Corsairs Hockey Edged by Trailblazers in OT

DARTMOUTH, Mass. - Rookie Sean Schifferl scored at 1:23 of overtime to lift Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) to a 3-2 win over UMass Dartmouth in MASCAC men's hockey action on Thursday evening. The Trailblazers move to 4-15-1 overall and 2-13-1 in conference play, while the Corsairs are now 12-8-0 and 10-6-0 in the MASCAC.

Trailing by a 2-1 margin, MCLA saw rookie wing Cade Herrera score the equalizer at 4:47 of the third period on the power play. A heads-up pass from rookie defender Colin Ogborn, saw the puck land on the stick of first year defender Shane Green at the top of the slot. He fired a shot into the right circle as Herrera banked it in past Corsairs goalie Marshall McKallip for the 2-2 score.

In overtime, the 3-on-3 battle saw the Trailblazers enter the Corsairs zone. Rookie center Charlie Addesa fired a shot from left to the middle as Schifferl picked up the puck. He navigated down the slot, past a UMassD defender as his shot slid under McKallip for the game-winner.

The Corsairs opened the game's scoring at 6:28 of the second period as grad winger and captain Michael Perrone collected a feed from the top of the right circle from sophomore wing Kevin Johnston, banking it past MCLA's Mathew Gover. Sophomore defender Lane Ruffner earned the secondary assist with the pass to Johnston at the high slot.

Rookie center Collin Patterson made it a 2-0 advantage less than 10 seconds later. Off the face-off, Patterson slipped the puck out to linemate Alex Walker. Banking around a defender, Walker passed to the middle, catching Patterson as he skated through the slot for the score. 

MCLA's first tally came from first year center Cody White as he scored on a back-and-forth passing effort with rookie wing Addam Brunner. Speeding into the zone, Brunner collected the puck from White on a cross-ice pass to the left, but shot it back to the center quickly as he scored for the 2-1 margin at 16:22.

For the game, MCLA saw Gover record a 46 save effort on the evening, including 21 stops in the first period alone. In the Corsairs net, McKallip shouldered the loss, recording 24 stops on the night.

Patterson led the battle in the faceoff circle for both teams, posting a 19-13 margin on the evening, while senior center Michael Mania was 11-12 on the night. Rookie center Easton Moore paced the Trailblazers with a 13-11 margin in the circle, while classmate Quinn Murphy had an 11-9 mark on the faceoff.

The Corsairs, who led by a 48-27 margin in shots on goal for the contest, are back in action on Saturday when they travel to Fitchburg State for a 3pm MASCAC tilt. That contest will be a part of Hockey Day in the 'Burg, a triple-header of games to benefit The Thibeault Family Rehabilitation Trust. Tickets for the day's games are $10.