PORTSMOUTH, R.I. – For the second consecutive night the Wentworth Institute of Technology and Salve Regina University hockey teams needed overtime to determine a winner and, for the second consecutive night, nothing was decided after 65:00 of play as the two teams closed out their Commonwealth Coast Conference series with a 1-1 tie Saturday night.
The Leopards presently stand at 3-6-3 overall and 2-3-3 in CCC play while the Seahawks are 6-3-2 (5-1-2).
A back-and-forth first period saw the hosts hold a slim edge in shots (11-9), however, it was Wentworth which managed the lone goal of the period as, for the second straight game, sophomore Nate Chase (Plainfield, Ill.) gave Wentworth a 1-0 lead as he put home a rebound of a classmate Connor Beaudet (Buffalo, N.Y.) shot with 1:55 left in the period. Chase goal marked the third straight contest in which he has scored.
Wentworth's lead held until the 6:32 mark of the second period when freshman Danny Eruzione (Winthrop, Mass.) scored from sophomore Jack Billings (Oak Lawn, Ill.) and junior Nick Cyr (Mount Laurel, N.J.). Salve Regina had a 12-7 shot advantage in the second frame.
Chase nearly gave the Leopards a 2-1 lead late in the third period, however, his shot rang off the post. Both teams put a pair of shots on goal in the waning moments of regulation but Leopard sophomore Kenny Graham (Milton, Mass.) and Seahawk junior Blake Wojtala (Trenton, Mich.) made saves to ensure the game would be extended.
Overtime saw Wentworth go on the power play 45 seconds into the extra session and have three shot attempts during the extra-man advantage, with one being saved by Wojtala. With 5.5 seconds left, Salve Regina went on the power play. Senior Pat Thompson (Hellertown, Pa.) won the draw along the right side and a cross-ice pass was sent to Billings whose one-timer was saved by Graham just before the buzzer sounded.
Graham finished the night with 31 saves, giving him 70 saves on 73 shots in the series. Wojtala made 25. Salve Regina had a 32-26 shot advantage.
Wentworth closes out first semester play next weekend with a league series against Suffolk. The Leopards will host the first game Friday night at 7:00 pm.
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