Box Score

DURHAM, N.H. – St. Lawrence University netted four third-period goals, including three consecutive tallies in a span of 4:40, to rally to Sunday afternoon’s 6-5 non-conference victory against the seventh-ranked University of New Hampshire men’s hockey team at the Whittemore Center.

UNH, which had won four straight in the series vs. the Saints, is now 11-6-1 overall. SLU, which had been idle since Dec. 15, improved to 7-9-3.

The Saints entered the third period trailing 3-2 but pulled even just 62 seconds after the stanza’s opening faceoff when Sean Flanagan carried the puck into the right circle and passed it down low to Mike McKenzie (three assists), who then threw the puck in front of the net for Zach Miskovic for the goal.

UNH responded with goals 24 seconds apart to regain the lead, 5-3. Danny Vranek (New Port Richey, Fla.), in his collegiate debut, gave the Wildcats a 4-3 advantage when he scored at the top of the crease off of a pass from behind the net from Kevin Kapstad (Boxboro, Mass.). Craig Switzer (Peachland, British Columbia) was also credited with an assist on the tally at 5:37.

Danny Dries (Lake Orion, Mich.) netted his second goal of the game at 6:01 as he carried the puck into the offensive zone and passed to Phil DeSimone (East Amherst, N.Y.; two assists) on the right half-boards. DeSimone then threw the puck towards the net and Dries redirected the puck into the net.

St. Lawrence began its rally with Brock McBride’s second goal of the game, a power-play goal at 12:54 in which McKenzie, from the right post, won control of the loose puck back to the slot, where Matt Generous’ shot caromed off UNH goalie Brian Foster (Pembroke, N.H.) and the post. McBride then pushed the loose puck into the open net.

The Saints tied the score, 5-5, at 16:12 on a goal by Jared Keller. Aaron Bogosian initiated the sequence with a pass from the left circle to Jordan Hack in the slot. Foster once again made the initial save on that shot, but Keller swept to the front of the net and slide the puck into the open net.
SLU completed the comeback at 17:34 when Kevin DeVergilio redirected Charlie Giffin’s shot from the high slot into the net. Jeremiah Cunningham, with the pass from the left circle, was also credited with an assist.
Foster finished with 20 saves. SLU winning netminder Kain Tisi, who entered with 13:35 remaining in the game and the Saints trailing 5-3, made two saves. Alex Petizian played the initial 46:25 and surrendered five goals on 28 shots.
UNH netted second-period goals 34 seconds apart to turn a one-goal deficit into a 3-2 lead. Dries scored his second collegiate goal when he deflected DeSimone’s initial shot from the high slot into the net at 11:43. Matt Campanale (Chester Springs, Pa.) began the sequence with a pass from the left circle to Brad Flashains (Glendale, Ariz.) at the right point. He slid the puck across to DeSimone, who took aim at the net.
The Wildcats scored the game’s third consecutive goal at 12:17 to take their first lead of the game when Bobby Butler (Marlboro, Mass.) and Jerry Pollastrone (Revere, Mass.) executed a give-and-go. Butler passed the puck to Pollastrone along the left dashers and charged through the slot, then chipped Pollastrone’s return centering pass into the open right side of the net. Peter LeBlanc (Hamilton, Ontario) set up the rush to earn an assist.

St. Lawrence built a 2-0 lead in the first period before the Wildcats netted a late power-play goal to pull within a goal before the first intermission. The Saints struck first at 4:36 when Mike McKenzie carried the puck into the right circle and maneuvered back to the point, where he fired a shot that Foster stopped. Brock McBride corralled the rebound near the right post and lifted the puck into the net for the score. Shawn Fensel made the outlet pass to also garner an assist on the play.
SLU extended its advantage to two goals at 10:02. Jared Ross gained possession along the right boards in the defensive zone and moved the puck up to Aaron Bogosian, who skated from blue line to blue line before firing a shot from the left point into the net.

Switzer blasted a shot from the high slot through traffic to pull the Wildcats within 2-1 at 18:44. Brad Flashains (Glendale, Ariz.) initiated the scoring sequence with a pass from the right point across the ice to Matt Fornataro (Calgary, Alberta) in the left circle, and he quickly moved the puck to Switzer at the high slot.

New Hamphsire returns to action Jan. 11 (7:30 p.m.) at UMass. The Wildcats’ next home game is Jan. 12 (7 p.m.) as they complete a home-and-home series vs. the Minutemen.