Shortt scores twice for Ravens

Box Score

MANCHESTER, N.H. (January 4, 2011) – Junior forward Pat Shortt (New Haven, Conn.) scored twice on Tuesday night, but the Franklin Pierce University ice hockey team was defeated, 5-3, by Saint Anselm in Northeast-10 Conference play at Sullivan Arena. Junior defenseman Ryan Holley scored twice in the third period to break a 3-3 tie and give Saint Anselm the victory.

With the loss, Franklin Pierce falls to 3-10-0 (2-3-0 Northeast-10), while Saint Anselm improves to 4-3-0 (2-0-0 Northeast-10).

Franklin Pierce opened the scoring in its first game after the semester break at the 8:29 mark of the opening stanza, when Shortt scored an unassisted marker for his second goal of the season. However, Saint Anselm would pick up a pair of goals 1:40 apart to take a 2-1 lead into the first intermission. First, sophomore forward Mike Richard finished off his third goal of the season with assists from sophomore forward Tyler Savage and senior forward Paul Snell at the 11:05 mark. Later, at 12:45, senior forward Ryan Butler scored his fourth of the season on a feed from fellow senior forward Coleman Noonan to give the Hawks the lead.

Snell got on the board himself with his sixth of the season at 4:21 of the second period to make it a 3-1 lead for Saint Anselm, while sophomore forward Timothy King provided the assist.

From there, Franklin Pierce rallied with a pair of goals in the second half of the period to knot the game at 3-3 through two periods. Shortt struck again, this time shorthanded, at 13:37 off assists from freshman defenseman T.J. Dineen (Amherst, N.H.) and senior defenseman Sean Carroll (Highlands Ranch, Colo.) to make it a one-goal game. Later, with 39 seconds to play in the frame, senior forward Sean Woodring (Rogue River, Ore.) put home his second of the season to tie the game. Dineen picked up his second assist of the game on the play, while junior forward Bill Sullivan (Pittsburgh, Pa.) added a helper as well.

Holley would score the only two goals of the third period, his first two scores of the season, to give the Hawks the 5-3 victory. His first tally, the eventual game-winner, came unassisted just 74 seconds into the period. Later, Holley added an insurance marker on the power play at the 8:56 mark with assists going to sophomore forward Tucker Mullin and freshman defenseman Alex Pascal.

Freshman goaltender Dave O'Brien (Groton, Mass.) made 38 saves but was saddled with the loss (3-4-0) in front of the net for Franklin Pierce. Senior Kevin Fairweather stopped 20 shots to pick up the win (2-2-0) between the pipes for Saint Anselm.

Saint Anselm posted a 43-23 advantage in shots on goal on the night and went 1-for-4 on the power play, though it did surrender a shorthanded goal as well. Franklin Pierce finished 0-for-5 with the man-advantage.

The Ravens return to the ice this weekend when they travel to SUNY Geneseo for a pair of non-conference contests on Jan. 7 and 8. Opening faceoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. on both Friday and Saturday night at Ira S. Wilson Ice Arena in Geneseo, N.Y. Franklin Pierce next plays at home on Jan. 29 against Stonehill at 7 p.m.

For more information on Franklin Pierce Athletics, please visit the official website of Franklin Pierce Athletics (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu). Also be sure to follow the Ravens through the Department of Athletics' official Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/FranklinPierceRavens), its YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/franklinpiercesports) and its Twitter feed (http://twitter.com/FPUathletics).