Box Score MARLBOROUGH, Mass. - Junior
Shane Totten (Traverse City, Mich.) scored his first collegiate goal to help the Nichols College men's ice hockey team advance to the Worcester Cup Championship game with a 4-2 win over Assumption Friday afternoon in non-conference action at the New England Sports Center.
Freshman
Haroutiun Sarkisian (Encino, Calif.) picked up his first collegiate point - an assist - as the Bison moved to 6-1-1 on the season. The Bison will face Becker in the championship Sunday at 7 p.m. after the Hawks defeated Worcester State 4-1 in the other semifinal contest. The loss drops the Greyhounds to 1-7-0.
After a scoreless first period, Nichols got on the board 9:21 into the second when junior
Tyler Beasley (Indianapolis, Ind.) made a centering pass from behind the Greyhounds net to classmate
Joe Sposit (Cleveland, Ohio), who promptly slipped a shot past goalkeeper Nick Commesso (Marshfield, Mass.) to put it ahead 1-0.
The Greyhounds answered to tie the game with 8:48 remaining in the second period when Brandon Bete (Greenfield, Mass.) left a drop pass for Ryan Gomez (Wayne, N.J.), who ripped a slap shot past junior netminer
Patrick Salkind (Springfield, Va.).
Senior
Kyle Shapiro (Ambler, Pa.) put the Bison ahead for good with his third goal of the season with his team down a pair of skaters. Shapiro broke free down the left wing for a breakaway goal at 15:24 of the second period.
The Bison increased their lead 4:30 into the third period when Totten beat Commesso with a wrister from the left wing over his glove hand. Assumption pulled within striking distance with 4:13 remaining in regulation on a Paul Amarone (Hamden.Conn.) slap shot goal from inside the left face-off circle. The Bison put the game out of reach when junior
Frank Butler (East Haven, Conn.) potted a power-play goal with 50 seconds remaining in regulation.
Salkind stopped 28 shots to earn his first win of the season. Commesso made 38 saves for Assumption. Nichols outshot the Greyhounds 42-30 and went 1-for-6 on the PP while killing off all four Assumption chances.
Assumption will face Worcester State Sunday afternoon in the consolation game.
Contributions from Becker sports information
