HENNIKER, N.H. – Sophomore Connor Fries (Barnstable, Mass.) scored four of his team's six goals to help pace the New England College ice hockey team to a 6-3 victory over Wentworth Institute of Technology in a non-conference contest Saturday night at Lee Clement Arena.
Winners of two straight the Pilgrims improve to 5-3 on the season while the Leopards fall to 1-8.
Wentworth took a 1-0 lead at the 4:05 mark of the opening stanza as freshman Nate Chase (Plainfield, Ill.) scored his first collegiate goal from classmates Adam Tracey (Sleepy Hollow, N.Y) and Garrett Geane (Fullerton, Calif.).
New England College would score the next four goals, all coming in a span of 5:39. Fries scored his first of the game on the power play from freshmen William Riise (Charlottenlund, Denmark) and Carlos Fornaris (Miami, Fla.) at 5:32. At 10:35 Fornaris and junior Bryan McFarlane (Scottsdale, Ariz.) set up sophomore Andreas Zollner (Varnamo, Sweden). At 11:04 Riise assisted on Fries' second marker of the game, and, on the ensuing faceoff, sophomore Mike Whitehair (Victor, N.Y.) found Zollner for his second of the game.
The Leopards pulled within a goal at 4-2 when sophomore Sean Brennan (Stony Point, N.Y.) set up classmate Ethan Weiss (Troy, Mich.) on the power play. However, the Pilgrims got a power-play goal from Fries – assisted by Fornaris and freshman Patrick DeBois (Lewiston, Maine) – to make it 5-2 at the 6:21 mark of the middle period.
Early in the third period Wentworth pulled back within two goals as freshman Dakoda Menslage (Orleans, Mass.) scored on the power play from sophomore Angus Johnston (Calgary, Alta.). The Leopards continued to apply pressure in hopes of decreasing the deficit by more, however, Fries scored his fourth of the game on an empty-net goal with 2:55 left to seal the win.
Senior Brett Kilar (Coto de Caza, Calif.) made 33 saves for New England College. Graham made 32 saves on 33 shots in 46:39. Junior Ryan Hubbard (West Bridgewater, Mass.) allowed four goals on 10 shots in the first 11:11. The Pilgrims had a 44-36 shot advantage.
Wentworth travels to Salve Regina on Wednesday in a Commonwealth Coast Conference game.
