Junior Angelo Todesca posted two goals and an assist, netting the game-winner 16:38 into overtime, to lead Stonehill back from four goals down in tonight's NE-10 tournament first round.

2010 NE-10 TOURNAMENT FIRST ROUND
#5 Stonehill Storms Past
#4 Franklin Pierce, 5-4 (OT)

Todesca's shorthanded game-winner caps Skyhawks comeback
from 4-0 deficit

Boxscore 

WINCHENDON, Mass. (February 27, 2010) - Fifth-seeded Stonehill College stormed back from four goals down midway through the third period to force overtime and then advanced with a 5-4 overtime triumph over fourth-seeded Franklin Pierce University in first round action of the 2010 Northeast-10 Conference ice hockey tournament at the Winchendon School Arena tonight.

Stonehill (10-15-1, 2-9-0 NE-10) advances to Wednesday's semifinal round where it will face top-seeded and six-time defending NE-10 regular season champions Saint Anselm College (13-11-1, 4-0-1 NE-10) at a time to be announced. Franklin Pierce, eliminated in the NE-10 tournament by the Skyhawks for the third-straight year (second-straight at home), finishes its season with a 7-15-2 overall, setting a program record for wins, 4-6-1 in NE-10 play.

Junior Angelo Todesca (Westwood, Mass./Catholic Memorial) led the comeback for Stonehill, finishing with two goals and an assist for three points, scoring the game-winner 16:38 into overtime. Freshman Christopher Gorovitz (Framingham, Mass./Framingham) also collected three points in the Skyhawks rally with a goal and two assists. Senior Zachary Cantin (Saugus, Mass./Xaverian Brothers) and sophomore Mario Ranalli (Lakeville, Mass./Coyle & Cassidy) also netted goals for the victors. 

Freshman Christopher Gorovitz added a goal and two assists for the Skyhawks.

Senior Casey Goodell (Rochester, N.H.) and sophomore Anthony Chighisola (Whitman, Mass./Williston Northampton) each dished two assists to lead Franklin Pierce who got goals from four different players. Senior Phil LaBreck (Thornton, N.H.), sophomore Patrick Shortt (New Haven, Conn./New Hampton Prep) and freshmen Wesley Russell (Marlboro, Mass.) and Michael Carr (South Boston, Mass./New Hampton Prep) all netted goals for the Ravens.

Junior Michael Manna (Framingham, Mass./Xaverian Brothers) made 28 saves in goal for Stonehill, including eight in overtime. Sophomore Ben Siok (Holden, Mass./St. John's-Shrewsbury) posted 31 stops for the Ravens, including 11 in a scoreless second period.

Stonehill finished with a slight 36-32 advantage in shots on goal for the night after putting just four on net in the first period. Both teams converted 1-of-7 power-play chances, with the Skyhawks adding the shorthanded game-winner.

Todesca's team-leading 11^th goal of the season with just 3:22 remaining in the first overtime came on an unassisted breakaway and moments after Stonehill had another potential game-winner waved off due to a penalty. He also sparked the comeback after Franklin Pierce had seemingly taken charge with two third period goals for a 4-0 advantage 7:30 into the third. Todesca scored a power-play goal, assisted by Gorovitz and senior captain Peter Roundy (Simsbury, Conn./Kimball Union), to put the Skyhawks on the scoreboard with 8:56 remaining in regulation.

Stonehill added a second two and a half minutes later with Ranalli's first goal of the year, assisted by sophomore Bill Harris (Weymouth, Mass./Weymouth) and freshman Tyler Gordon (Franklin, Mass./Xaverian Brothers), with 6:21 left. After a Franklin Pierce timeout, Gorovitz drew the Skyhawks within a goal a mere seven-seconds later with his 11^th of the season, unassisted, with 6:14 to play.

Senior Zachary Cantin netted the equalizer with 49-seconds left in regulation as the Skyhawks came back from a 4-0 deficit midway through the third period.

Stonehill pulled Manna for an extra skater and Cantin potted the equalizer with just 49-seconds left, assisted by Todesca and Gorovitz, for his third goal of the year to set up Todesca's overtime heroics.

Franklin Pierce staked out a two goal lead with single markers in the first and second. Russell opened the scoring with just 1:33 left in the first period on the power-play, assisted by Goodell and Chighisola, for his third goal of the year. Shortt doubled the Ravens lead 9:24 into the second, assisted by Goodell, with his second of the season.

Franklin Pierce scored twice the span of 59-seconds to seemingly put the game out of reach (4-0) and clinch its first postseason win in program history as the game headed towards the midway point of the third. Carr scored his eighth of the season, unassisted, at 6:31, before LaBreck put the Ravens up four goals, assisted by Chighisola and freshman Roscoe Sweeney (Falmouth, Mass.), with his 12^th of the season at 7:30.

Stonehill, who has reached the NE-10 title game twice over the last four years, has eliminated Franklin Pierce three-straight years in the first round of the tournament. Twice the games have gone to overtime, with the Skyhawks also posting a 5-4 overtime triumph in Bridgewater, Mass., in 2008.

Stonehill 5, Franklin Pierce 4 (OT)

                                    1      2    3       OT      -    T
Stonehill                       0     0    4          1      -     5
Franklin Pierce              1     1    2         0       -    4 

Scoring: FPU: Wesley Russell (Casey Goodell, Anthony Chighisola) 18:27-PP: FPU: Pat Shortt (Goodell) 9:24; FPU: Michael Carr (unassisted) 6:31; FPU: Phil LaBreck (Chighisola, Roscoe Sweeney) 7:30; STO: Angelo Todesca (Peter Roundy, Christopher Gorovitz) 11:04-PP; STO: Mario Ranalli (Bill Harris, Tyler Gordon) 13:39; STO: Gorovitz (unassisted) 13:46; STO: Zachary Cantin (Todesca, Gorovitz) 19:11-EN; STO: Todesca (unassisted) 16:38-SH.

Goaltending: STO: Michael Manna (76:27) 7-8-5-8=28; FPU: Ben Siok (76:38) 4-11-7-9=31.

Shots on Goal: STO: 4-11-11-10=36; FPU: 8-9-7-8=32.

Power Play: STO: 1/7; FPU: 1/7.