FITCHBURG, Mass. – In his collegiate debut, freshman Mike Cox (Marlborough, Mass.) netted a pair of goals and added three assists as the Wentworth hockey team ran its regular-season unbeaten streak to 10 games (9-0-1) with a 7-2 win over Worcester State. The game was played as a part of the 2012 IC Federal Credit Union Shootout.
The Leopards tallied three times in the opening frame and never looked back as freshman Devin Cobbold (Ottawa, Ont.) scored from Cox at 7:14 before Cox set up senior Craig Cardone (Westford, Mass.) at the 12:57 mark. Cardone and Cobbold had helpers on sophomore Michael Heffner's (Lloydminster, Sask.) power play marker at 18:23.
Cox scored his first collegiate marker – the lone goal of the second period – off assists from Heffner and senior Joel Vastl (North Salem, N.H.) at 9:38.
The Lancers got on the board at the 4:05 mark of the third when sophomore Taylor Laneville (Edmonds, Wash.) scored from juniors Ryan Quirk (Brockton, Mass.) and Curtis Martin (Okotoks, Alta.) at 4:05. Vastl made it a 5-1 game when he scored from sophomore Jordan Bourgonje (Spruce Grove, Alta.) and Cox before sophomore Seric Kapp (Scheafferstown, Pa.) and Cox scored at 15:32 and 15:47, respectively, to round out Wentworth's scoring. Sophomore Sean McLaughlin (North Billerica, Mass.) and senior Shaun Jameson (Long Beach, Calif.) assisted on Kapp's goal while Vastl and Bourgonje has the assists on Cox's goal.
Worcester State netted a power play goal with 52 ticks left as sophomore Nathan Stanley (Meridian, Idaho) scored from junior Derek Serborn (Crown Point, Ind.) and sophomore Cody Osburn (Sacramento, Calif.).
Vastl finished with a goal and two assists, while Heffner, Cardone, and Cobbold each had a goal and an assist in the win. Bourgonje handed out two assists as the Black & Gold had nine players record at least one point.
Freshman Joel Miller (Calgary, Alta.) made 23 stops in his collegiate debut while Worcester State junior Taylor Fant (Denver, Colo.) made 29 saves in 55:32 before giving way to senior Mark Evans (Ludlow, Mass.), who made two saves over the final 4:28. The Leopards held a 38-25 shot advantage.
With the win Wentworth improves to 1-0-1 and is at Salem State on Wednesday night. Worcester State falls to 0-2-0 and is at Western New England on Tuesday night.
