Box Score HARRISVILLE, R.I. – Senior
Kyle Shapiro (Ambler, Pa.) picked up a goal and two helpers in Nichols College's 4-4 tie with Salve Regina University Saturday afternoon in Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Northeast action at Levy Rink.
Photos: Senior NightJunior
Tyler Beasley (Indianapolis, Ind.) dished out three assists while junior netminder
Alex Larson (Madison, Ala.) turned aside 42 shots for the Bison (16-3-3, 8-1-2 ECAC Northeast). Junior
Steve Lecey (Cedarburg, Wis.) – who began the week without a goal in 52 career games – scored for the second-straight game, and classmate
Paul Prescott (Oakdale, Minn.) and senior
Sean Fleming (Easthampton, N.J.) also found the back of the net.
Senior Michael Naso (Londonderry, N.H.) and junior Marc Biggs (Plano, Texas) each scored twice for the Seahawks (10-8-3, 8-3-1 ECAC Northeast), who entered the contest one point back of the Bison for first place in the conference. Sophomore Evan Schultz (Durham, N.H.) was credited with a pair of apples while junior d-man Alex Pompeo (Hingham, Mass.) – who, along with Larson, is one of 15 finalists for the Joe Concannon Award as the top American-born player in New England at the Division II/III level – finished with one assist.
Lecey got Nichols on the board 4:46 into the contest. Beasley and Shapiro handled the puck along the left wing boards, with Shapiro hitting Lecey with a pass at the left point. His wrist shot deflected up off a Salve Regina stick and past sophomore netminder Alexander Devine (Hampton, N.H.).
The Seahawks answered with goals at 6:28 and 9:46, respectively, to take a 2-1 lead after one. Naso broke in 2-on-1 and snuck a shot past Larson from the left circle to even the score before Biggs' blast from the left circle on the power play beat Larson high to the short side.
Fleming chipped the rebound of a point shot from Shapiro inside the right post at 6:02 of the second to tie the game at two. Less than three minutes later, Beasley stole the puck behind the SRU net and fed Prescott in front, who went backhand shelf for his 11th marker of the season to give NC a 3-2 lead.
Late in the second, Naso took a feed from sophomore Jonathan Felteau (Peabody, Mass.) and beat Larson with a wrist shot over his blocker to knot the score at three. Shapiro answered at 18:55 when he blew down the right wing and beat Devine with a wrister over his glove hand for a 4-3 lead, but Biggs slapper at 19:57 tied the game for the fourth time.
After combining for 66 shots through the first 40 minutes, the defense's tightened up over the final 25 minutes as the Bison held a 13-10 in shots the rest of the way – including a 2-1 edge in overtime.
The Seahawks capitalized on two of their three chances with the man advantage while Nichols was 0-for-2. Devine finished with 39 saves and moved to 6-1-1 on the season. Larson, meanwhile, is now 14-2-3.
Nichols plays at Johnson & Wales (RI) Thursday at 7:45 p.m. The Seahawks head to Springfield, Mass. to face Western New England Thursday at 7:10 p.m.
