Chighisola scores twice, adds assist

Box Score

WINCHENDON, Mass. (January 21, 2009) – Freshman forward Anthony Chighisola (Whitman, Mass./Archbishop Williams) scored twice, including the game-winning goal, and added an assist on Wednesday night to lead the Franklin Pierce University ice hockey team to a 4-3 victory over Framingham State in ECAC Northeast Conference play at The Winchendon School Ice Arena. Junior forward Jeremy Schmidt (Huffman, Texas/Kingwood Mustangs) scored twice for Framingham State in defeat.

Franklin Pierce opened the scoring with its first of three power play scores just over five minutes into the game. Junior defenseman Rob Perretta (Staten Island, N.Y./Stanstead College (Quebec)) was at the top of the right circle, took a feed from the corner and rifled it home for his first of the season at the 5:20 mark, with assists going to sophomore forward Sean Woodring (Rogue River, Ore./Rogue River) and senior forward Shane Murphy (Tolland, Conn./The Gunnery School). The Ravens would extend the lead to 2-0 with just less than two minutes remaining in the opening frame. Chighisola jammed home a rebound at the right post to score his first of two goals in the game, as assists were credited to senior forward Jeff Kasper (South Boston, Mass./Catholic Memorial) and junior forward Phil LaBreck (Thornton, N.H./John Stark Regional).

Framingham State would tie the game at 2-2 with a pair of goals in the first seven minutes of the second period. First, sophomore defenseman Blair Nickerson (Beverly, Mass./Walpole Express) launched a shot from the left point that deflected off the Franklin Pierce defense on the way in. Sophomore forward John Sheehan (Stoughton, Mass./Walpole Express) picked up the assist on Nickerson’s first of the season at the 4:48 mark. Later, Nickerson fired a shot high off the glass, but the rebound fell on the stick of Schmidt at the top of the crease, where he stuffed it home to tie the game at the 7:00 mark.

Franklin Pierce reclaimed the lead 67 seconds later when Chighisola slipped a pass across the slot to senior forward Coursen Schneider (Stony Point, N.Y./Avon (Conn.) Old Farms), who buried his fourth of the season at the left post. Perretta claimed his second assist of the game on the goal. Framingham State would tie things up again with 2:39 to play in the middle frame. A shot by junior forward John Mortimer (Coraopolis, Pa./Shady Side Academy) was deflected up in the air and landed at the feet of Schmidt, who scored his second of the game and fifth of the season from the low slot. Freshman forward Aran Ward (Dunstable, Mass./Valley Warriors) also picked up an assist on the play.

Franklin Pierce scored the only goal of the third period on the power play with 5:37 remaining to skate away with the 4-3 victory. Kasper fed a pass to Chighisola on a rush down the left side. Chighisola took a shot from the top of the left circle which tipped off the glove of Framingham State sophomore goaltender Terence Sullivan (Shirley, Mass./Exeter Freeze), popped up in the air and fell inside the goal.

Franklin Pierce finished with a 33-24 advantage in shots and went 3-for-5. Framingham State did not score in five chances with the man advantage.

Junior goaltender Jon Tuttle (Concord, N.H./Concord) made 21 saves in net for Franklin Pierce to earn the victory. Sullivan made 29 saves in front of the Framingham State cage in defeat.

The Ravens (5-8-2, 1-1-0 NE-10, 4-5-2 ECAC Northeast) return to the ice on Saturday, Jan. 24, when they host Becker in an ECAC Northeast Conference contest. Faceoff for “Pierce Price” night is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at The Winchendon School Ice Arena. Framingham State (0-14-3, 0-7-2 ECAC Northeast) returns to action on Jan. 24 at Suffolk.