Jan 14, 2015
FOXBORO, Mass. – Stonehill College scored four goals over the final two periods of play to earn a 4-2 comeback victory over Becker College Wednesday evening in non-conference men's ice hockey action at the Foxboro Sports Center.
Stonehill junior forward Kevin Airoldi powered the offense with three points on two goals and an assist, while classmates Garrett White and Thomas DePoalo also found the back of the net for the Skyhawks.
Senior Kevin Aufier, juniors Dan Graham, and Anthony D'Elia, and freshman Brendan Whit chipped in with an assist each.
Making his tenth start of the season in net, senior goaltender Chris Tasiopoulos improved to 6-2-2 after stopping 23 shots, including 13 in the third period.
Junior defenseman Francis Music and sophomore forward Nicholas McKee provided Becker's offense with one goal apiece, while junior Tyler Auricchio and freshman Corey Sherman were credited with assists.
Becker junior netminder Gregg Hussey made a game-high 37 saves, including a combined 30 over the final 40 minutes of action.
The Hawks opened the scoring just 3:53 into the contest, as McKee ended up with the puck following a turnover in the Stonehill defensive zone and netted his team-leading sixth goal of the season.
Becker would carry their lead into the first intermission despite being outshot 7-4, but Stonehill responded early in the second to even the score. Airoldi collected a rebound from D'Elia's shot and beat Hussey at the 6:35 mark for the first of his two scores in the game.
The Skyhawks struck again before the end of the period, as White finished a one-timer from Aufiero to give the home team the lead with 1:09 remaining before the second intermission. After managing just seven shots in the first period, Stonehill ramped up the offensive pressure in the second, putting 15 shots on goal.
Still trailing by a goal early in the third, the Hawks caught a break when Stonehill junior defenseman Travis Army was whistled for a roughing penalty at the 7:07 mark, just 47 seconds after D'Elia received a two-minute kneeing infraction. Becker capitalized on the 5-on-3 opportunity 17 seconds later, as Auricchio and Sherman set up Musick for the game-tying goal with 12:36 on the clock.
Stonehill was able to successfully kill off the remainder of the power play, before taking the lead with exactly nine minutes remaining in regulation when DePoalo stuffed home a rebound from Airoldi's shot for his second goal of the season. Airoldi then sealed the contest for the Skyhawks with his second tally of the night in the final minute of play.
Following tonight's contest, Stonehill (7-3-2, 3-0-1 NE-10) will hit the road this weekend for a pair of games at SUNY Canton. The Skyhawks and Kangaroos will face off on Saturday night at 7 p.m., before playing again on Sunday at 4 p.m. Becker (4-12, 0-5 ECAC Northeast) will return home to host the Wentworth Institute of Technology in ECAC NE action on Friday night.
