Wentworth Upends Nichols, 5-1

HARRISVILLE, R.I. – The Wentworth Institute of Technology men's ice hockey team scored just under four minutes into the game and didn't look back as the Leopards skated to a 5-1 victory at Nichols Saturday evening in an ECAC Northeast game at June Rockwell Levy Rink. Sophomore forward Anthony Principato (Holmdel, N.J.), who had a goal and two assists for the Leopards, who improve to 9-8-4 overall and 6-3-1 in conference games. Nichols received 42 saves from junior goaltender Jacob Rinn (Warwick, R.I.), but fall to 11-8-1 overall and 5-4-0 in league play after seeing a four-game win streak come to an end.

Wentworth took an early lead when Luke Heller (Scituate, Mass.) snuck the puck under the glove of Rinn just before the four-minute mark of the game. Colten Derickson (Kennewick, Wash.) and Tyler Monteros (Diamond Bar, Calif.) were credited with assists on Heller's goal, the first of the season for the junior.

Just over three minutes into the second period, Nichols had stranded Leopards goaltender Chris Azzano (Oshawa, Ontario) out of the net and Zach Hendrickson (Farmingdale, N.Y.) fired from the left circle, but Azzano dove back across the crease in time to poke the puck away with his stick.

Wentworth converted on its third power play of the game at the nine-minute mark of the second period, as Skylur Jameson (Long Beach, Calif.) put home an easy tap-in at the netfront for his 13^th goal of the season. Casey Shade (Anchorage, Alaska) passed across the top of the circles to Principato, who faked a shot before sending it across the slot to Jameson who was wide open at the back door.

Skylur Jameson pushed the Leopards ahead, 3-0, just 22 seconds into the third period with a one-timer in front of the crease. With the teams skating four-on-four, Principato stole the puck from a Nichols defender behind the net and centered to Jameson who wound up and sent it high past Rinn's glove.

Mike Paglino (Grosse Pointe Shores, Mich.) added a short-handed breakaway at 7:29 of the third after stripping the puck from a Nichols defender at the Bison blue line, skating it in and potting his own rebound.

Nichols' Robbie Sorrenti (Wyckoff, N.J.) put the Bison on the board at 14:07 and cut Wentworth's lead to three with a five-hole goal off a centering pass from Zach Kohn (Hartland, Wis.). Will Munson (Corona, Calif.) set up the play to earn his 82^nd career assist.

Principato capped the game's scoring under a minute later with a power-play marker, carrying the puck through the left circle before wristing it past Rinn at 15:05. Matthew Dozois (Manotick, Ontario) and Shaun Jameson (Long Beach, Calif.) picked up assists with passes through the circles.

Rinn took the loss despite 42 saves, while Azzano stopped 27 shots to earn the win. Wentworth finished 2-for-7 on the power play while holding the Bison's potent extra-man offense scoreless in seven attempts.

Nichols is back in action Monday, February 7 in an 8:10 p.m. home game against Becker that was rescheduled from February 2. Wentworth hosts Suffolk on Thursday, February 10 at 7:30 p.m.

-Story courtesy of Nichols Sports Information-