Pilgrims Use Three Goal Third Period to Lift them to Victory
New England College would score three unanswered goals in the third period to lift them past the visiting Salem State College Vikings 5-2 Saturday afternoon. The win is the second straight for the Pilgrims who improve to 15-7-3 overall and 10-6-3 in the ECAC East. The loss drops the Vikings to 14-8-3 overall and 9-6-3 in ECAC East action.
The two teams would battle evenly through the opening minutes before the Pilgrims would get on the board with Johan Granath (Stockholm, Sweden) netting a power-play goal at the 8:25 mark assisted by Joe Garofalo (Concord, N.H.) and Alex Muse (Lynnfield, Mass.) NEC would stretch their lead to 2-0 with Mike Mullen scoring his 13th goal of the season at the 14:23 mark assisted by Mark Ehl (N. Vancouver, B.C.) and Trevor Turner (Westbank, B.C.)
Salem State would battle back in the second period out shooting the Pilgrims 20-11. The Vikings would get on the board with Zach Doyen (Ortonville, Mich.) scoring his seventh goal of the season assisted by David Pazzaglia (Oakdale, Conn.) and Alex Molnar (Nitra, Slovakia) cutting the lead to 2-1 heading into the final period.
Salem would tie the game early in the third period as Jeff Tellier (Chicopee, Mass.) would score off a face-off just 17 seconds into the period. NEC’s Paul Ruta (Pickering, Ontario) would answer putting the Pilgrims back on top just three minutes later at the 3:34 mark. NEC’s Mark Ehl would add an insurance goal with just under six minutes remaining in regulation and the Pilgrims would tack on an empty netter in the final minute capturing the 5-2 victory.
Picking up the win in goal for New England College was Ron Baia (West Haven, Conn.) who finished with 35 saves. In goal for Salem State was Ryan Hatch (Medway, Mass.) who finished with 34 saves.
