WINCHENDON, Mass. – Senior Dane Caracino (Belmont, Mass.) found the back of the net with 34 seconds left in regulation to break a 1-1 deadlock, and lift the Southern New Hampshire University ice hockey team to a 2-1 victory over Franklin Pierce University at the Jason Ritchie Ice Arena on Tuesday. The Penmen improve to 8-8-1 overall and 2-4 in the Northeast-10, while the Ravens fall to 3-12 and 2-4 in the league.

After a scoreless first period that saw Southern New Hampshire hold a 16-4 advantage in shots, the Penmen broke through for the game's first goal 4:28 into the second. Junior Joe Collins (Mansfield, Mass.) started with the puck on the left wing side and carried it behind the Franklin Pierce goal. Collins then slipped a pass to sophomore Jay Sylvia (Acushnet, Mass.) in the slot, and Sylvia one-timed the puck past the Ravens' netminder for his fifth of the year to give SNHU a 1-0 lead.

Franklin Pierce responded less than three minutes later when Pierce Connor Mauro collected his fifth goal of the season. After his dump-in attempt was knocked down, Mauro grabbed the loose puck and fired a low shot from the high slot that made its way to the back of the net and knotted the score at a goal apiece with 12:55 left in the second.

The two teams traded opportunities for the remainder of the second period and the majority of the third before Caracino provided the heroics. After senior Steven Berry (Ashburn, Va.) was taken down deep in the Franklin Pierce zone, the puck made its way to the top of the left faceoff circle. Senior Casey Goll (Winthrop, Mass.) fired a shot towards the net, when Berry jumped up, deflected the puck towards the right side of the goal and Caracino sent it over the line for his ninth of the year.

Freshman Matthew MacInnis (Arlington, Texas) turned aside 19 shots to earn the win between the pipes for the Penmen, while Tom McGuckin registered 32 saves in the setback for the Ravens.

Southern New Hampshire resumes play on Saturday when it hosts Stonehill College in a Northeast-10 Conference matchup at 6:30 p.m. Franklin Pierce is also back in action on Saturday when it travels to Hamilton College for a nonconference clash at 7 p.m.

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