The Keene State College Men’s Ice Hockey team came out victorious in their clash against in-state rivals Franklin Pierce University (FPU) on Saturday, Feb. 1.
The Owls started the game hot with five goals in the first period. Sophomore Marcus Chrisafideis opened the scoring just 57 seconds into the game.
First-year forward Thor Hansen poured on two more off power plays before the Ravens could get one back through Mario Paganini.
However, the Owls weren’t done as first-year Michael Boschetto scored, and first-year Sean Hoffman got in on the act, scoring his first career goal with 2.5 seconds left in the period.
The Owls cooled off in the second period, amassing only five shots on goal while FPU managed eight but both teams were held scoreless thanks to determined goalkeeping from Owls first-year goalie Ben Skelton and FPU’s Riley Mastowski.
The more than 500 people in attendance at Keene ICE kept the place rocking all night, matching the energy being put forward by the Owls offense, but they would have to wait until 13 minutes through the last period to see the next scoring action. Chrisafideis grabbed his second, a well-placed shot that followed good exchange play between him and first-year forward Chase Carney, who dished out two assists on the night.
The last goal of the game would occur on the fast break as first-year Joe Fontaine’s shot was saved by FPU’s Mastowski, only for first-year forward Sean Gray to tap in the rebound sealing a 7-1 home victory for Keene State.
This win takes the Owls to 4-0 against Division II opposition and to a 9-10-1 record on the season. Hansen, who contributed two power play goals, praised the team’s performance.
“We just had to keep focused, stick to the script,” Hansen said, “and I think we did a good job with that.”
Looking to the future, the Owls will be at home against the Penmen of Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) on Tuesday, Feb. 4, at 7:45 p.m. This will be the second meeting this season between SNHU and Keene State. The previous game ended in a thrilling 3-2 overtime victory for the Owls who will be looking to get the better of their in-state rivals yet again.
KSC Men’s Ice Hockey Head Coach Bobby Rodrigue emphasized the need for a complete performance against SNHU’s high-shooting offense, saying, “Southern New Hampshire is a team that shoots a ton. They shoot from everywhere. So, we’ve got to play a whole complete 60 minutes.”
Elías Stowell Alemán can be contacted at
estowellaleman@kscequinox.com
