Box Score BOX SCORE
When and Where: January 30, 2018 – Worcester, Mass. (Charles J. Buffone Arena)
Score: Assumption College 2, Southern New Hampshire University 1
Records: SNHU 8-6-3 (4-5-2 Northeast-10), Assumption 11-8-2 (7-5-1 Northeast-10)
Sophomore Kurt Gutting (Weymouth, Mass.) turned aside 37 shots and the Southern New Hampshire University ice hockey team carried a 1-0 lead into the third period, but a pair of Assumption goals in the final 20 minutes of regulation pushed the Greyhounds past the Penmen, 2-1, in Northesast-10 Conference action on Tuesday.
After a scoreless first period, senior Timothy Baylis (West Haven, Conn.) staked Southern New Hampshire to a 1-0 advantage when he collected his sixth of the year with help from classmate Griffin Rogers (Sanbornton, N.H.) and junior Dylan Sobczyk (Buford, Ga.) at 6:25 of the second stanza. The lead would hold for the remainder of the frame, as Gutting made eight of his 10 saves over the final 13:35 to send the two teams into the third with the Penmen in front by a goal.
Assumption came flying out of the intermission and outshot Southern New Hampshire by a 7-1 margin through the first eight-plus minutes of the period. After Gutting stopped the first seven shots of the third, Brian Farrell finally broke through for the Greyhounds on their eighth attempt to knot the score at one apiece with 11:33 left to play. Less than six minutes later, the hosts would tally what proved to be the game-winner when Cam Laughlin put away his 13th of the year from Peter McDonagh and Dante Tomassini at 14:16.
David Zulauf earned the win between the pipes for Assumption after a 25-save performance that featured four stops in the final 1:23 of the third.
Notes:
- The Penmen were outshot by a 39-26 margin, and failed to reach double-digit shots in any of the three periods. Southern New Hampshire was also at 40-28 disadvantage at the faceoff dot, which included a 20-7 deficit in the third period.
- Tuesday's loss is just the second career setback for Gutting after the sophomore netminder had been unbeaten in five outings this season. His only other career loss came on January 12, 2017 when he made 42 saves in a 3-1 setback at Becker College.
- Despite Tuesday's loss, the Penmen remain in the fourth and final playoff spot in the Northeast-10 Conference standings with four league games remaining. Southern New Hampshire is three points ahead of both Franklin Pierce University, with one game in hand, and Stonehill College, who they will play twice in the final four outings of the season.
What's Next:
The Penmen return to action Friday (February 2) when they host the front end of a home-and-home series with Post University at the Ice Den at 7:30 p.m.
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