NEW BEDFORD, Mass. – The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth hockey team scored three goals in the final period and first-year Marshall McKallip recorded 39 saves to backstop the Corsairs to a 4-1 victory over Rivier University this evening in a non-conference contest at Hetland Arena.
UMass Dartmouth won its second straight contest to improve to 6-10-2, while Rivier fell to 5-11-2. The Corsairs lead the all-time series with the Raiders, 2-0.
McKallip earned his first collegiate start in net for the hosts and produced his first victory of the season. River was unable to solve the Pittsburg, Pa. native until late in the third period as McKallip turned aside 35 consecutive attempts to start the contest.
Junior Michael Mania led UMass Dartmouth with a balancing scoring sheet, posting a short-handed goal and an assist for two points. Classmate Cade Hanley potted his first marker of the season, while first-year Tyler Stewart and junior Dominic Dumas both found the back of the net in the third period to cap the hosts offensive attack.
The Corsairs opened the scoring on their first attempt of the evening, when Hanley fired a shot from the top of the right point just eight seconds into the contest. Justin Weinbrenner and Ryan Mascali set up the initial goal. Rivier held a 14-13 advantage in shots over the first 20 minutes of action, but entered the intermission trailing 1-0.
After a scoreless second stanza, UMass Dartmouth created a little breathing room with a power-play tally. Stewart gathered a pass from senior captain Jake Maynard and avoided a Raider defender with an inside deke. Stewart ripped his sixth marker of the season inside the far post at the 11:24 mark of the third. Less than 90 seconds later, the Corsairs utilized a strong fore check to force a Rivier turnover deep inside the offensive zone. Mania executed a perfect crossing pass along the end line that Dumas deposited into the empty net for his second goal of the season.
The Raiders were finally able to crack the scoring column with five and a half minutes remaining in regulation to cut the deficit to 3-1. UMass Dartmouth was whistled for an interference call with 2:21 left on the scoreboard, prompting Rivier to call its lone timeout and pull the goaltender in favor of an extra attacker. The Corsairs were able to keep the visitors at-bay as Mania found the open net with 25 ticks left on the clock to close out the scoring. Mania scored his team-leading 10th marker of the season to seal the victory.
Sophomore Luke Newell (Littleton, Colo.) registered 34 stops in the loss, his second highest total save total of the campaign.
UMass Dartmouth had a slim 40-38 advantage in shots. The Corsairs converted one of its four power-play opportunities, while the Raiders were unsuccessful on all four chances with the man-advantage.
UMass Dartmouth will return to action at 7:30pm on Thursday, January 26, when the Corsairs host Westfield State (7-9-1) at Hetland Arena.
