DANBURY, Conn. – Rookie center
Kailin Chen scored two goals – including the game-winner in the third period – to help lift UMass Dartmouth to a 3-2 victory at WestConn in Little East Conference (LEC) men's hockey action on Saturday afternoon. The victory moves the Corsairs to 8-5-0 overall and 3-3-0 in conference play, while the Wolves are now 1-13-0 and 0-7-0 in the LEC.
Locked in a 2-2 tie after back-to-back WestConn goals erased a 2-0 lead for the Corsairs, Chen gave UMD the lead on a power play goal at 10:46. Sophomore defender Brennan Pecararo fed the puck across to classmate
Hunter Scanlon at the top of the right circle. Firing a shot in on goal, Chen was there down low to tip it in past Wolves goalie Malte Hedlund for the go-ahead.
The Wolves worked to counter late in the frame, pulling their goalie in favor of the extra attacker. WestConn peppered senior goalie
Marshall McKallip, punching in a goal that was waived off by the officials as the game clock had already expired prior to the puck going in.
The Corsairs got things going on the scoreboard late in the opening frame. Taking advantage on the power play, Pecararo fed a pass to Chen on the goal line. Turning quickly, Chen roofed a wrist shot at a tough angle over the shoulder of the Wolves goalie at 19:53 of the first. Senior winger and assistant captain
Tyler Stewart earned the secondary assist on the tally.
In the middle stanza, the Corsairs defense was put to the test as the blueline recorded a number of blocked shots. Additionally, McKallip recorded several point blank saves to keep the game a 1-0 score. The Wolves got a 5-on-3 advantage at 16:32 of the frame, but UMD once again held strong.
The Corsairs ended the second period much like they did in the first as rookie winger
Chris Cardillo banked in a rebound at 19:25 over the left leg of Hedlund for a 2-0 lead. Senior captain and defender
Lane Ruffner started the play, passing the loose puck up to Stewart in the neutral zone. Skating through the slot, the senior fired in a shot that rebounded out to Cardillo in the closing seconds of the frame.
Despite the momentum for the Corsairs going into the final period, it was the homestanding Wolves that barreled back into the game. Rookie center Tyler Gobel pulled WestConn to within one at 7:49, connecting off a pass from linemate Scott McNulty past the reach of McKallip.
The Wolves then answered on the power play at 9:52 as rookie defenseman Matthew Donegan blasted the equalizer in off a pass from freshman winger Ryan Teehan to knot the game at 2-all.
Chen finished with two goals, while Stewart added two assists. Cardillo posted a goal and an assist with Ruffner and Scanlon each netting a helper. Chen led the way as well in the circle, going 14-11 on the faceoff, while McKallip earned the victory in net – tying a career-high with 45 saves.
The Corsairs return home to Hetland Arena next weekend with another big Little East weekend. UMD welcomes Babson on Friday at 5:30pm, followed by a 4:30pm match on Saturday against Southern Maine.
