ORONO, Maine (December 8, 2024) – The Stonehill College men's hockey team came up short during its weekend finale against nationally ranked #5 Maine Sunday afternoon, 4-2. With the loss, the Skyhawks dropped to 6-14 overall, while the Black Bears improved to 12-2-2 on the year.
 
Highlights

• Junior transfer Teddy Lagerbäck scored the first goal of his career as a Skyhawks, while junior captain Frank Ireland lit the lamp on his second goal of the season.
• Sophomore defender Dominick Campione dished out his team-leading eighth assist of the year, while senior Jake Cady and the first-year duo of Leo Chambers and Zach Aben added helpers of their own for the Skyhawks.
• Junior defender Evan Orr blocked a game-high four of Stonehill's 21 blocked shots on the day.
• Junior center Dean Schwenninger dominated the faceoff circle winning 75-percent (9-of-12) of his total draws against Maine.
• Graduate Maine transfer Connor Androlewicz posted 30 saves in between the pipes for Stonehill, marking his seventh game of the year stopping at least 30 shots.
• Sophomore Sully Scholle totaled two points on the day off a pair of assists for the Black Bears, while first-year student Thomas Pichette netted the first goal of his collegiate career.  
• Junior Thomas Freel, the nation's leader in power-play goals, scored his first goal at even strength, marking his overall eighth goal of the season.
• Sophomore Josh Nadeau and sophomore Frank Djurasevic lit the lamp on their respective fourth and fifth goals of the year for Maine.
• First-year netminder Patriks Berzins earned the first win of his collegiate career in net after holding the Skyhawks to two goals on 16 shots faced.

How It Happened
Maine took an early lead just 2:37 into the opening period when Pichette redirected a shot from the point by sophomore Jack Dalton past Androlewicz and into the back of the net for his first goal of the season. Despite the early deficit, Stonehill quickly found an equalizer just over two minutes later. Lagerbäck fired a one-timer off a blue-line pass from Campione, beating Berzins under the blocker and over the pad to level the game at 1-1 less than five minutes into the contest.
 
Midway through the first period, while on the penalty kill, Androlewicz came up with a clutch save on a two-on-one breakaway into the Black Bears' zone, preserving the tie at 1-1.
 
With less than a minute left in the opening frame, Maine regained its one-goal advantage. Freel intercepted a blue-line-to-blue-line pass through the neutral zone from graduate student Ross Mitton, skated through the Skyhawks defense, and scored with a backhanded shot for his eighth goal of the season, giving Maine a 2-1 lead heading into the break.
 
The Black Bears extended their lead to two goals 4:17 into the second period when Nadeau fired a slap shot from the high slot on the power play, beating Androlewicz for his fifth goal of the season. With just under 12 minutes left in the third period, Maine added another goal to make it 4-1. Djurasevic, receiving a pass from Scholle below the goal line, fired a wrist shot into the top shelf of the Skyhawks' net, giving Maine a three-goal lead.
 
Stonehill cut the deficit to two at 13:23 when Cady sent a cross-ice pass to Ireland, who rifled a wrist shot into the net for his second goal of the season. However, despite the valiant effort to mount the final comeback, the Black Bears' lead proved insurmountable, and Maine secured the 4-2 victory, completing the weekend sweep.
 
Up Next
Stonehill (6-14-0) returns to action on Friday, December 13 for the opener of a two-game weekend set against familiar Division I independent foe, Long Island University. Puck drop between the Skyhawks and Sharks from Brookeville, New York is set for 3 PM inside the Northwell Health Ice Center.  
 
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