EVERETT, Mass. – Four different players scored goals and sophomore Dante Flori (Watertown, Mass.) had a pair of assists as the Wentworth Institute of Technology ice hockey team picked up its first win of the season with a 4-2 victory over Becker in Commonwealth Coast Conference action Friday night.
With the win the Leopards improve to 1-3-1 overall and 1-2 in CCC play while the Hawks slip to 0-5 (0-3).
The hosts wasted little time getting on the board as the Black & Gold took a 1-0 lead just 1:53 into the contest as junior Connor Beaudet (Buffalo, N.Y.) scored off of a feed from classmate Connor Busch (Lake in the Hills, Ill.). That lead stood until Becker scored on its lone shot of a power play as freshman Zach Bettmeng (Sioux Falls, S.D.) scored at 11:06 from junior Tyler Forest (Simi Valley, Calif.) and senior Corey Schafer (Johnstown, Pa.) at 11:06.
Bettmeng was set up again by Schafer and Forest as the Hawks took a 2-1 lead at 5:19 of the second period before Wentworth got two of its three unanswered goals in the frame to take a 3-2 lead. Sophomore Jake Hallisey (Quincy, Mass.) scored on the power play from classmate Georgy Gorodetsky (Yekaterinburg, Russia) and freshman Jake McKenelley (Middleton, Mass.) at 13:22 before junior Nate Chase (Plainfield, Ill.) put the Leopards ahead at 14:23, scoring from Flori and senior Byron Carlisle (Orleans, Mass.).
Wentworth added an insurance marker at 8:58 of the third period as Flori and senior Tim Shea, Jr. (Ferrisburgh, Vt.) set up Carlisle in front. With 2:35 remaining, Becker pulled junior goalie Grant Martens (Bloomington, Minn.) for an extra attacker. Wentworth nearly went ahead 5-2, however, Gorodetsky's bid for an empty-net goal was broken up by a defender at the last second. With 1:50 remaining, the Hawks went on a power play, giving the visitors a 6-on-4 advantage. Wentworth's defense stood tall, not allowing any shots on goal and three blocked shots – including two consecutive from Shea, Jr., helped hold Becker off.
Freshman Thomas Draper (Binghamton, N.Y.) made 20 saves in the win while Martens made 31 saves in defeat. Wentworth had a 35-22 shot advantage.
The two teams will complete their season series tomorrow afternoon in Worcester, Mass.
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