Box Score PAWTUCKET, R.I. – Senior
Mike Schiavone (Chicago, Ill.) potted the game-winning goal late in the third period to give the Nichole College men's ice hockey team a 3-2 win over Johnson & Wales (RI) University Thursday night in Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Northeast action at Lynch Arena.
Senior
Chris Gularte (Salinas, Calif.) scored twice in his 100th career game for the Bison (17-3-3, 9-1-2 ECAC Northeast), who rallied from a 2-0 second-period deficit to extend their unbeaten streak to seven (6-0-1) and secure a first-round bye in the conference playoffs for the third-straight season. Senior
Joe Sposit (Cleveland, Ohio) - who had an assist - also appeared in his 100th career game tonight.
The Wildcats remain the only team to defeat the Bison in conference play this season, having dealt the Bison a 3-2 loss at Levy Rink back on November 22. Nichols, meanwhile, reached the 17-win plateau for the second-straight season and fourth time in the last eight seasons.
Trailing 2-0 after a pair of first-period goals by JWU, Gularte cut the Bison deficit in half with his third marker of the season later in the second on the power play. Sophomore
Sean Swansen (Salem, N.H.) slid the puck to Sposit along the right wing boards, who then fed Gularte at the point. His shot found its way through a maze of players and into the net at 18:19 of the second.
Nichols tied the game at two exactly 10 minutes into the third. Junior
Tyler Beasley (Indianapolis, Ind.) cradled the puck behind the net and flipped a pass to Gularte in tight, and the defenseman chipped the puck past sophomore netminder Joey Ballmer (Kalamazoo, Mich.).
Later in the frame, freshman
Ori Benyamini (North Woodmere, N.Y.) got the puck to Schiavone in the slot, and the winger got off a wrister that beat Ballmer to the blocker side at 14:08. The assist was the first collegiate point for Benyamini.
Johnson & Wales took the early lead when sophomore Matt Lanzilotti (Mars, Pa.) took a loose puck in the corner and sent a pass to sophomore Stefan Brucato (Lake Elsinore, Calif.), who fed sophomore Fran Mackin (Philadelphia, Pa.) at the top of the crease. Mackin then sent a one-timer over the glove of junior
Alex Larson (Madison, Ala.) for a power-play goal and the 1-0 lead at the 9:05 mark.
The Wildcats (13-10-1, 7-6-0 ECAC Northeast) added to their lead late in the period when sophomore James Hyatt (Coral Springs, Fla.) left the penalty box and skated hard towards the net. He then put in a one-timer to from senior Jason Healey (Goshen, N.Y.) with just 1:06 left in the period.
Nichols outshot the Wildcats 39-23. Larson turned aside 21 shots to earn his 15th win of the season. Ballmer stopped 36 and fell to 11-9-1.
The Bison head to Springfield, Mass. for a 1:45 p.m. contest at Western New England Saturday. The Wildcats close the regular season with a road game at Salve Regina Sunday at 4:30 p.m.
Contributions from JWU sports information
