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PURPLE KNIGHT MEN, UMASS BOSTON SKATE TO 5-5 TIE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                               FOR MORE INFORMATION
January 14, 2005                                                                                Contact: Seth Cole
                                                                                                         Phone: (802) 654-2537

SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. – Freshman Erik Caron's (Kanata, Ontario/Smith Falls Bears) power play goal with 32 seconds left in regulation lifted Saint Michael's College to a 5-5 tie with the University of Massachusetts Boston in ECAC East men's ice hockey action on Friday at Cairns Arena.

For Saint Michael's (5-5-2, 2-4-2 ECAC East), junior Alex Watts (Cheshire, Conn./Berkshire School) and sophomore Jared Silver (Montreal, Quebec/Tabor Academy) tallied a goal and two assists each, while sophomore Derek Girouard (Methuen, Mass./Central Catholic) added a goal and an assist. Senior Chris Zimmermann (Montreal, Quebec/Tabor Academy) also scored, while sophomore Derek Jackson (Clinton, N.Y./Gunnery School) stopped 23 shots.

For the Beacons, sophomore Steve Kelleher (Rockland, Mass.) notched two goals and an assist, while freshman Andrew Ward (Evanston, Ill.) also scored twice. Classmate Dave Baczkowski (Lancaster, Mass.) added a goal and two assists, and junior Sean Bertoni (Franklin, Mass.) turned back 40 shots for UMass Boston (2-8-1, 0-7-1).

After Saint Michael's dominated the first 12 minutes, UMass Boston opened the scoring with goals on consecutive shots 1:15 apart. Ward gave the visitors a 1-0 lead with a bouncing wrister from the right face-off circle at 12:41, and Kelleher doubled their lead, as he one-timed a deflected puck from the left slot at 13:56. Bertoni kept the Purple Knights at bay, stopping all 16 shots he faced in the period.

The Beacons increased their lead to 3-0 just 17 seconds into the second stanza, as Kelleher cashed in on a shorthanded breakaway by lofting a shot just past Jackson for his team-leading fifth goal of the season. Saint Michael's began its comeback eight minutes into the period, as Girouard stole the puck at mid-ice and fed Silver for a breakaway. Silver roofed a shot over Bertoni's left shoulder for his team-best ninth goal of the season.

The Purple Knights trimmed their deficit to 3-2 with 4:23 left in the period, as Zimmermann scored off a rebound 10 seconds into a power play. Just 1:37 later, Watts tied the score at 3-all with a breakaway shorthanded goal, beating Bertoni through the five-hole for his ninth goal of the season.

Saint Michael's took its first lead of the game 5:43 into the third period, with Girouard blasting a power play shot from just inside the blue line. UMass Boston responded with a power play goal of its own midway through the stanza, as Ward connected for his second score of the game. Another man-advantage goal, scored by Baczkowski, helped UMass Boston regain the lead with less than six minutes remaining, and that set the stage for Caron's 6-on-4 tally in the final minute, as Jackson was pulled for an extra attacker.

The Purple Knights recorded all four shots on goal in overtime, but had no strong chances for a score.

Both teams return to action on Saturday at 3 p.m. UMass Boston visits Norwich University, while Saint Michael's hosts Babson College in a rematch of their opening-round contest at the Codfish Bowl in Boston Dec. 28, won by Babson.

GAME SUMMARY
UMass Boston 2 1 2 0 --5
Saint Michael’s 0 3 2 0 --5

First period: Scoring: 1. UMB, Ward (Giantonio, R. Kelleher), 12:41. 2. UMB, S. Kelleher (Baczkowski), 13:56. Penalties: Flaherty, UMB (hooking), 9:21; Recio, UMB (interference), 19:30.

Second period: Scoring: 3. UMB, S. Kelleher (DiMarzo), :17 (sh). 4. SMC, Silver (Girouard), 7:59. 5. SMC, Zimmermann (N. Dancey), 15:37 (pp). 6. SMC, Watts (unassisted), 17:14 (sh). Penalties: Zimmermann, SMC (high-sticking), 9:11; Flaherty, UMB (tripping), 10:52; N. Dancey, SMC (tripping), 13:11; Flaherty, UMB (interference), 15:27; Towne, SMC (slashing), 15:52; Ward, UMB (hooking), 17:14.

Third period: Scoring: 7. SMC, Girouard (Watts, Silver), 5:43 (pp). 8. UMB, Ward (Baczkowski, S. Kelleher), 9:12 (pp). 9. UMB, Baczkowski (DiMarzo), 14:07 (pp). 10. SMC, Caron (Silver, Watts), 19:28 (pp). Penalties: DiMarzo, UMB (holding), 5:13; N. Dancey, SMC (hooking), 6:21; Mullins, SMC (slashing), 8:37; Noonan, UMB (slashing), 9:41; Deppmeyer, SMC (interference), 13:00; Dowd, UMB (interference), 18:27.

Overtime: No Scoring. Penalties: None.

Shots: UMB (7 – 9 – 12 – 0 – 28), SMC (16 – 11 – 14 – 4 – 45).

Saves: UMB, Bertoni (45 shots, 40 saves); SMC, Jackson (28 shots, 23 saves).

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Last Revised: October 25, 2002