HOOKSETT, NH – One slap of the puck was all that stood between the Southern New Hampshire University Penmen and the 2018 Manchester PAL/Stovepipe Tournament championship, falling to Fredonia in a shootout on Sunday afternoon.
The Penmen clinched their berth in the finals on Saturday thanks to a 2-1 win against UMass Boston. Chris Moquin and Charlie Davis provided second period goals, with Kurt Gutting stopping 54 shots in net for SNHU.
UMass Boston ranked seventh in USCHO’s Division III poll earlier this week, defeating SNHU in the two teams last encounter in 2013 at UMass Boston’s Codfish Bowl Tournament.
In the championship game on Sunday, SNHU and Fredonia traded goals in the first period, with Swedish-born sophomore Victory Tracy giving Fredonia the lead off a power play goal in the second period.
SNHU tied the game 13:50 into the third as Joe Florino flipped the puck past Blue Devils goaltender Anton Rosen.
After a scoreless fourth period, it would take nine attempts before either team broke the deadlock, as sophomore Jasper Korican-Barlay hit the top shelf for Fredonia, setting the stage for their victory when SNHU junior DJ Goldstein missed on the shootout’s next attempt.
SNHU hits the ice again on Saturday at home as they face Franklin Pierce.
