BURRILLVILE, R.I. – On three separate occasions the Wentworth institute of technology ice hockey team battled back from a one-goal deficit, including when sophomore Connor Beaudet (Buffalo, N.Y.) scored the game-tying goal at 14:13 of the third period as the Leopards skated to a 3-all tie with Nichols in a Commonwealth Coast Conference contest played at Levy Rink.
Wentworth runs its unbeaten streak to three (2-0-1) and stands at 2-4-1 overall and 2-2-1 in league play. The Bison are 3-2-2 (2-1-2) after the stalemate.
Nichols got on the board at the 12:53 mark of the opening period when sophomore Hogan Davidson (Duluth, Minn.) set up classmate Nicholas Mangone (Massapequa Park, N.Y.). Less than two minutes later, junior Angus Johnston (Calgary, Alta.) took advantage of a misplayed puck by a Bison player just inside the attacking zone and evened the score at 1-all.
At the 2:11 mark of the second period, the hosts took a 2-1 lead as freshman Filip Virgil (Malmo, Sweden) scored from senior Scott Cuthrell (Waterford, Mich.) and junior Matthew Menta (Lima, Pa.). The Leopards responded with a power-play goal from junior Matthew Kennedy (Mount Pearl, N.L.), which was set up by senior Jake McDonough (Marshfield, Mass.) and junior Ethan Weiss (Troy, Mich.) at 5:20.
Virgil gave Nichols a 3-2 lead at 6:40 of the third period with a power-play goal from sophomore J.B. Baker (Columbia, Md.) and Menta. Beaudet evened the score with the Leopards' second power-play tally of the night as he scored from sophomore Connor Busch (Lake in the Hills, Ill.) and McDonough.
Nichols put a pair of shots on goal late in the third period, however, senior Ryan Hubbard (West Roxbury, Mass.) kept the game tied with a pair of saves.
Wentworth was on the power play for the first 1:59 of the extra session and Busch put a shot on net early that was saved by senior Colin Brennan (Chester, N.J.). Towards the end of the period sophomore CJ Grinnell (Burlington, Mass.) gave the Black & Gold one last chance to skate away with the win, however, Brennan came up with the save.
Hubbard made 35 saves for Wentworth while Brennan turned aside 25 shots for Nichols. The Bison had a 38-28 shot advantage.
The two teams will complete their home-and-home series tomorrow in Everett, Mass.
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