EVERETT, Mass. – Despite a wild five-goal second period, the UMass Dartmouth men's hockey team was unable to overcome a deficit, falling to Wentworth Institute of Technology, 5-3 in the season opener for both squads.
After a scoreless opening period of play, the Corsairs struck first at 2:58 with a power play tally. Setting up high in the left circle, sophomore winger
Nolan Wutzke chipped a shot down low to classmate and center
Connor Little. Centering a pass in front, sophomore right winger
Alex Walker was there to bury it for the 1-0 lead.
The homestanding Leopards answered less than a minute later as junior center Ian Worthley navigated the puck through the right circle low, sending the puck across. Rookie right wing Alex Walicki was there, corralling it for a quick chip up over the reach of Corsairs keeper
Graham Burke at 3:36.
Wentworth earned the go-ahead goal at 12:05 of the frame as junior forward Nolan Lowe skated through the high slot and sent a pass to the right circle to graduate forward Max Pineo. Taking a blistering shot, Pineo sent it over the reach of Burke for the 2-1 edge.
The Corsairs tied it up at 13:19, once again on the power play. As UMass Dartmouth worked to get it out of their own zone, rookie winger Blake Karshark sent the puck out into open ice where it was corralled by junior defender
Lane Ruffner. Navigating around the net, Ruffner found sophomore center
Collin Patterson racing up the far boards in the neutral zone. Skating into the Leopards end, Patterson fired a shot in that slipped past the reach of Chirico on the right side.
Wentworth went ahead late in the frame, taking the 3-2 advantage as junior center Nikolas Sombrowski worked the puck in through traffic. His shot was saved by Burke, but the puck squirted out in front as Lowe buried it for his first tally of the contest at 17:39.
Third period action saw the homestanding Leopards strike once again on the second tally of the night from Pineo. Senior defender George Weiner chipped the puck up to Lowe, who skated through the left circle and fired a shot in on Burke. Unable to hold the rebound, the puck slid out into the slot as Pineo buried it at 4:25.
The Leopards pushed the advantage to 5-2 with 9:04 remaining, capitalizing on a power play marker of their own. Weiner sent the puck up to Walicki, who found rookie winger Nicolas Ramm. Taking a shot from the top of the far circle, Ramm beat Burke with a wrister that sailed over the junior netminder's shoulder.
UMass Dartmouth had chances late in the frame, earning a power play with under two minutes to play. Patterson fired in a shot that sailed wide, while shots from junior winger
Kevin Johnston, Walker and Ruffner tested Chirico late, but the Leopards held on for the victory.
The Leopards saw Pineo pace the effort with two goals, while Weiner had three assists. Lowe added a goal and two helpers, while Walicki had a goal and an assist. Between the pipes, Chirico earned the win, recording 26 saves on the night.
The Corsairs were paced by goals from Patterson and Walker, while four others recorded assists on the night, including the first collegiate point for Kashark. In goal, Burke shouldered the loss, recording 38 saves in his UMass Dartmouth debut.
Wentworth owned a 43-28 advantage in shots, clipping the Corsairs with a 37-31 edge in faceoffs won on the night. Little paced the effort for UMass Dartmouth, going 10-14 from the circle, while Patterson and fifth year center
Michael Mania were both 8-16 on the night.
UMass Dartmouth returns to action next Saturday, November 9, when they host Keene State at Hetland Arena. Puck drop for the home opener is set for 5pm.
