Press Release

SMC UPSETS SAINT ANSELM, 5-4, TO WIN NE-10 HOCKEY FINAL Perez scores game-winner with 16 minutes to go; Silver named MVP FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                               FOR MORE INFORMATION March 6, 2004                                                                                    Contact: Seth Cole Courtesy of Saint Anselm Sports Infomation                                         Phone: (802) 654-2537 Manchester, N.H. - Sophomore Jonathan Perez (Los Angeles, Calif./Berkshire (Mass.) School) scored the game-winning goal 4:08 into the third period to break a 4-4 tie and send Saint Michael’s College to a 5-4 upset win over Saint Anselm College in the inaugural Northeast-10 Conference men's ice hockey championship game on Saturday. The Purple Knights' title marked their third postseason crown in as many seasons. In 2002 and 2003, they defeated Saint Anselm in overtime to claim the ECAC Division II championship. Saint Anselm (20-7-0), the conference’s regular season champion, had scored two goals in the final two minutes of the second period to even things up, but the Purple Knights (11-16-0) answered by out-shooting the top-seeded Hawks 14-13 in the final frame. The visitors were called for a penalty at 18:57, giving Saint Anselm a 6-on-4 advantage once junior goalie Jim Merola (North Providence, R.I./Lasalle Academy) was pulled. Freshman Brett Smith (Hudson, Mass./Canterbury Prep) took a last-ditch shot at tying the game with 26 seconds left, but hit the post. Perez posted the game-winner and added two assists in the game, while teammate freshman Jared Silver (Montreal, Quebec/Tabor (Mass.) Academy) scored two goals and assisted on the game-winner to take home the championship MVP award. The Purple Knights took a 2-1 advantage after a defensive-minded first period that featured only 13 shots, with Saint Michael’s one-upping the Hawks 7-6. The second-seeded visitors got the scoring started with Silver’s first goal at the 5:17 mark. He faked to Merola’s glove side and scored stick side. Merola posted 28 saves for the game. The Hawks evened things up just 1:07 later with a power play goal from freshman Derek Evjenth (Saratoga, Calif./N.H. Jr. Monarchs). After 12 more minutes of even skating, the Purple Knights took a 2-1 lead in the final two minutes on junior Chris Zimmermann's (Montreal, Quebec/Tabor (Mass.) Academy) goal with less than 90 seconds before the intermission. The offenses took over in the second with the Hawks out-shooting the visitors 19-11. Junior Bostjan Kolaric (Ljubljana, Slovenia/Berkshire Prep) evened the score at 2-2 with five minutes elapsed, but Saint Michael’s jumped back on top quickly. Senior Mike Duffy (Malone, N.Y./Nepean Raiders) scored on a power play 1:11 later and Silver added the fourth Purple Knights’ goal at the 11:33 mark, sucking the life out of the Sullivan Arena crowd. Saint Anselm would have the final say in the second, scoring twice in the final two minutes to even things up going to the final 20 minutes. On a power play, freshman Brian Dobler (Jericho, N.Y./New York Apple Core) made a long pass to the attack zone that hit the stick of a defender, but bounced right to charging junior Keegan Rosenberger (Seekonk, Mass./Lasalle Academy), who beat the goalie to pull within one at 4-3. The Hawks converted on three of five power plays on the afternoon. With less than 22 ticks remaining on the clock, Smith started a series of fancy passes to Rosenberger, who found senior Ryan Nolin (Berlin, N.H./ Holderness School) streaking to the goal to knot things up at 4-4. Purple Knights’ freshman goalie Derek Jackson (Clinton, N.Y./Gunnery School) was solid throughout the game, but especially in a third period in which he made 13 of his 36 saves. For complete box score, click here. ###PURPLEKNIGHTS###

For more information please contact the SMC Sports Information Office at (802) 654-2537
Last Revised: October 25, 2002