Junior goaltender Tom McGuckin piled up 39 saves for the Franklin Pierce University men’s ice hockey team on Tuesday night, but a second-period goal was the difference for visiting Saint Michael’s, which pulled out a 2-1 victory. Senior forward Josh Dickman put home the game-winning goal after the midway point of the middle stanza, and the Purple Knights made it hold up the rest of the way in Northeast-10 Conference play at Jason Ritchie Ice Arena.
With the loss, Franklin Pierce falls to 6-7-0 (2-3-0 NE10), while Saint Michael’s improves to 4-7-1 (2-1-0 NE10).
The two teams traded goals in the first period, with one side striking on either side of the midpoint of the frame. Franklin Pierce opened the scoring at the 9:21 mark, off a bit of an odd play. One of the referees got caught in no man’s land in the left-wing circle, was tangled up with the Saint Michael’s defense and had the puck deflect off his skate. Cutting towards the left-wing boards, freshman forward Kyle Gosselin was able to touch the puck to sophomore forward Nate Indelicato, who was cutting the other way with speed. Indelicato dragged the puck into the slot and then snapped a shot over the glove shoulder of Saint Michael’s sophomore goaltender Chris Johnson and into the top-right corner of the net for his sixth goal of the season.
Saint Michael’s evened things up with a power-play marker just 2:31 later, at the 11:52 mark, and Dickman finished the job in the second period.
The Ravens return to the ice on Thursday, Dec. 29, when they travel to Massachusetts Boston for the first day of the 52nd Annual Codfish Bowl Tournament. The Ravens will square off with Salve Regina at 4 p.m. Edward T. Barry Ice Rink in Boston.