DURHAM, N.H. - Four different Wildcats found the back of the net and UNH scored three power play goals as the University of New Hampshire men's hockey team defeated Bentley, 4-3, on Sunday at the Whittemore Center. The Wildcats (5-7-5) earned their third straight win and are now 4-1-2 over their last seven games.
UP NEXT
- The Wildcats will return to action on Friday, Jan. 4, when they take on Merrimack at the Whittemore Center at 7:00 p.m. on NESN. In support of senior Richard Boyd (Delray Beach, Fla.), the game will be Crohn's Disease Awareness Night. Boyd was diagnosed with the disease when he was 14 years old. Crohn's Disease is an inflammatory bowel disease. Recognizing and learning to live with this disease while also playing Division I hockey is a challenge Boyd has learned to not only overcome but does to show young athletes that they can do the same. All the proceeds from Chuck-A-Puck during the second intermission will be for the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation's New England Chapter.
Also, as part of Fan Appreciation Fridays, there will be the second trading card series giveaway of the season. You can buy tickets by calling the Whittemore Center Box Office at (603) 862-4000 or by visiting UNHWildcats.com.
Score: New Hampshire 4, Bentley 3
Records: New Hampshire (5-7-5), Bentley (5-11-1)
Location: Durham, N.H. (Whittemore Center)
Date: Sunday, Dec. 30, 2018
Time: 5:00 p.m.
Attendance: 4,940
HOW IT HAPPENED
- At 7:32 of the first period the Wildcats got on the board as junior Liam Blackburn (Prince George, British Columbia) sent a wrist shot from the slot to the upper glove side of the net for a power play goal. Sophomores Charlie Kelleher (Longmeadow, Mass.) and Max Gildon (Plano, Texas) had the assists on the goal.
- At 8:41 of the first period Bentley tied the score after a wrist shot from the center of the left face-off circle by Alexey Solovyev went to the lower stick side of the net.
- Freshman Angus Crookshank (North Vancouver, British Columbia) broke the tie at 14:01 in the first period after a wrist shot from the lower right face-off circle went past the Aidan Pelino to make the score 2-1. The goal was assisted by senior Marcus Vela (Burnaby, British Columbia) and sophomore Patrick Grasso (Ankeny, Iowa).
- The Wildcats added to their lead on a power play at 18:29 of the first period with a goal from freshman Jackson Pierson (Zionsville, Ind.), who took a wrist shot from the center of the right face-off circle that went to the upper glove side of the net to make the score 3-1. The goal was assisted by Kelleher and senior Ara Nazarian (Boxford, Mass.).
- The Wildcats outshot the Falcons 19-6, while UNH went 2-3 on the power play and Bentley went 0-1.
- At 4:24 of the second period Bentley cut the lead to 3-2 after a shot from Tanner Jago was deflected in the slot by Ryner Gorowsky to the lower stick side of the net for a goal.
- UNH added to its lead at 9:03 of the second period after Grasso jammed a wrist shot past Pelino from in front of the crease for a power play goal to make the score 4-2. The goal was assisted by Vela and Crookshank.
- The Wildcats outshot Bentley 14-4 in the second period and went 1-2 on the power play while the Falcons went 0-1.
- Bentley cut the lead at 5:56 of the third period after Luke Santerno deflected a shot from the slot past sophomore Mike Robinson (Bedford, N.H.) on a power play to make the score 4-3. Drew Callin and Jago assisted on the goal.
- With 30 seconds remaining in the third period Bentley went with an empty net but was unable to find the equalizer as the Wildcats secured the 4-3 victory.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
- Robinson posted 13 saves to earn the victory and improve to 4-5-4 on the season while Pelino made 39 saves.
- UNH outshot Bentley by a 43-16 margin.
- The Wildcats went 3-7 on the power play and Bentley went 1-4.
BEYOND THE BOXSCORE
- The Wildcats are now 4-1-2 over the last seven games.
- This game extends Blackburn's point-streak to seven games with four goals and six assists for 10 points over this stretch.
- Crookshank is on a four-game point streak with three goals and four assists for seven points. This was his third multi-point game of the season.
- Kelleher is now on a five-game point streak with one goal and seven assists for a total of eight points. He now has 10 career multi-point games.
- Vela posted two assists on the day for his seventh career multi-point game.
- Grasso scored his second game-winning goal of the season and sixth of his career. He now has 13 career multi-point games.
