BOX SCORE

When and Where: October 28, 2016 – Fitchburg, Mass. (Wallace Civic Center)
Score: Southern New Hampshire University 5, Fitchburg State University 2
Records: SNHU 1-0, FSU, 0-1

Senior Jay Sylvia (Acushnet, Mass.) scored less than one minute into the first period to spark a five-goal barrage, which lifted the Southern New Hampshire University ice hockey team to a 5-1 victory over Fitchburg State University in the season opener for both teams on Friday night.

Juniors Matt McLelland (Reading, Mass.) and Griffin Rogers (Sanbornton, N.H.) each registered a goal and an assist, while classmate Ryan Slatky (Manchester, N.H.) turned aside 40 shots in the victory.

Sylvia opened the season's scoring just 57 seconds into the contest and gave the Penmen a lead they would never relinquish. After having his initial shot stopped, Sylvia collected the rebound and deposited it in the back of the net.

The score remained unchanged for more than 13 minutes before Rogers doubled the lead. With Southern New Hampshire on the man down, McLelland chipped the puck out of the zone and sprung Rogers on a breakaway. After streaking down the center of the ice, he snapped a shot past the blocker of Charles Jakobsson to make it 2-0 at 14:26.

The Falcons trimmed their deficit in half with a shorthanded goal just over eight minutes into the second, but the Penmen wasted little time in responding. Graduate student Joe Collins (Mansfield, Mass.) reestablished a two-goal cushion 11 minutes into the stanza, as he collected a feed from junior Timothy Baylis (West Haven, Conn.), drove down the rightwing side, and rifled a shot over the netminder's glove.

Southern New Hampshire was not finished, however, and built a 4-1 advantage 5:12 later when Rogers returned the favor to McLelland. Rogers worked the puck back to McLelland at the Fitchburg State blue line, and he unloaded a shot that beat Jakobsson glove-side to give the visitors a three-goal edge heading into the third.

Freshman Brett Strawn (Wareham, Mass.) extended the score to 5-1 midway through the third when McLelland and senior Michael Busconi (Watertown, Mass.) set him up for the first goal of his career at 11:21. James Gordon added a late goal for the Falcons from Ricky Kramer to provide the final margin of victory. 

Notes:
- The Penmen won their season opener for the first time since the 2009-10 season, when they topped Johnson & Wales University, 6-3.
- Slatky stopped 40 shots or more for the eighth time in his career and seventh time since the beginning of the 2015-16 season.
- Southern New Hampshire improved to 8-2 against opponents from the Massachusetts State Athletic Conference (MASCAC) dating back to the 2012-13 season.

What's Next:
The Penmen are idle until next Friday (Nov. 4) when they host Franklin Pierce University in their home opener at the Ice Den at  7:30 p.m.

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