingdale, N.Y.), who placed it high past Assumption netminder Nick Blanchette's blocker on the Bison's first shot of the game.
Nichols fought off three penalties before the midway point of the frame, with first-year netminder Ryan Casey (Pelham, N.H.) making five saves on the kill, but Assumption knotted the game with 1:39 left in the stanza shortly after returning to full strength on their first penalty of the game.
Matt Scioli and Adam Gaudreau set up a fast break out of the deep part of the Assumption zone and Keven Meehan collected the puck as he skated into the Bison end. Meehan and a Nichols defender got tangled up and Meehan poked the puck past Casey as he came crashing at the near post for the equalizer.
Both teams picked up goals in the middle frame during a five-minute major penalty assessed to an Assumption player. Nichols scored on the power play less than a minute and a half into it as first year Dustin Skinner (Andover, Minn.) potted a quick pass in front of the net from Sayer after Will Munson's (Corona, Calif.) original shot got held up in front of the net.
Assumption's Taylor Larsen responded with a short-handed tally less than a minute later on a breakaway set up by Pat O'Kane. O'Kane's clearing pass deflected off a Nichols player for Larsen to track down. He picked it up on the left side and beat Casey high, this time glove side.
The score remained tied well into the third period until Nichols newcomer Andrew Letellier (Saco, Maine) fired a slapshot from the blueline on the power play with less than three minutes remaining in the stanza. Eric Cremer (Chelsea, Mich.) fed the puck to JoJo Bojanowski (Washington Township, Mich.) along the sideboards before Bojanowski slipped it to Letellier at the point for the rookie's first career goal.
Sayer capped the scoring with an empty-netter with 34 seconds left to play. Kevin Richardson (Temecula, Calif.) dug the puck out from behind the Bison goal and passed out the sideboards to Zeke Costello (Shelby Township, Mich.). Costello slipped the puck along the boards for Sayer, who carried it across the blueline before dumping it into the open net.
Blanchette made 27 saves in the opening 50 minutes before leaving the game with injury. Jamie DiGiulio finished out the game with 12 saves and one goal allowed. Casey earned his first collegiate win with 24 saves.
Nichols closed out the night 2-for-8 on the power play while holding the Ice Dogs 0-for-5 with the man advantage.
The Bison are back in action on Saturday, November 14, in a 3:30 p.m. home game against Franklin Pierce. Assumption travels to Fitchburg State for the IC Credit Union Shootout on Friday, November 13th.
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