BOSTON, Mass. – Freshman forward Cory Lillie's (East Hampton, N.Y.) power play goal with 2:17 remaining in regulation snapped a 4-all tie and lifted the Wentworth hockey team to a 5-4 win over Salve Regina in an ECAC Northeast contest played at Matthews Arena.
The visiting Seahawks wasted little time getting on the board as senior defenseman Eric Spalt (Barnstable, Mass.) broke in alone and wristed a shot from inside the right circle that beat Leopard freshman netminder Chris Azzano (Oshawa, Ont.) to the right side. Less than three minutes later the Leopards scored on the power play after senior defenseman Kyle Richardson (San Jose, Calif.) tipped in a freshman forward Cameron Gibson (Valencia, Calif.) shot. Junior forward Mike Paglino (Grosse Pointe Shores, Mich.) also assisted on the goal.
Salve Regina took a 2-1 lead at the 7:00 mark when senior forward Bryan Russell (Essex Junction, Vt.) fed freshman forward David Mantenuto (Waltham, Mass.) who put home a shot in front. The Leopards tied the game when junior forward Forrest Ellis (Pembroke, N.H.) caused a turnover and went in 2-on-1, feeding freshman forward Patrick Rice (West Des Moines, Iowa) for the shorthanded tally at 17:17. Wentworth held a 16-4 shot advantage after one period.
The Leopards took a 3-2 lead at 8:14 of the middle stanza when junior forward Skylur Jameson (Long Beach, Calif.) set up freshman forward Andrew Yarber (Livonia, Mich.) and extended the lead to 4-2 when Ellis and freshman forward Matthew Dozois (Manotick, Ont.) fed Rice at 13:13. Salve Regina cut the lead to 4-3 when Mantenuto put home the rebound of a junior defenseman Henry DeSimone (Burlington, Mass.) shot on the power play with 2:48 left in the period.
Just over a minute into the third period, the visitors tied the game at 4-all when senior forward Joe Colaianni (Monroe, N.Y.) fed Russell on a shorthanded bid. Both teams would have chances to take the lead throughout the period but it wasn't until Richardson and sophomore defenseman Dylan Barbieri (Plainville, Mass.) set up Lillie, whose shot from inside the left circle beat sophomore Mike McDonald (Whitby, Ont.), for the game winner.
Azzano made 14 saves in the win, while McDonald stopped 37, including 32 over the first 40:00. Wentworth held a 42-18 shot advantage and was 2-for-3 on the power play.
With the win Wentworth improves to 12-8-4 overall and 9-3-1 in ECAC Northeast play. The Leopards close out the regular season Saturday at Curry. Salve Regina drops to 2-20-1 (1-12-0) and finishes the season at Becker, also on Saturday.
